Since the ending of Game of Thrones in 2019, the series' sprawling cast have all gone their separate ways, with many fan-favorite actors earning well deserved success after leaving the show. Since the series ended, Richard Madden (Robb Stark) won a Golden Globe for his work on The Bodyguard before reuniting with Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals, Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) took on the mantle of a different superhero, Aquaman, Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow) became the first member of Game of Thrones' main cast to earn an Oscar nomination for his work in The Two Popes, and Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) has been a staple of fantasy, appearing in the likes of the Hunger Games franchise, the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and even Wednesday.
Recently, another actor from Game of Thrones appeared in a huge project. Her film became one of the highest grossing movies of 2025, and earned two Oscar nominations. While the Game of Thrones actor may be hard to recognize in her newest film, longtime fans of the franchise might enjoy seeing her take on an entirely different role.
Oona Chaplin as Talisa Stark
Robb Stark's season 2 storyline features one of Game of Thrones' first major deviations from its source material. In the books, Robb, who is betrothed to one of Walder Frey's (David Bradley) daughters, finds comfort in Jeyne Westerling after learning of the supposed deaths of his younger brothers, Bran (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Rickon (Art Parkinson). When Robb takes Jeyne's maidenhead, the two marry in order to protect Jeyne's honor, breaking Robb's agreement with the Freys.
The show keeps Robb's falling out with the Frey family, but changes the identity of the woman he marries. Show Robb instead meets Talisa Maegyr, a battle medic from Volantis, played by Oona Chaplin. Robb is enchanted by Talisa's beauty, but also her kindness. She tends to the wounds of "the enemy" after each battle, standing out among the countless killers in Game of Thrones as one of the franchise's few healers.
Talisa's role expands further in the show's third season. Chaplin receives main cast billing, making Talisa the only character to appear in Game of Thrones' iconic opening title sequence to not come from A Song of Ice and Fire. After Robb and Talisa wed, he loses the support of the Freys, much like in the books. However, Robb attempts to win them back by apologizing to Walder and offering his uncle Edmure (Tobias Menzies) up to marry another Frey girl. This infamously goes poorly, resulting in the dreaded Red Wedding, the slaughter of Robb and his mother Catelyn (Michelle Fairley), along with several key Stark allies and troops.
In another huge departure from the books, Talisa is killed during the Red Wedding as well, a fate which Jeyne avoids. Talisa's grizzly death involves taking knife wounds in her pregnant belly. While George R. R. Martin has teased the return of Jeyne Westerling in future novels, Talisa Maegyr's story on Game of Thrones ended almost as soon as it began.
Talisa vs Varang
Long after her Game of Thrones exit, Chaplin appeared in another huge sci-fi/fantasy franchise. The actress currently stars in Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third entry in James Cameron's Avatar blockbuster franchise, as Varang, the clan leader of the Ash People.
Varang and the Ash People play an antagonistic role throughout Fire and Ash, eventually aligning with the franchises' main villain, Colonel Miles Quartich (Stephen Lang). Varang proves to be a vicious warrior who relishes utilizing guns in battle for the first time.
As such, Varang feels like an incredibly different character from Talisa. Chaplin does a fantastic job in the film, showcasing her range in bringing two polar opposite characters to life. While Varang represents violence and killing, Talisa represents peace and healing.
Varang proves that Chaplin avoided typecasting as Talisa, one of her most prominent roles prior to starring in a billion dollar blockbuster. Talisa's early exit may have helped Chaplin shed her peaceful persona in the public eye, with the extended time post-Game of Thrones allowing her extra agency in reinventing herself before returning to a huge franchise. Ironically, Varang's viciousness is more reminiscent of a typical Game of Thrones' character than Talisa's tenderness, but both thrive on screen because of the differences between the rest of their franchise's respective cast.
For more from the world of Westeros, make sure to tune into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which airs new episodes on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. ET.