'Game of Thrones' Director Defends Ed Sheeran's Cameo After Backlash

'He did a lovely job, and he looks like he belongs in that world,' says director Jeremy Podeswa of Sheeran's performance on the show, which prompted negative reactions.

Being one of the most talked-about moments in "Game of Thrones" season 7 premiere, Ed Sheeran's cameo sparked a storm of backlash on social media. The English singer/songwriter played a Lannister soldier and sang in the episode titled "Dragonstone" that aired July 16.

But Jeremy Podeswa who directed the episode has come to Sheeran's defense. "He came into this with only lovely intentions to come and do a good job and sing well, so I think that's the only drag," he told Newsweek by phone. The director believes that he received criticism because people were not able to see past his global stardom as a chart-topping singer.

Podeswa added, "He was appropriate for the part because he needed to sing. If people didn't know who Ed was, they wouldn't have thought about it twice. The hoo-ha seems to be from things that are outside of the world of the show. In the world of the show he did a lovely job, and he looks like he belongs in that world."

"I think people interrogated it too much, they're bringing so much of his [superstar] presence into the thing which is far beyond what anybody was thinking going into it. He is known to the producers of the show and some of the cast, and he's a gigantic fan of the show. As everybody knows, the show really eschews stunt casting-it's never, ever done that," he continued.

Podeswa went on defending Sheeran, "I was quite surprised about the reaction actually because I know he's very well known and a successful singer but you're in the bubble of the show-the cast are well known too, everybody is really well known...none of them can walk down the street without being followed. You don't think about that very much in this context."

In other words, Podeswa had nothing but good words for Sheeran. "He comes with no entourage. There's nothing connected with him that's in the least bit self-aware or self-conscious," he said of his experience working with the pop star.

Sheeran deleted his Twitter account on Monday after Internet users made fun of his cameo on the hit HBO series. It has since been reactivated, though.