Lena Headey
Ruthless to a fault, Cersei Lannister made more enemies than friends. Despised by most, Lena Headey is the talented actress who sprung the character to life, and from what we gather, she didn't need to stretch too much for inspiration for the role. Fellow cast members and the show's crew knew that it was safe to steer clear of her when she was in a foul mood.
She reportedly disliked the transformative process of getting screen-ready, but still delivered a stellar performance. Since the show wrapped, Headey hasn't been short of work and has upcoming features in The White House Plumbers, Nine Bullets, and Beacon 23.
Sophie Turner
Sansa Stark is the blonde beauty who won over fans as the series progressed. Betrothed to King Joffrey, who subjected her to emotional torture, followed by suffering unimaginable abuse under the sadistic hands of Ramsay Bolton, Sophie Turner did an amazing job at personifying the character's misfortunes since leaving Winterfell.
Her crowning moment was surviving the attack of White Walkers and becoming queen of the Independent North. She hasn’t been missing in action since welcoming a child with her husband, Joe Jonas, in 2020. Turner has scheduled appearances in Broken Soldier, The Staircase, and Strangers.
Nell Tiger Free
Nell Tiger Free took up the role of Myrcella in the fifth and sixth seasons. She is betrothed to Trystane Martell and ends up in Dorne. Unfortunately, she becomes a pawn in Ellaria Sand's revenge plans and dies by poising aboard a ship returning to the capital. She also appeared in Servant on Apple TV+ and Too Old To Die Young on Amazon Prime.
Free grew up in the London town of Kingston upon Thames. Her father is involved in recruitment, while her mother teaches yoga. Attending drama classes on Saturdays got her started in acting, and now, she is scheduled to appear in Wonderwell and Fall Into Darkness.
Hannah Murray
Hannah Murray played the part of Gilly who is a Wildling living north of the wall. She is a daughter of Craster, who has the disturbing habit of taking his spawns into wives once they become women. Her fate turns around when she crosses paths with Samwell Tarly (John Bradley).
Starring in God Help The Girl earned her a Special Jury Prize from the Sundance Film Festival while she received the Best Actress nod at the Tribeca Film Festival for Jeppe Rønde's Bridgend. Most recently, she lent her voice for the 2020 video game title Shady part of Me.
Emilia Clarke
Daenerys Targaryen finally escaped her brother's volatile care when he married her off to Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). She ascends to the position of Dothraki power upon her husband’s demise to become the Khaleesi. Down the line, she meets Jon Snow, they fall in love, and in the end, uses her dragons to go on a destruction rampage in King's Landing.
Emilia Clarke outdid herself with the role and, like the rest of the cast, she went through a transformative process to get screen-ready. Most notably, she donned an intricate braided hairstyle. Clarke is scheduled to appear in The Amazing Maurice and Secret Invasion.
Sibel Kekilli
Sibel Kekilli portrayed Shae who was Tyrion Lannister's love interest. A camp follower from across the Narrow Sea, Tyrion appointed her as Sansa's handmaiden. She gets jealous when Tyrion marries Sansa and betrays him by having an affair with Tywin. Like a Shakespearean tragedy, Shae dies by Tyrion's hand.
Kekilli is a German-born actress who resides in Hamburg. It's the 2004 movie Head-On that earned her public attention, and she has upcoming features in Shutdown and Rostocken. She blocked access to her Instagram account in Turkey after receiving threatening messages coming from the country. This was after it emerged that she previously appeared in adult films.
Indira Varma
Oberyn Martell's promiscuous paramour Ellaria Sand was also the mother of many daughters who were dubbed the Sand Snakes. Indira Varma embodied the character who later allied with the Tyrells and Daenerys Targaryen against the Lannisters, but it was all in vain. She also appeared in TV shows like The Canterbury Tales, Human Target, and Luther.
Most recently, we have seen Varma in the 2021 TV show For Life, and she is slated to appear in Mission: Impossible 7 and Obi-Wan Kenobi. She lives with her husband Colin Tierney and daughter Evelyn in North London.
Esme Bianco
Esme Bianco portrayed Ros, a woman of the night, who was also an amalgam of several characters from George R. R. Martin's books. Initially, she was just meant to create intrigue in the pilot episode, but her role ran through to season three. Some of her other credits include The Scorpion King 4: Quest for Power and The Big I Am.
In February 2021, she accused rocker Marilyn Manson of subjecting her to physical assault when they dated in 2011. Blanco said that Manson drugged her and also accused him of human trafficking. His lawyer responded, saying that the claims were "provably false."
Hannah John-Kamen
Hannah John-Kamen is best known for appearances in TV shows like Killjoys as Aneela, The Stranger as the title character, and her guest-starring role in Game of Thrones as Ornela. Her role on the show might have been short-lived, but she left a lasting impression as a member of the Dosh Khaleen who took a liking to Daenerys.
On the big screen, she graced productions like Ready Player One and Ant-Man and the Wasp. Expect to see her star in Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City as Jill Valentine and Unwelcome as Maya.
Natalia Tena
Robb Stark (Richard Madden) captured Osha, a Wildling, and held her captive at Winterfell. She subsequently worked in the kitchens and offered Bran advice. She meets her demise in season 6 after a failed attempt to kill Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon). English actress Natalia Tena brought the character to life. She's known as Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter films too.
Also a musician, Tena plays the accordion and serves as the lead singer for the band Molotov Jukebox. She is close friends with her former GoT castmate Oona Chaplin who portrayed Kitty Trevelyan on the show. Tena has upcoming roles in Wolfe, Up on the roof, and John Wick: Chapter 4.
Nell Williams
Nell Williams portrayed a young Cersei Lannister in the show's fifth season. She explained that the role served as a snapshot of Cersei's past and helped the audience understand why she became her ruthless version. Even though she had never read the novels or seen the show, Nell landed the role.
The daughter of British-American director David L. Williams and actress Helen Baxendale, she naturally also got involved in the entertainment industry. Her other credits include The Revolting World of Stanley Brown, Grantchester, and Blinded by the Light. Most recently, she appeared in the 2021 short movie Prangover.
Tara Fitzgerald
Selyse Florent, the wife of Stannis Baratheon, was kept locked up in a tower. A supporter of Melisandre, she resented her daughter Shireen who suffered from greyscale. Selyse even went with Melisandre's advice to have the poor girl offered as a sacrifice. Overcome by grief and unable to live with it, Selyse took her own life.
Tara Fitzgerald is the actress behind the role, and she's also known for appearances in the BBC series Waking the Dead. She is still acting and is slated for upcoming features in Signora Volpe, Kindling, and Genuine Fakes.
Keisha Castle-Hughes
Keisha Castle-Hughes' role in the Whale Rider as Paikea "Pai" Apirana earned her critical acclaim. Several roles followed in films like Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Piece of My Heart. She joined the GoT cast in its fifth season as Obara Sand. Since 2020, she has portrayed Hana Gibson on the CBS crime drama FBI: Most Wanted.
Early in 2021, Castle-Hughes got hitched to Donny Grahamer and announced that they were expecting their second child shortly after. They just welcomed their daughter in June 2021. Expect to see her in the upcoming production Wellwood.
Aimee Richardson
Aimee Richardson played the part of Myrcella Baratheon on GoT's first and second seasons. She is Prince Joffrey's younger sister and Cersei’s only daughter. Unlike her brother and mother, she is kind and an overall good person who enjoys her uncle Tyrion's company.
The show's producers never gave a reason why they dropped Richardson in the fifth season, but she took it like a champ, and a Vine she created depicting her on a pavement brandishing a sign reading "Princess For Hire" went viral. Since leaving the show, she has appeared in The Sparticle Mystery and the 2020 short film The Familiar Thing.
Rosabell Laurenti Sellers
Daughter of Ellaria Sand and Oberyn Martell, Tyene Sand is quite fierce with her twin daggers. She helps her mother get revenge against Cersei by planning to assassinate Myrcella Baratheon. In the end, she suffers the same fate when Cersei poisons her. Rosabell Laurenti Sellers embodied Tyene in the show.
The 25-year-old celeb is also known for starring in the kid's series Mia and Me. Her career started at the age of eight on stage and after moving to Italy, she started appearing in screen productions. She is slated for a feature in the upcoming production What About Love.
Ellie Kendrick
Ellie Kendrick portrayed the role of Meera Reed, Lord Howland's daughter and Jojen's sister. In the fourth season, Meera and Jojen accompany Bran on his quest beyond the Wall in search of the Three-Eyed Raven.
Kendrick is equally known for her role as Ivy Morris in the revived British drama Upstairs Downstairs. She also lent her voice to World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth. Kendrick recently appeared in the 2021 TV series Dodo and has upcoming credits in K&J. Her acting career started at the National Youth Theatre, and she also majored in English at the University of Cambridge.
Gemma Whelan
Gemma Whelan embodied Yara Greyjoy, the daughter of Alannys Harlaw and Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide). Proud and fierce, she defies traditional gender roles and ends up commanding the Black Wind (her own ship). Whelan is equally known for her role in The End of the F***ing World as Detective Eunice.
She ventured into the industry as a stand-up comedian and recorded a pilot chat show for BBC Radio 4 in her early days. Whelan has upcoming features in The Tower, and she is scheduled to voice Becca Farneway for the Squadron 42 video game.
Maisie Williams
The youngest member of House Stark, Arya was a tomboy at heart and quite a bright young girl. She picked up water dancing (sword fighting) and escaped the capital when her father was executed. Arya witnesses her brother Robb and mother Catelyn get executed at the Red Wedding, and later learns to become a "Faceless Man."
Maisie Williams portrayed the youngest Stark sibling, and the show marked her acting debut at the age of 14. She has upcoming features in the TV miniseries Pistol. Also an internet entrepreneur, Williams had a hand in developing Daisie, a networking app that links up budding creators and artists.
Alfie Allen
Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) is the youngest of Lord Balon Greyjoy's sons. He teams up with Robb Stark's Northern war efforts, but decided to seize Winterfell along the way. His soldiers hand him over to Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) after the Boltons capture Winterfell. Ramsay imprisons and tortures him, but it's the Night King who ultimately kills Theon.
Allen comes from a family of entertainers, and he made his professional debut in the 1998 one-off comedy You Are Here. Expect to see him in the 2021 productions Nightwalkers, La Cha Cha, and Night Teeth.
Daniel Portman
Daniel Portman portrayed the young squire Podrick Payne. Assigned to Tyrion Lannister, he saves his master from assassination at the Battle of the Blackwater. When standing trial for King Joffrey's death, Tyrion orders him to leave King's Landing, and Podrick meets Brienne of Tarth.
Portman started acting at the age of 16 when he was featured in the supernatural series Outcast. He also contributed to the vocals of the "Jenny Song" that featured on GoT's second season. Portman is keeping a packed schedule with roles lined up in Vigil, The Brontes, and Karen Pirie.
Michelle Fairley
Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) was relentless in her quest to find the suspects behind the attempt on her son Brandon's life. She meets her demise at the Red Wedding after warning her son Robb against marrying Talisa Maegyr (Oona Chaplin). Born in Northern Ireland, Fairley is also known for her work in Suits and 24: Live Another Day.
Her earlier roles included appearances in British shows like The Bill, Casualty, and Inspector Morse. Fairley is scheduled to feature in the short movie An Irish Goodbye and the 2021 movie Nobody Has to Know.
Aidan Gillen
Nicknamed Littlefinger, Petyr Baelish served as King Baratheon's Small Council's Master of Coin. A master manipulator, he leads Ned Stark (Sean Bean) to his death, kills Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie), and marries off Sansa to Ramsay Bolton. His treachery is soon discovered, and Bran sentences him to death.
Aidan Gillen is the man who grew a goatee for the nefarious character. He has credits in several other notable productions including The Dark Knight Rises, Peaky Blinders, and Project Blue Book. He is scheduled for appearances in Kin and Killers of The Cosmos.
Peter Dinklage
Tyrion Lannister, portrayed by Peter Dinklage, is easily one of the show's beloved characters because of his intelligence and quick wit. Nicknamed "the imp," he was a villain for the better part of the show. In later seasons, he went through a 360-degree transformation that sees him essentially betray his family.
While Tyrion wasn't particularly fond of his sister Cersei (Lena Headey), behind the scenes the two are great friends. Dinklage has kept busy since the show wrapped up and has roles in the forthcoming productions The Toxic Avenger, The Wild Bunch, and The Dwarf.
Conleth Hill
Varys (Conleth Hill) served as a member of the Small Council under King Robert Baratheon, King Tommen Baratheon, and King Joffrey Baratheon. Also the Master of Whisperers, Varys had many spies spanning across two continents. To embody the character, Hill rocked a bald look. While off-screen, though, he has a full head of white hair.
Hill lent his voice for the 2012 Game of Thrones video game. In 2013, George R. R Martin hinted on his website that he considered Hill a good choice for the screen adaptation of his 1986 novel Tuf Voyaging. He's still keeping busy with scheduled appearances in Magpie Murders, Holding, and Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Faye Marsay
Faye Marsay portrayed The Waif who was a sadistic young woman, appearing in the show's fifth and sixth seasons. Residing in the House of Black and White, she had a hand in training Arya to become a Faceless Man, but deemed her unfit in the end. Fans couldn't hold back from trolling her character, and Marsay decided to quit social media in 2016.
Her other credits include You, Me and Him, Bancroft, and McMafia. Most recently, she starred in the TV series Avocado Toast as The One. Her list of credits extends to voicing the role of Amy for the 2015 video game Need for Speed.
Gwendoline Christie
Who can forget Brienne of Tarth? She escorted Jaime Lannister back to King’s Landing in the show’s early seasons. Everyone could see the sparks flying and secretly hoped for something to come out of it. Regardless, it was heartwarming to see Brienne stand up for Jamie when he turned up at Winterfell to join the fight against the Army of The Dead.
Gwendoline Christie did a stand-up job personifying the character, and it displayed her acting chops. She is also known for appearances in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2. Expect to see her in the forthcoming productions The Sandman and Flux Gourmet.
Jonathan Pryce
Known for his versatility, as displayed in The Crown, Jonathan Pryce didn't disappoint as The High Sparrow in GoT. He arrived in King's Landing following Tywin Lannister's death and quickly amassed a large following. His other credits include The Two Popes, The Age of Innocence, and Game of Thrones.
He has roles in upcoming productions like All the Old Knives and Save the Cinema. Pryce has also lent his voice to numerous productions, including Renaissance and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. In 2021, he received the honor of being knighted by Queen II, recognizing his contributions to the entertainment industry.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Beyond siring children with his sister Cersei, Jamie Lannister was one of the show's robust characters. His turning point happened when Locke (Noah Taylor) and his men captured him and subsequently sawed off his hand. Jamie and Cersei die together when Daenerys' dragon reigns havoc upon the Red Keep.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the man behind the character, also appeared in New Amsterdam, Headhunters, and Virtuality. He is scheduled for features in Against the Ice and God Is a Bullet. He shares two daughters with Greenlandic actress Nukâka and they live in Los Angeles.
Nathalie Emmanuel
Nathalie Emmanuel played the part of Missandei who was Daenerys Targaryen's personal servant. She memorably fell in love with Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), an Unsullied man who lost his manhood as a youth. The Mountain beheads her in the eighth season on Cersei's orders. Emmanuel is also known for starring in Hollyoaks as Sasha Valentine.
On the big screen, she had supporting roles in the 2015 and 2018 Maze Runner films and has appeared in three Fast & Furious movies. She has been keeping busy filming the forthcoming productions Army of Thieves, Unsinkable, and The Bride.
Jack Gleeson
After his run on GoT as King Joffrey, who met a rather epic demise to fans’ delight, Jack Gleeson quit acting in 2014. He chose to focus on school and attended the Dublin-based Trinity College. While still in school, he established a theater company called Collapsing Horse alongside his college theatre mates, the DU Players.
In 2019, Gleeson was featured in A-Musical, which was a live comedy program. Later in the year, he faced wrestler J Money at the Over the Top Wrestling event dubbed Trinity Brawl 2. Gleeson finally returned to our screens in 2020 in Sara Pascoe's series Out of Her Mind.
Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal portrayed Prince Oberyn Martell who offered some much-needed comic relief to the show. Also known as the Red Viper, he attends King Joffrey's big day and serves on the council of judges at Tyrion's trial for murder.
A Chilean-American actor, Pascal also starred in Narcos as Javier Peña and the title character in The Mandalorian. His other notable credits include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Graceland, The Mentalist, and The Good Wife. He is slated to appear in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Bubble, and The Last of Us.
Kit Harington
Diehard GOT fans believe that the last season of the show was undoubtedly meant to break us, and it's best displayed through Jon Snow's character arc. Kit Harington is the actor behind the character who was also part of the Night's Watch. Jon Snow sported a greasy look, and away from the screen, Harington looks like a cleaned-up version of the character.
Since joining the show in 2011, he stayed through to the final season aired in 2019. Beyond the screen, Harington serves as Dolce & Gabbana’s "face" for their men's fragrance. We recently saw him in the 2021 series Modern Love and expect to see him in Eternals.
Jacob Anderson
Jacob Anderson personified Grey Worm, who was the captain of the Unsullied soldiers. He helped Daenerys capture Casterly Rock. The audience never really got to know much about him, but enjoyed watching his relationship with Missandei blossom.
Anderson is also a musician and goes by the moniker Raleigh Ritchie as an ode to his favorite characters from The Royal Tenenbaums. He released his second studio album in 2020 titled Andy. As an actor, he previously appeared in The Mimic, Broadchurch, and Jack and Dean of All Trades. Expect to see Anderson in the forthcoming production Timestalker.
Jessica Henwick
Jessica Henwick portrayed Nymeria Sand, who was Ellaria Sand and Prince Oberyn's second eldest daughter. She is by her mother's side throughout her quest to assert revenge against Cersei for Prince Oberyn's death. Henwick is a British-Chinese actress who starred in the Spirit Warriors.
Henwick is equally known for appearances in The Defenders, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage. Expect to see her in the Blade: Runner Black Lotus TV series, The Matrix 4, and The Gray Man. Amazon also picked up the series she co-wrote titled Nancy Wu Done It in 2020. She is working with Emu Films for an upcoming miniseries.
Carice Van Houten
Carice Van Houten portrayed Melisandre of Asshai, a shadow hunter and priestess. Nicknamed the Red Woman, she sported a mane of red locks and usually donned red-colored outfits. Her fire-making abilities and shadow-manipulating powers had a hand in driving several of the show's narratives.
The 2006 Dutch thriller Black Book earned Van Houten widespread recognition. She also notably appeared in The Happy Housewife, Brimstone, Black Butterflies, and Repo Men. Recently, she starred in the Red Light TV series and is slated to feature in the forthcoming series Dangerous Liaisons.
Kerry Ingram
GoT never held back from killing off some of the show's beloved characters and in some of the cruelest of ways. Princess Shireen Baratheon, portrayed by Kerry Ingram, was one such character who met an untimely death when her mother agreed to sacrifice her to the Red God. Fans were outraged by the scene, but recognized Ingram's talent in pulling off the role.
Her characters started in musical theater at the age of nine. Starring in the production of Matilda the Musical earned her a Laurence Olivier Award. We last saw her on our screens in the TV series Free Rein as Becky in 2019.
Natalie Dormer
Margaery Tyrell, portrayed by Natalie Dormer, is a calculating and malicious woman who is driven by ambitions of becoming queen. She comes close to realizing her dream by getting hitched to King Joffrey, who is unfortunately poisoned on their big day.
Dormer has appeared in other productions like Elementary, The Hunger Games film series, and The Forest. She delivered an exemplary performance in the 2020 series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and took a brief break for a good reason. In 2021, Dormer welcomed a daughter with David Oakes, who she's been dating since 2018.
Rose Leslie
Ygritte, a Wildling, appeared from the show's 2nd to 4th season. Rose Leslie portrayed the skilled archer who killed several of the Night's Watch brothers. She ends up embroiled in an intimate relationship with Jon Snow (Kit Harington), and it just happens that the pair went on to get married in real life. They welcomed a son in 2021.
Leslie also left a lasting impression after starring in the CBS drama The Good Fight. She is an outdoorsy person and enjoys rock climbing, skiing, running, and unsurprisingly, archery. Leslie has upcoming features in Vigil, Death on the Nile, and The Time Traveler's Wife.
Jason Momoa
The steamy scenes between Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa) and his Khaleesi (Emilia Clarke) glued fans to the screen. An untreated wound is what ultimately claimed the Dothraki King's life, and not even the spell Daenerys cast in exchange for her unborn child could save him. His real-life Khaleesi is Lisa Bonet, and they share two children.
Momoa's time on the show was sadly short-lived, much to the dismay of fans, but he's since starred in several other productions, including Aquaman. He has upcoming features in Slumberland, Cliffhanger, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
Richard Madden
Robb Stark, played by Richard Madden, was the eldest son of Ned and Catelyn Stark. He led the war efforts against the Lannisters and even captured Jaime. Robb was yet another character the show killed off in a rather cruel way at the Red Wedding. Since leaving the show, he appeared in Klondike, Medici, and Bodyguard.
Several publications have recognized Madden as the most stylish man, and Time 100 featured him in their 2019 list of the world's most influential people. Expect to see him in the forthcoming series Citadel and Eternals.