From an interview with Nikolaj Coster Waldau

...But I like Tywin as a character, mostly because Charles [Dance] is such a formidable presence. You kind of like him because he's so cold. He's the perfect royal, because everything is about the future. The present doesn't matter. It's all about the endgame. So I loved the scene where they're making the deal for Tyrion where Jaime realizes, "Oh, I just got played. This was my father's plan all along. He was willing to sacrifice my brother to get me to do what he wants." Wow. It's a fucked-up family, I'm sorry! [Laughs]
http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/nikolaj-coster-waldau-game-of-thrones-chat.html