Which cast member is a UN ambassador? Which two actresses have played the same iconic character? Which one was a well-known burlesque performer before she ever set foot in Westeros? We have gathered the coolest, and probably least known facts, each HBO's Game of Thrones fan would be interested to read about. We would have said 'you'll be shocked' from what you'll find in the following slides, but we leave that for season 7
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How Richard Madden Found Out What Happens To Robb
Madden's Girlfriend Comes From Another Popular Franchise
Madden has since transitioned into film roles, taking the lead in 2015's Cinderella. He has been in a relationship with Jenna Louise Coleman since 2012. Coleman is best known for her role as Clara Oswald in Doctor Who, a role she held for three seasons opposite both Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.
Jason Momoa In Baywatch: Essos
Jason Momoa was equal parts intimidation and aggression for his performance as Khal Drogo, but despite his earned "tough guy" reputation, you wouldn't recognize him in his earlier roles when he was ... a little softer. One of his first roles was as a lifeguard on Baywatch:Hawaii. He looks like Drogo's kid brother to us.
Emilia Clarke Only Does Nude Scenes When She Wants Now
Lena Headey Was Paycheck To Paycheck
Lena Headey is an incredibly talented actress, but has fallen on hard times in her personal life. After splitting from husband Peter Loughran in 2012, she was reportedly broke and struggling to make ends meet. She has spoken candidly about her struggles with depression following the divorce, and has since elected to keep her personal life as private as possible.
Arya Is Basically A Dance Champ
Maisie Williams is a fan favorite and critical darling on Game of Thrones thanks to her layered, emotional portrayal of the fiercely independent Arya Stark. Williams is gifted in other areas of performance as well -- she has attended the Susan Hill School of Dancing since age 10, and has said that she would love to perform professionally. She's apparently pretty good!
The Mountain Is Played By The World's Strongest Man
Gregor Clegane was played by two actors before the showrunners finally found someone intimidating enough to fill The Mountain's boots. That someone is Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, an Icelandic professional strongman, nicknamed "the strongest man on earth." he also goes by the nickname "Thor," and is only 28 years old!
The Mountain Also Does Hilarious Commercials For SodaStream
Bjornsson has parlayed his Game of Thrones fame into a commercial gig with SodaStream. In 2016, he was the star of a hilarious faux TV commercial for a product called "Heavy Bubbles" -- giant bottles of sparkling water shaped like weights. The video ended up being a viral marketing stunt by SodaStream. Bjornsson has since appeared in other videos promoting SodaStream sparkling water, and criticizing plastic bottle waste.
Why Do Cersei And Bronn Hate Each Other Though?
You've probably read elsewhere that Lena Headey (Cersei) and Jerome Flynn (Bronn) don't speak to each other on set and despise one another in real life. Apparently, this is because the two used to date. The on-again, off-again relationship started in 2002 and apparently ended really badly. The producers even put them on different schedules in an effort to keep them away from each other. That's amore!
Sean Bean, The "Walking Spoiler"
Ned Stark's death set a pretty dark tone for the series and was just the fist of many traumas Game of Thrones fans would become accustomed to over the years. Sean Bean, who played Ned, is a pro at dying on screen, having died at least 22 times throughout his career. Some people even call him "the walking spoiler" -- if he's cast in a role, it's likely his character will get the axe (sometimes literally).
Hodor Is A DJ
Kristian Nairn had a single, memorable line to memorize during his time on Game of Thrones. Though he's brought as much nuance and emotion as anyone can to Hodor, Nairn's skills aren't limited to the screen. He's also a famous, globe-trotting DJ, spinning at clubs with a show called "Rave of Thrones." Nairn stays pretty busy, but has said that he enjoys both acting and DJ-ing and sees no reason to pick one over the other.
Kit Harington Didn't Even Know His Real Name
Kit Harington plays Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, a fan-favorite character who knows nothing (at least, according to Ygritte). While we can't dish on Harington's test scores in school, there is one thing he didn't know for a long time -- his own name. According to the actor, he had no idea that "Kit" is short for "Christopher" until he was 11 years old.
The Terminator Connection
Game of Thrones has an ensemble cast of recognizable actors from stage, TV and film, so they're bound to have connections outside of the HBO show. Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke have more in common than playing strong, independent women on Thrones. They've both portrayed sci-fi icon Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise. Headey portrayed the character in the short-lived but critically acclaimed The Sarah Connor Chronicles, while Clarke took on the role in the recent Terminator: Genisys.
Peter Dinklage's Diet
Peter Dinklage was a well-known character actor long before Game of Thrones, though the show definitely skyrocketed him to international fame. Though Tyrion isn't one to deny himself the pleasure of "bacon burned black," Dinklage is a vegetarian in real life. Whenever he's seen eating meat on Game of Thrones, it's really just cleverly disguised tofu.
A Fan Told Charles Dance About Tywin's Death
Every actor has their own, unique way to prepare for their roles, and some do more research than others. Several cast members on Game of Thrones didn't bother to read the novels the show is based on, and were left in the dark about their characters. One hilarious example is Charles Dance, who avoided George R.R. Martin's tomes because of how big they were. As a result, he was told the fate of his character, Tywin Lannister, by a fan. Not a great way to find out, Mr. Dance!
Iwan Rheon Hates Ramsay Too
Though he played one of the most evil characters in all of Westeros, actor Iwan Rheon is actually a pretty nice guy in real life. So much so that he hates his character, Ramsay Snow/Bolton, as much as the rest of us. He has admitted that he sometimes struggles with the material because of how gods-awful Ramsay is.
When he's not playing memorable villains, he's a singer-songwriter, which he considers his true passion.
Brienne Has No Idea How Old She Is
Gwendoline Christie shot to fame practically overnight in her role as the conflicted yet honorable Brienne of Tarth, a female knight who struggles to be taken seriously. In real life, Christie is an absolute sweetheart and much more confident than her screen counterpart. Don't ask her how old she is though -- she doesn't know! Christie admitted that she doesn't even know when her birthday is, and lost track of her age. For what it's worth, she was born on October 28, 1978, making her 38 years old. But age is just a number, Brienne!
Why You Haven't Seen Ilyn Payne In A While
Ilyn Payne is the king's mute executioner, and one of the few characters that Arya is looking to take revenge upon for his role in her father's death. We haven't seen him in the show for a while because Wilko Johnson, the actor who portrays him, is a punk legend who wanted to get one last tour in.
Johnson was told in 2013 that he had terminal pancreatic cancer, and decided to embark on his "farewell tour," believing he had only months to live. Turns out he was misdiagnosed and underwent a surgery to remove the cancer from his body. Now cancer-free, Johnson admits he's not sure what to do next, since, y'know, he thought he'd be dead by now.
Maybe he'll return to Game of Thrones in the future!
Carice Van Houten Has Been In More Films With Thrones Actors Than Anyone
Carice Van Houten plays the red priestess Melisandre on Game of Thrones. While we can debate whether she's good for resurrecting Jon Snow or bad for killing Shireen Baratheon, Van Houten has shared the screen with numerous Game of Thrones actors throughout her career -- maybe more than anyone else on the show! She appeared opposite Ned Stark, Daario Naharis, and even Ser Davos Seaworth -- the lattermost was even her lover in the 2011 film Black Butterflies. Quite the opposite of their relationship on Thrones!
Natalie Dormer, Best Swordsman In Seven Kingdoms
Actress Natalie Dormer portrayed the ambitious and mysterious Margaery Tyrell for five seasons of the show. While queen-to-be Margaery left the swordfighting to the other characters on the show, Dormer is actually an avid fencer, and has even been a member of the prestigious London Fencing Academy. Too bad she didn't get to show off those skills on Game of Thrones before ... y'know.
Blind Maester Aemon Is Really Blind
Maester Aemon was one of the sole voices of reason and compassion on Game of Thrones. As a member of the Night's Watch, he gave counsel to Jon Snow and Sam Tarly before his death of old age late in season five. One of Aemon's defining characteristics was his blindness -- a characteristic he shares with the British actor who portrayed him, Peter Vaughan. At 92, Vaughan is partially blind, though that hasn't slowed him down. He vows to continue acting as long as he's able and offers are coming in.
Davos & Magneto, BFFs
Liam Cunningham (Ser Davos Seaworth) is one of Hollywood's most recognizable character actors. Though the role of Davos has brought him a meatier lead role and international fame, he's a pro with decades of experience under his belt. On his off-time, the Irish actor is close friends with another famous Irishman -- actor Michael Fassbender, best known for portraying Magneto in the X-Men films.
A Foot In The Door
"It's not what you know, it's who you know," right? Though Tyrion and Cersei are sworn enemies on the show, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey are very close friends in real life. They've known each other since before Game of Thrones brought them worldwide recognition, and Headey has her pal Dinklage to thank for it. While discussing the role of Cersei with producers, Dinklage recommended they bring Headey in for an audition. The rest is history!
Theon -- Lily Allen's Bro
Your opinion of Theon Greyjoy probably varies wildly. But most can agree he went from "annoying but mostly okay" to "unforgivable monster" to "object of pity" to his current quest for redemption. His arc is a testament to actor Alfie Allen, a relative unknown who has brought gravitas and vulnerability to the complex role. Turns out talent is in his blood! Allen's sister is famous singer Lily Allen, who even wrote a song about him called "Alfie." The song is mostly a lament from Lily about her lazy little brother. Looks like he took his sister's advice and went and made something of himself!
Daario The Rockstar
Numerous Game of Thrones actors moonlight as musicians, singers and songwriters. Michiel Huisman (Daario Naharis) is one of the more famous examples of this -- before HBO, Huisman was the singer and guitarist for the Dutch band Fontane. He also plays a recurring role on Nashville, a nod to his roots as a musician.
Sophie Turner Has A Killer Allergy
Whenever you see Sansa Stark riding a horse, it's either a stunt double or actress Sophie Turner is doped up to the eyeballs with Benadryl. This is because Turner is actually allergic to horses, and has to keep an inhaler handy when she shoots with them. A horse allergy isn't going to derail most people's lives, but when your day job involves riding around on them constantly, it can probably get a little annoying!
Esme Bianco (Ros) Is A Burlesque Superstar
For nearly three whole seasons, Ros was one of the most popular and memorable peripheral characters in Westeros. From small town hooker to King's Landing madam and "little bird" for spymaster Varys, Ros' solid run for the iron throne was cut short when she was betrayed by Littlefinger and killed by Joffrey. Esme Bianco, who portrayed Ros, was pretty famous in her own right before Game of Thrones fame -- as a neo-burlesque performer!
Jaime Is A UN Ambassador
Jaime Lannister fits the "love to hate" role better than anyone on Game of Thrones. While Jaime can't seem to figure out whether he wants to be a good guy or a bad guy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the actor who plays him, is an unabashed force of good in real life. In 2016, he was appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, a role in which he helps the UN's efforts to fight poverty, injustice and climate change worldwide.
Thrones Was Arya's First Role
