What Happened To The Cast Of "Game Of Thrones"?

House of the Dragon might be hot, but what has become of those who had previously partaken in Game of Thrones?

It's official: HBO's Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon, is a hit, claiming an audience of nearly 10 million for its debut episode and earning a swift second season renewal.

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With this new series reminding audiences why they were so quickly drawn to this R-rated fantasy universe, this writer began to wonder where exactly the expansive cast of Game of Thrones has gone since leaving Westeros...

50. Conleth Hill (Varys)

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Mostly playing small parts in television and film since the conclusion of Game of Thrones, Conleth Hill is currently a supporting cast member on Vienna Blood and will soon be seen in serialized adaptations of Magpie Murders and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

49. Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon)

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Departing Game of Thrones in 2015 to a prolific film and television career with credits on The Crown as well as in Darkest Hour and Outlaw King, Stephen Dillane is currently starring as Alan Blunt on the British spy series Alex Rider.

48. Art Parkinson (Rickon Stark)

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Exiting Game of Thrones in 2016, Art Parkinson’s most recent credit is the ITV crime drama, The Bay, in which he held a notable role between 2019 and 2021.

47. Dean-Charles Chapman (Tommen Baratheon)

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Having seen his character meet a grim end on Game of Thrones in 2016, Dean-Charles Chapman notably found roles in The Commuter, Blinded by the Light, The King, and 1917, and will next be seen in Lena Dunham’s Catherine Called Birdy in September 2022, reuniting with fellow Game of Thrones performers, Bella Ramsey and Ralph Ineson.

46. Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand)

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Most recently seen in a sizeable role in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Indira Varma is currently part of the casts of Carnival Row and The Legend of Vox Machina, and is slated to appear in the upcoming Apple+ series, Extrapolations, as well as Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One.

45. Rose Leslie (Ygritte)

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Almost as famous for her personal activities as she has been for her professional work after leaving Game of Thrones, Rose Leslie was recently seen on the big screen in a small role in Death on the Nile and on the small screen in the main role in The Time Traveler’s Wife.

44. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth)

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Gwendoline Christie has been quite busy following the conclusion of GOT, including an exceptional turn in The Sandman series for Netflix, a lead role in Peter Strickland’s Flux Gourmet, and an upcoming regular role in Tim Burton’s Wednesday series.

43. Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell)

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Though she has recently showcased her talents in a multi-faceted leading role in Showtime’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, she has largely been dedicated to her personal endeavors since the birth of her daughter in 2021, including her ongoing support for children’s advocacy charities.

42. Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane)

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Though he recently filmed an acclaimed guest role on The Witcher, Kristofer Hivju has a pair of films debuting in the winter of 2023, including the DreamWorks-produced Distant and Elizabeth Banks’ ensemble comedic thriller, Cocaine Bear.

41. Jerome Flynn (Bronn)

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Flynn has been largely dormant since the finale of Game of Thrones, having only been cast in the failed Amazon pilot for The Dark Tower and performed in the television drama, The Trick, in 2021.

40. Harry Lloyd (Viserys Targaryen)

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Fairly prolific in a number of roles since his brief yet memorable run on Game of Thrones, Harry Lloyd co-starred in Peacock’s belated Brave New World adaptation in 2020 and will portray King Richard III in Stephen Frears’ upcoming comedy, The Lost King.

39. Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow)

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A legend before his time on Game of Thrones, Jonathan Pryce was cast in myriad high-profile projects since departing the fantasy series, including The Wife, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, The Two Popes, All the Old Knives, Slow Horses, and upcoming seasons of The Crown.

38. Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell)

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The one-time (and potentially future) Iron Fist himself, Finn Jones most recently appeared on the televised reboot of Swimming with Sharks for The Roku Channel in 2022.

37. Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis)

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Departing from Game of Thrones in 2016, he subsequently acted in The Haunting of Hill House in 2018, The Flight Attendant in 2021, Angela Black in 2021, and Kate in 2021, with Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon on his resume for the near future.

36. Carice van Houten (Melisandre)

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Appearing in smaller projects since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, Carice van Houten will be returning to television in Starz’s adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons in November 2022.

35. Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy)

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Gemma Whelan has worked steadily since the conclusion of Game of Thrones, having performed in Killing Eve, Inside No. 9, and Emma in addition to lending her voice to Elden Ring.

34. Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon)

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Despite retiring from acting as a result of the harsh response to his Game of Thrones character, Jack Gleeson has since returned to the craft in recent years, with a small role in 2020’s Out of Her Mind and a supporting role in the upcoming film, In the Land of Saints, and Sinners alongside Liam Neeson and Ciarán Hinds.

33. Nell Tiger Free (Myrcella Baratheon)

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Though she recently appeared in the 2021 independent sci-fi film Settlers, Nell Tiger Free has continued to make an impact in the television space after Game of Thrones with leading roles in controversial series such as Too Old to Die Young and Servant. She will next headline the high-profile prequel, The First Omen.

32. Hannah Murray (Gilly)

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Though she pursued a number of interesting roles during her tenure on Game of Thrones, her only acting credits since GOT have been a vocal performance for the video game Shady Part of Me and a leading role in the short-lived series The Expecting.

31. Kristian Nairn (Hodor)

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Remaining active with smaller acting parts and his musical efforts after exiting Game of Thrones in 2016, Kristian Nairn most recently reunited with HBO with a regular supporting role in the comedy series, Our Flag Means Death.

30. Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy)

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Defining himself as one of Game of Thrones' dirtiest villains during his tenure in the series' final seasons, Pilou Asbæk recently appeared in a cameo in Uncharted, chewed scenery as a major villain role in Samaritan, and will likely be seen in Salem's Lot, I.S.S. and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in the coming year.

29. Mark Addy (Robert Baratheon)

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After leaving Game of Thrones in the first season, Mark Addy flourished in the television space and appeared in the inaugural Downton Abbey film but has been fairly dormant since appearing in the television film, Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After.

28. Bella Ramsey (Lyanna Mormont)

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Following her scene-stealing performance as the abrasive and bold Lyanna Mormont, Bella Ramsey has had an exceptional and burgeoning career, with roles in Resistance, Hilda, His Dark Materials, and Becoming Elizabeth with upcoming releases such as Catherine Called Birdy, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and the highly-anticipated HBO adaptation of The Last of Us.

27. Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell)

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In the aftermath of his brief but extremely memorable run in Game of Thrones, Pedro Pascal has skyrocketed to become an actor to watch, most notably headlining The Mandalorian and the aforementioned Last of Us series while stretching his comedic muscles in 2022's The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and The Bubble.

26. Joe Dempsie (Gendry)

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Concluding his tenures on Game of Thrones and Deep State in 2019, Joe Dempsie received high marks for his supporting role in Pieces of Her and will soon be seen in HBO's Jamaica-set detective story, Get Millie Black, costarring Tamara Lawrance.

25. Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo)

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The undeniable breakout from Game of Thrones, Jason Momoa has since become one of the biggest movie stars in the world, embodying the role of Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe, accepting roles in Dune and Apple TV's See, and will next be seen in Francis Lawrence's Slumberland and the final two chapters of the Fast & Furious franchise.

24. Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy)

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Currently acting on Broadway in Martin McDonagh's Hangmen, Alfie Allen has worked steadily since Game of Thrones ended and will be back on the small screen in Steven Knight's upcoming mini-series, SAS: Rogue Heroes, which is slated to air on BBC One and Epix.

23. Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton)

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After securing roles in Inhumans, The Dirt, The Prince, and American Gods after his demise on Game of Thrones, Iwan Rheon will reportedly appear later this year in the Roland Emmerich-produced The Magic Flute based on Mozart's legendary opera.

22. Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton)

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Killed off in Game of Thrones in 2016, Michael McElhatton has accrued a number of small but respectable roles in film and television in the years since, including on Chernobyl, The Wheel of Time, The Alienist, and Genius, and appeared most recently on the big screen in last year's The Last Duel.

21. Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm)

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Active as an actor and musician in his post-Game of Thrones years, Jacob Anderson notably acquired a role for multiple episodes of Doctor Who in 2021 and 2022, and is poised for a breakout leading role with the impending Interview with the Vampire television adaptation on AMC.

20. Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth)

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Though he has found success as a character actor with several performances since the end of Game of Thrones, including in the new Masters of the Universe series and the 2021 film, The Vault, the acclaimed Irish actor reunited with GOT's own David Benioff and D.B. Weiss for Netflix's adaptation of The Three-Body Problem and will be seen next summer in the long-awaited Dracula spin-off, The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

19. John Bradley (Samwell Tarly)

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John Bradley's post-Game of Thrones career has especially kicked up in 2022 with substantial roles in Marry Me, Moonfall, and The Railway Children Return, and will also be seen in the previously mentioned Netflix series, The Three-Body Problem.

18. Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont)

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Nabbing the role of Bruce Wayne on Titans on the heels of his Game of Thrones tenure, Iain Glen has remained prolific as ever in recent years, with his portrayal of Captain Hook in 2022's The Lost Girls and upcoming turns in Amazon Primes's The Rig and Apple TV+'s Wool on the horizon.

17. Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar)

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Tom Wlaschiha may have even eclipsed his breakout role in Game of Thrones in 2022, having joined the cast of Stranger Things' fourth season as empathetic Russian prison guard, Dmitri "Enzo" Antonov, though it is currently unclear if he'll factor into plans for the upcoming fifth (and final) season of the mega-hit streaming series.

16. Aidan Gillen (Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish)

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Following his character's demise in 2017, Aidan Gillen remained in demand as a performer, having concluded his tenure on Peaky Blinders in 2019 before joining the cast of Mayor of Kingstown.

15. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane)

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After the conclusion of Game of Thrones, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson would go on to solidify himself as a three-time Arnold Strongman Classic winner, a Guinness World Record-holding deadlifter and an undefeated boxer, with his sole acting credit being a short but memorable turn in The Northman.

14. Rory McCann (Sandor “The Hound” Clegane)

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After wrapping on Game of Thrones in 2019, Rory McCann appeared in a minor role in Jumanji: The Next Level, a guest role in Netflix's The Irregulars, and vocal roles in both The Legend of Vox Machina and Transformers: EarthSpark.

13. Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister)

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Upon finishing his scene-stealing tenure on Game of Thrones in 2015, Charles Dance would lend his talents to films such as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Ghostbusters (2016), Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Mank, and The King's Man, and appeared in television series such as The Crown, The Sandman, and the upcoming Starz original, The Serpent Queen.

12. Sean Bean (Eddard “Ned” Stark)

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Sean Bean has remained as prolific and ambitious as ever with his work following his one-season run on Game of Thrones, with film credits such as Silent Hill: Revelation, The Martian, and Possessor as well as television credits that include Legends, The Frankenstein Chronicles, and Snowpiercer, among others.

11. Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark)

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Though her post-Game of Thrones film credits remain somewhat sparse, with the highest profile project being Ron Howard's In the Heart of the Sea, Michelle Fairley rode her momentum with recurring roles on Suits, 24: Live Another Day, Resurrection, The White Princess, and The Feed before landing a major part on a British series as cutthroat, brutal and twisty as Game of Thrones, Gangs of London, the second season of which will premiere in November 2022.

10. Richard Madden (Robb Stark)

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In the wake of "The Red Wedding," many assumed that Richard Madden's leading man looks and natural charisma would skyrocket him to the forefront of Hollywood, but the actor took a more measured pace, appearing as Prince Kit in the 2015 remake of Cinderella before earning a Golden Globe for his work in the 2018 series, Bodyguard, and working in supporting roles in both Rocketman and 1917 in 2019. Most recently, Madden entered (and possibly exited) the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Ikaris in 2021's Eternals.

9. Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei)

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Joining the Fast & Furious franchise in the midst of her Game of Thrones run,  Nathalie Emmanuel would subsequently watch her star grow in small screen projects like Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and Die Hart. After a busy 2021, with high-profile releases such as F9, Army of Thieves, and Last Train to Christmas, Emmanuel would headline the horror film, The Invitation, in August 2022, which debuted at No. 1 in the domestic box office.

8. Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark)

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Returning to his collegiate studies at University College London after completing his work on Game of Thrones' final season, Isaac Hempstead Wright has since only appeared in the 2021 science fiction film, Voyagers.

7. Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)

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Lena Headey was a recognizable star even before her tenure on Game of Thrones as the villainous Cersei Lannister and followed the series' conclusion with roles in Twist, Gunpowder Milkshake, DC League of Super-Pets, Infinity Train, and Masters of the Universe: Revelation. In 2022, Headey made headlines after a lawsuit from her former agency revealed that she had been cast in, and subsequently cut from, Thor: Love and Thunder.

6. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)

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Fostering his star power with multiple well-received film appearances during his downtime from filming Game of Thrones, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has since appeared in leading roles in Exit Plan, The Silencing, and Against the Ice. Coster-Waldau recently completed filming on the Apple TV+ adaptation of Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me and is co-headlining Nick Casavetes' upcoming crime thriller, God Is a Bullet.

5. Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark)

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Having been prominently featured in X-Men: Dark Phoenix shortly after the Game of Thrones finale, Sophie Turner has pulled back significantly on her acting to focus on motherhood, though she has recently voiced a character on HBO Max's The Prince and joined the ensemble of Annapurna Television's The Staircase, which also aired on the aforementioned streamer.

4. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)

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Maisie Williams' post-GOT career is one of hills and valleys: while she may have hit a speed-bump with the mid-pandemic release of The New Mutants, she would later appear in the horror film, The Owners, and the Sky One/HBO Max comedic thriller miniseries, Two Weeks to Live, in 2020, continued her voice acting on the second season on Gen:Lock in 2021, scored a role as Pamela Rooke in the biographical drama miniseries, Pistol, in 2022 and even reprised the role of Arya Stark for WB's Multiversus video game. Williams recently finished filming The New Look for Apple Studios and Damages co-creator Todd A. Kessler, in which she was cast as Catherine Dior.

3. Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister)

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One of the breakout stars of Game of Thrones, Peter Dinklage would star in I Care a Lot, The Croods: A New Age, American Dreamer, and Cyrano following Game of Thrones' conclusion in 2019, and like his GOT costar, Lena Headey, also wound up on the cutting room floor for Thor: Love and Thunder. However, Dinklage is still busier than ever, having completed filming on Macon Blair's Toxic Avenger reboot, Max Barbakow's Brothers, and Rebecca Miller's She Came to Me, and is currently in production on the animated film, Hitpig, as well as the Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

2. Kit Harington (Jon Snow)

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Prioritizing his mental health and family after Game of Thrones ended in May 2019, Kit Harington accepted small roles in Criminal: UK and Modern Love before returning to the big screen as Dane Whitman in Eternals alongside his GOT costar and on-screen brother, Richard Madden. With a tangible future for his MCU character at hand, Harington has also signed on for starring roles in Mary's Monster and Blood for Dust. However, George R. R. Martin shocked the world in June 2022 when he revealed that a Jon Snow spin-off series was in development, with Harington not only attached but among those who developed the concept.

1. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)

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Despite not quite finding movie superstardom during her Game of Thrones tenure, Clarke starred in Above Suspicion and Last Christmas after Game of Thrones' controversial finale and revived a previously halted stage production of The Seagull at the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2022. Penning a comic book for Image Comics titled M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, her upcoming slate of projects is not only exciting but diverse in nature, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2023's Secret Invasion, providing her voice in the feature adaptation of The Amazing Maurice, and returning to the big screen in both McCarthy and The Pod Generation.