The most successful Game of Thrones alums

HBO's critically acclaimed fantasy series Game of Thrones achieved record viewership for the network and has garnered a vast fanbase worldwide. The series aired from 2011 to 2019 across eight seasons, and during that time, the series and ensemble cast were nominated for numerous awards. Most impressively, the series was nominated for 164 Primetime Emmys, winning 59. This series has propelled many of its cast members into the limelight, but who is the most successful?

Looking at award nominations and wins, Peter Dinklage, who portrayed Tyrion Lannister, led the pack with 40 nominations, of which he won seven. He is the only cast member to receive an Emmy for his role in the series. Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, closely followed with 29 nominations and four wins.

While award wins is one way to gauge success, let's examine cast members whose appearances in Game of Thrones boosted their careers. With such an expansive list of actors, we've narrowed this list to six standouts.

Pedro Pascal

Pascal was only featured in a small number of Game of Thrones episodes, but he made an impact as Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper of Dorne, in the fourth season. Before this role he was featured in several TV series in small roles. After Game of Thrones he starred in Graceland and The Mentalist and soon after he was cast as DEA agent Javier Peña in the Netflix original Narcos. Since then he has made quite the name for himself starring in Wonder Woman: 1984, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Mandalorian and HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us. Next, he's appearing in Gladiator II as well as Fantastic Four: First Steps, playing the lead role of Reed Richards.

Emilia Clarke

Clarke is best known for portraying Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, her third professional role. Her performance has been praised by critics and would lead to many more credits. She starred alongside Jude Law in the 2013 film Dom Hemingway and was cast as Sarah Connor in 2015's Terminator Genisys, the fifth installment in the Terminator franchise. She was cast in the adaptation of Jojo Moyes' novel Me Before You with Sam Claflin. She also appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Above Suspicion, and Last Christmas, a movie based on the music of Wham! Next, she will star in an animated adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Twits and a Prime Video crime drama, Criminal.

Kit Harington

Harington first wanted to be a journalist, but after a hugely successful role in National Theatre's War Horse, he auditioned for and won the role of Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. This role led to his first film role in Silent Hill: Revelation (2012) a sequel to the Silent Hill film released in 2006. He got his first lead role in a feature film in Paul W.S. Anderson's Pompeii and lent his voice talents to Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2, both in 2014. He portrayed his ancestor Robert Catesby in Gunpowder, a three-part historical dramatization of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Harington wrote and produced the series as well as starred. He has also joined the MCU as Dane Whitman in Chloé Zhao's Eternals and is producing what is described as "a very British Western," Empire of Dirt.

Maisie Williams

Williams began her acting career at the age of 12 in the role of Arya Stark on Game of Thrones. Her character was a fan favorite. Williams did the a lot of her stunts and received much praise. She is known for her role as Ashildr in season 9 of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who. She is also known for her appearance in two other British titles, Cyberbully and iBoy. Her first feature film role was in the coming-of-age mystery The Falling, for which she received several awards. She then appeared in the period drama Mary Shelley and a rom-com, Then Came You. Williams also launched a social media platform, Daisie, which she co-developed to help artists and creators boost their careers.

Sophie Turner

Turner's first television role was as Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, a role she began playing at age 14. She received critical acclaim and several award nominations for this role. Her first movie role was in Another Me, an indie film based on Catherine McPhail's novel, and she also starred alongside Hailee Steinfeld in Barely Lethal. She is well known for her role as Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), a role she reprised in the 2019 X-Men film Dark Phoenix. In 2022, Turner starred in the Netflix original Do Revenge, where she was featured in a scene that went viral for her character's reaction to being accused of doing drugs. Next, she will star as the lead in Joan, a six-part British crime drama that tells of the real-life story of Joan Hannington, who was known as the Godmother of the British criminal underground.

Bella Ramsey

Ramsey portrayed Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones in their first credited role. Ramsey was widely praised for their standout performance. Ramsey has earned awards for their role in The Worst Witch and Netflix's animated Hilda and the Mountain King. In 2020, they portrayed Jane Grey, who held the throne of England for nine days, in the British Channel 4 series Becoming Elizabeth. Their next significant role came in HBO's The Last of Us, an adaptation of the same-titled video game, where they star alongside Game of Thrones alum Pedro Pascal. They will reprise their role as Ellie for the upcoming second season.

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