When Lancel Lannister joined the Faith Militant he had a seven-pointed star carved into his forehead to prove his devotion. Of course, even Daniel Day-Lewis isn’t method enough to actually get branded for a role, so no, actor Eugene Simon isn’t currently walking around with a permanent reminder of his time on Game of Thrones. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t make a real physical (and super cringe-inducing) sacrifice for the scene, and he told us all about it on our Alpha series Mothership.

Simon, who is super normal looking despite his character’s very distinct appearances–first as Cersei’s long-haired cousin lover, and second as the religious zealot who never met a bath he couldn’t ignore–joined Mothership hosts Jessica Chobot and Hector Navarro and shared a story about how he was able to truly convey the pain Lancel was experiencing during his carving ceremony.

The knife on his forehead might not have been real, but the nails on his hand that broke when he gripped the table in agony sure were. And while Simon said it didn’t hurt him (you’ll have to watch to find out how that was possible), we think Jessica’s reaction speaks for us all.

Yup. YUP.

If this is your first time seeing a clip from Mothership, it is our live variety show hosted by Jessica and Hector, where we combine the personalities, topics, and interests across Nerdist and Geek and Sundry into one glorious pop culture package. And because it’s live it’s also interactive, because our Alpha community is a big part of the show.

So sign up (the first month is free!) and tune in every Thursday from 5:30-6:30PM PDT on Alpha, Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel, and Nerdist’s Youtube channel to get involved.

Where else can you ask Lancel Lannister questions like, “Wait, you did what to your nails?” and “No, seriously, why would you do that?”

What other guests would you like to see join us on the Mothership? Board our comments below and let us know.

WANT MORE GAME OF THRONES?

• Game of Thrones VFX reel brings the Army of the Dead to life.
• See Jon Snow’s secrets unraveled throughout this supercut.
• Watch The Hound, Jorah, Tormund, and Beric throw down with dueling banjos!