Game of Thrones has a lot of characters, so you might not have noticed every time one was recast. But we did. Who played these characters best?
Game of Thrones is heralded for its intricate plot, heart-pounding battle scenes and special effects, but none of that would mean anything without the enormous, talented cast. And with such a large cast, sometimes one performer or another won’t be able to reprise their part, or the producers will rethink their storyline, and recasting becomes necessary.
Many actors have been recast on Game of Thrones. Sometimes it was obvious, and other times it was so subtle you may know have noticed (like that time Tommen died, came back to life and died again — that happened). But were the recasts always for the better? Let’s examine each role that has been recast and see if we can figure it out.
The Night King
Whether you call him by his show name (the Night King) or his book name (the Night’s King), the leader of the White Walkers is one terrifying-looking dude. He made his first appearance in season 4’s “Oathkeeper,” there portrayed by veteran actor Richard Brake. It was a memorable appearance, and the first time we got a hint of White Walker society: the Night King placed one of Craster’s on an alter while other White Walkers looked on, touched him, and turned his eyes ice blue.
Brake topped that turn in season 5’s “Hardhome,” where the Night King stood serenely above the fray as he observed the massacre of the wildlings. Brake’s Night King ended the episode by taunting Jon Snow from the shore, which became one of the most memed moments in Thrones history.
Brake then left the role to be replaced by stunt performer Vladimir Furdik, who first turned up in season 6’s “The Door.” And he didn’t just play the Night King as we know him, covered in prosthetics; Furdik also portrayed the Night King as he was before the Children of the Forest turned him into a White Walker.
Furdik went on to play the Night King in three episodes of season 7, his busiest yet, and is all but guaranteed to take the role to the finish line.
When it comes to a character like the Night King, success often comes down more to prosthetics and atmospherics than acting talent, although both Brake and Furdik have brought an icy implacability to the part. For our part, we prefer the Brake’s performance, Furdik is a little bit too human for us. Which actor do you like in the role?
Myrcella Baratheon
Princess Myrcella was the middle child of Jaime and Cersei Lannister, but was known to the world as a Baratheon. As the Lannister kid with the smallest amount of screen time, fans may not not have noticed when actor Nell Tiger Free took over for Aimee Richardson, but we did. Let’s discuss.
Richardson portrayed Myrcella in season 1 and 2 as a sweet, innocent companion to her brother Tommen. When Myrcella was sent to Dorne (to “work on her tan,” according to Richardson) in season 2, we wouldn’t see her for two years, which opened the door for Free.
Myrcella grew up during her time offscreen — by the time Free took over, she was a mature young woman enamored with her husband-to-be, Trystane Martell. But she still had that innate sweetness about her, and when she was poisoned to death in the season 5 finale, fans were upset. Free returned for one episode of season 6, to play Myrcella’s corpse.
It’s unclear why the show recast Richardson, but she had a lot of fun with unemployment:
So which princess do you prefer?
Daario Naharis
Daario Naharis made his debut in the season 3 episode “Second Sons,” played by Ed Skrein. The roguish commander of a mercenary company (after he kills his partners), Daario quickly falls in love with Daenerys Targaryen. It looked like Skrein had landed himself a meaty supporting role, but he was replaced the following year by Michael Huisman, who played Daario until he was written out of the show in season 6. What happened, and who did it better?
Skrein’s Daario dripped with swagger, but he always seemed at a bit of a remove. Skrein blamed “politics” for his ouster, saying that his plan was “to stay with Game of Thrones for the long haul.” However, it’s worth noting that Skrein quickly went on to headline The Transporter Refueled, and played the main villain in Deadpool not long after that. So was he fired, or did he leave to work on his movie career? The world may never know.
In any case, Huisman stepped in and brought a level of empathy and charm that was lacking from Skrein’s performance. The actors looked very different from each other, although neither came close to matching the description in A Storm of Swords:
"Daario Naharis was flamboyant even for a Tyroshi. His beard was cut into three prongs and dyed blue, the same color as his eyes and the curly hair that fell to his collar. His pointed mustachios were painted gold. His clothes were all shades of yellow; a foam of Myrish lace the color of butter spilled from his collar and cuffs, his doublet was sewn with brass medallions in the shape of dandelions, and ornamental goldwork crawled up his high leather boots to his thighs. Gloves of soft yellow suede were tucked into a belt of gilded rings, and his fingernails were enameled blue."
Not so much.
Dickon Tarly
We first heard mention of Dickon Tarly in season 1, but the younger Tarly brother didn’t appear onscreen until Sam’s visit home in season 6. While supping with the rest of the Tarly clan, we got the briefest glimpse of the Lord Randyll’s golden boy, played by English actor Freddie Stroma, of Harry Potter fame. Stroma had just a few lines, but they were enough for him to establish Dickon as an affable, if somewhat unaware, member of the Tarly family. He wasn’t quite a jerk, but he was close.
When Stroma scored the lead role of H.G. Wells in ABC’s Time After Time (cancelled after five episodes, naturally), Englishman Tom Hopper slid into the role for season 7, just in time for the role to expand. Hopper, who had a lot more physical presence than Stroma (read: he’s swole) played Dickon with slightly more self-awareness, although that might have just been because he was suddenly around people amused by his name. But when Dickon chose to die by his father’s side, it was hard not to feel for Dickon, thanks in large part to Hopper’s performance.
It might not be fair, but who played it better?
Catelyn Stark
Even those who have seen every episode of Game of Thrones multiple times (like us) might not realize that Michelle Fairley is not the first woman to play Catelyn Stark, even if she is the only one to play her on television.
Let us explain.
Before HBO picked up Game of Thrones to series, showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss filmed a pilot that was, by their own admission, terrible. They reshot a lot of it, and made many changes. One of those changes was replacing the woman who originally played Catelyn: American actress Jennifer Ehle, best known for playing Elizabeth Bennett in the 1995 BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice. When it came time to film the new pilot, Ehle bowed out due to the recent birth of her daughter, citing a lack of desire to commit to a long-term role while raising her family. How very Catelyn Stark of her.
Michelle Fairley assumed the role of Stark matriarch and made it fully her own, bringing equal parts ferocity and gentleness. No one outside of industry types has ever seen the original pilot, so it’s impossible to contrast the performances, although with Elhe’s body of work, we imagine she was at least solid. It’s difficult to picture anyone but Fairley in the role, though, and we mean that in the best way.
Rattleshirt
This character was never seen without his fearsome helmet made out of giant’s skull, so if you even noticed this recast, give yourself a pat on the back.
Rattleshirt, aka the Lord of Bones, was a recurring villain in seasons 2 and 3, a wildling raider of great renown. When we first met him, he was played by English actor Edward Dogliani. Rattleshirt’s hatred of the Night’s Watch runs deep, and Dogliani’s performance dripped with venom. Or at the least, it was enough to make me hate him. Dogliani’s replacement? Not so much.
When we met Rattleshirt again in season 5’s “Hardhome”, Dogliani had been replaced by Welsh actor Ross O’Hennessy. And while O’Hennessy attempted to portray Rattleshirt with the same level of menace as Dogliani, he was never really given the chance. After trading a few barbs with Tormund, Tormund unceremoniously (and hilariously) beat Rattleshirt to death. Tough break.
The Three-Eyed Raven
When we first meet the Three-Eyed Raven in season 4’s “The Children,” the man with a thousand eyes and one sits enthroned in the roots of a massive weirwood tree. Journeyman actor Struan Roger brought the Three-Eyed Raven to life in this scene, although his first appearance was actually in the second episode of the season, “The Lion and the Rose,” as an uncredited voice in Bran’s head.
Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven took season 5 off, and when the character returned for season 6, he was now played by Swedish actor Max von Sydow. No official reason was given for Von Sydow’s casting, although we’re guessing it has something to do with him being an acting legend with roles in everything from The Seventh Seal to The Exorcist to Conan the Barbarian to Minority Report to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The guy’s been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and two Emmys, one of which was for his performance as the Three-Eyed Raven. Of course they cast him.
Von Sydow brought depth and wisdom and empathy to the character as trained Bran in the ways of
the Force
greensight. Like any good mentor, von Sydow had a lot of patience with young Bran, no matter how many times his protege snuck off by himself to surf the weirwod net. It seems rather silly to ask, but we must: Who played it better?
Tommen Baratheon
Tommen Baratheon, the boy who would be king, first appeared in the series premiere, “Winter is Coming,” played by child actor Callum Wharry. It was Wharry’s first acting role. His finest moment came during season two’s “Blackwater,” where he played opposite Lena Headey as Cersei came way to close to poisoning him lest he fall into the hands of Stannis Baratheon.
That would be the last we saw of Tommen until season 4, when Dean-Charles Chapman took over the role. Chapman had more experience than Wharry, and in fact had already appeared on Game of Thrones in the role of Marytn Lannister, one of two hostages murdered by Lord Karstark in season 3.
After that, Chapman thought his time on the show was over. But as the Geryjoys say, “what is dead may never die…until you falls out a window. Then you’re gone for good.” But Chapman was effective as Tommen while the king lived, exuding a gentleness that was taken advantage of by anyone and everyone.
Daenerys Targaryen
As with Catelyn Stark, some Game of Thrones fans may not know that Daenerys Targaryen was ever played by anyone other than Emilia Clarke. But in the original, unaired pilot, the Mother of Dragons was played by English actress Tamzin Merchant who, like Ehle, is also known for her role in an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. No official reason for her departure was given by HBO, and George R.R. Martin praised her performance in the pilot when announcing Clarke as her replacement.
Clarke took the role and ran with it, making Daenerys (and her titles) a household name. In the process, becoming a burgeoning Hollywod star, most recently landing a role in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Not bad for a replacement.
Catelyn Stark and Daenerys Targaryen were not the only roles recast from the original pilot. Roger Allam replaced Ian McNeice as Illyrio Mopatis, Dermot Keaney took over the role of Gared from Richard Ridings, and Rob Ostlere filled the role of Ser Waymar Royce, replacing Jamie Campbell Bower. The show shed quite a few people in that reshoot.
Beric Dondarrion
This one may have slipped by you, but before Beric Dondarrion sword-fought the Hound, Australian actor David Michael Scott (no relation to the paper salesman) portrayed the Lightning Lord for a single scene in the season 1 episode “A Golden Crown.” Ned Stark commanded that Dondarrion hunt down the pillaging Gregor Clegane, and Scott responded with a solemn nod. Then it was off into to adventure, getting stabbed in the eye, slashed in the throat, and more.
Richard Dormer (no relation to Natalie Dormer) played the role starting in season 3, after Beric had died and come back to life half a dozen times. He then disappeared again for a couple years before coming back in a semi-recurring fashion in season 6, and he’s been with us ever since.
After converting to the Lord of Light, Dondarrion got a new outlook on the world. Dormer plays him with a forlorn sense of duty and a grizzled beard. Which portrayal do you prefer?
Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane
A man of few words but prodigious size and strength, Gregor Clegane, aka the Mountain That Rides, has been an effective boogeyman throughout the series. He’s also the only character on this list to have been recast not once but twice! During season 1, 7-foot-tall Australian actor Conan Stevens handled the role before bowing out for season 2 due to scheduling conflicts, namely playing the Orc King Bolg in two of the Hobbit movies. Should have stuck with Thrones, Stevens.
English actor Ian Whyte stepped into the Mountain’s overly large shoes for season 2, and probably made the least impression of the three actors. Whyte later said that playing the character was difficult, as Whyte had no experience being a “killer, rapist, and child murderer.” He was popular with producers, though; the 7-foot-5 Whyte also played a White Walker in seasons 1 and 2, the giant Dongo the Doomed in seasons 3 and 4, and Ramsay Bolton archery target Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun in seasons 5 and 6.
Finally, Icelandic strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson settled into the role for the remainder of the series starting in season 4. At 6-foot-9, Björnsson is the shortest of the trio, but made up for it with a hulking physique. Björnsson isn’t an actor by trade, so the writers have kept his dialogue to a minimum, particularly after Qyburn brings him back from the brink of death a changed man in season 5. Still, his physical presence has always been enough to make his take on the Mountain the show’s most memorable. Now if only the show would tap into his comedic skills.
Next: Here’s every new character appearing in Game of Thrones season 8
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