For five seasons, Natalie Dormer was on Game of Thrones as the charming, savvy Margaery Tyrell, climbing the political ladder with flattery and grace. It drove Cersei Lannister, Margaery's two-time mother-in-law and a woman who preferred direct action to the kind of sideways maneuvers Margaery liked to make, absolutely insane. Cersei would ultimately be Margaery's undoing, but before she died, she left an indelible impression on viewers.
Looking back on Game of Thrones years later, Dormer feels honored to have been part of such a hugely influential series. “It was right there at the forefront of the cinematic TV explosion that we now take for granted almost 15 years after it debuted," she told For Women First. "The way we consume our stories has completely altered.”
"When I look back, I appreciate that Game of Thrones was a specific phenomenon at a very particular time, when people were changing how they took in their escapism. I’m sure they will be writing textbooks in 30 or 40 years where Game of Thrones will be one of the main programs that they cite as a turning of the tide in people’s relationship with stories. It was a privilege to be a part of that show."
How Game of Thrones has changed the shape of TV
Game of Thrones definitely did start several new trends in TV storytelling. We can start with the obvious: there a bunch of a high fantasy epics on TV right ow that mostly got greenlit because the networks involved wanted to replicate the success of Game of Thrones. That includes The Witcher on Netflix, both The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time on Prime Video, and HBO's own Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.
But Game of Thrones also inspired a movement towards bigness in general. In the wake of Game of Thrones, shows became more like movies, with bigger budgets, more complicated stories, and more challenging themes. I see the legacy of Game of Thrones reflected in shows like Severance, Star Wars: Andor, and Stranger Things, all of which are trying to bridge the gap between movies and TV. They're all part of the world Game of Thrones, and I agree with Dormer that the show will be seen as a turning point years from now.
As for Dormer, she's gone on to have a varied and interesting career. Her most recent project is Audrey's Children, where she plays real-life doctor Audrey Evans, who revolutionized child cancer care in the 1960s and '70s when she became the the first female Chief of Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. In 1974 she founded the Ronald McDonald House, which supports children with cancer and their families. It's still going strong today.
You can watch the trailer for Audrey's Children above. The movies is out now in theaters.
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.