Littlefinger as an homage
In terms of both name and character, does anyone else find him reminiscent of Wormtongue?
shareOh, he's much smarter and more interesting than Wormtongue!
And there have always been people like him in king's courts, it's a natural environment for people who are ambitious, clever, ruthless, amoral, and willing to do anything to get ahead. Hell, there have always been people like him outside of king's courts, they're common enough in the business world. And BTW the character in the book wore flashy, colorful, nouveau-riche clothes, but in the TV show they've got him dressed in sober, tailored grays and browns... like a modern senior executive. Because he's that kind of guy.