It's still sort of surprising that they decided to bring "Game of Thrones" to an end while it was still so popular . . . but PETER DINKLAGE says that's a GOOD thing.
He was recently asked if he was sad that the show was ending, and he said it's "bittersweet" . . . quote, "It's always the sad part of our business, because you get pockets of great people for short amounts of time, and then you have to move on, and it's always heartbreaking."
But he added, quote, "It's time. Story-wise . . . Sometimes shows stay on a little too long. The jumping the shark thing."
Peter isn't the only cast member who's ready to move on. Last year, KIT HARINGTON said he's grown tired of the, quote, "incessant . . . Bieber-like" fame. Quote, "I'm glad I've experienced it, but . . . it's done. You couldn't go on for much longer."
And MAISIE WILLIAMS has said, quote, "I'm really excited for [it] to finish, [so there's] time for me to do whatever I want . . . it'll be nice to pick roles that I want to do." She's spent more than a third of her life doing "Game of Thrones".