Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau visits Odisha — Find out why the Hollywood star landed in this Indian state

‘Game of Thrones’ actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known for playing Jaime Lannister, recently visited Odisha as part of his work as a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill Ambassador. His visit features in the new season of his global documentary series, An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet, which spotlights stories of hope and climate action from around the world.

The latest season premiered on Wednesday, with its opening episode titled “Protect” focusing on India’s Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities (ECRICC) initiative in Odisha’s Kendrapara district. The project — a collaboration between the Green Climate Fund, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Government of Odisha, and UNDP — addresses the impact of climate change on vulnerable coastal communities.

During the episode, Coster-Waldau travels to Bagapatia village, where families displaced by rising sea levels and coastal erosion are rebuilding their homes and livelihoods. The segment highlights how local communities are restoring mangrove forests — nature’s own defence against floods and storms — under the ECRICC programme.

The documentary also captures how men and women in Kendrapara are adopting climate-resilient livelihoods while protecting their coastline, offering a glimpse into the power of community-led environmental action.

"These are stories of optimism, not despair — people coming together to create solutions in the face of global challenges,” Coster-Waldau says in the episode, underscoring the link between local innovation and global resilience.

The Odisha segment, featured around the 15-minute mark of the episode, is part of a broader narrative connecting similar climate resilience efforts from Denmark and Ecuador, illustrating how communities across continents are confronting shared environmental threats.

The six-part series An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet airs every Wednesday on Bloomberg Originals and is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Samsung TV+, LG Channels, Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg.com, and YouTube.

Odisha’s inclusion in the series, supported by multiple international and government partners, brings global attention to India’s ongoing efforts in mangrove restoration and climate adaptation, offering a hopeful model for the world.