#32. Cersei Lannister
Queen Cersei Lannister was one of the biggest antagonists of the show. Being responsible for many of the troubles the "good guys" had to face, she started as the wife of king Robert Baratheon and slowly climbed her way to the top.
At the beginning, she had long, blond locks, but after her memorable walk of atonement, her hair was cut short and it remained that way until the end of the series. But the way Lena Headey looked before GOT looks nothing like queen Cersei...
#31. Lena Headey
Lena Headey brought the evil queen Cersei to life, but before she did that, she had a very long, successful career in the UK. She started working at a very young age and took on many different roles, mostly with her natural black hair.
She started as the wife of king Robert Baratheon and she slowly climbed her way to the top. It is certainly strange to see her without her signature blond hair, but she looks amazing in both. Her on-screen brother, on the other hand, hasn't changed much.
#30. Jamie Lannister
Jamie Lannister was loyal to no one but his twin sister and romantic interest (yuck!) Cersei. Jamie starts out an arrogant young man who will do anything to protect Cersei, but he slowly evolves into a mature man who tries to figure out right from wrong.
Jamie is kidnapped by the North and later by Brianne of Tarth, with whom he develops a romantic relationship later on. This changes Jamie into a more sensitive, kind person than before, and this change made audiences fall in love with the complex character.
#29. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
It is shocking to learn that Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is Danish given his perfect British accent. The truth is that Nikolaj worked in Denmark for most of his youth, but when he felt he needed to spread his wings, he started auditioning for US projects.
This picture is from 1994's Nightwatch, one of Waldau's Danish films. He was a fresh-faced young actor but didn't look much different than what he looks like today. He basically hasn't aged a day and it's hard to believe he's turning 50 this year.
#28. Margaery Tyrell
Margaery Tyrell appears to be an innocent, sweet girl at the beginning, but she is actually an excellent strategist that uses her seduction to get what she wants. It was her charisma that got her not one, nor two, but three kings to marry her.
She wasn't too sad when she lost her husbands because that meant she would get their power all to herself. Sadly, a wiser, more powerful queen outsmarted her: Cersei. It was sad to see her go, but actress Natalie Dormer had plenty of work once her stint on the show ended.
#27. Natalie Dormer
Natalie Dormer has been working since a very young age and somehow, she always ends up playing either a royal, or someone trying to become a royal. Her big film debut came in 2005 in Casanova alongside the late Heath Ledger.
Before that, she worked mostly on TV. She became a recognizable face thanks to her role as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors, plus many other roles here and there. After GOT, she got a role in The Hunger Games, and is doing better than ever.
#26. Theon Greyjoy
Theon Greyjoy started out as a smug, treacherous man that stabbed his best friend, Robb Stark, in the back. He quickly became one of the most hated characters in the whole show, until a big moment in his life changed him forever.
When he was kidnapped and tortured by Ramsay Bolton, Theon acknowledged his mistakes and made his way to redemption. Fans then fell in love with him and appreciated how much he changed over the years.
#25. Alfie Allen
Before GOT, Alfie Allen was in the shadow of his sister, singer Lily Allen. The brother-sister duo started as actors in Elizabeth when they were little. Alfie chose to pursue acting and Lily focused on music, and the rest is history.
Allen was cast as Theon when he was just 20 years old. He had his hair blond and no beard, which looks very different from his look on the show, and he basically went from a young adult to a man during the 8 seasons of GOT.
#24. The Three-Eyed Raven
The Three-Eyed Raven was a very anticipated character since season 1. This mysterious figure is teased over and over as the episodes go by, but there is not much known about him. But at the beginning of season 4, his face is finally revealed.
It is discovered that the Three-Eyed Raven is a mystical entity that can see into the past and future. Bran is chosen to be the next Three-Eyed Raven because the original one is too old. The actor chosen to bring him to life is Max von Sydow.
#23. Max Von Sydow
Max Von Sydow has a very long Hollywood career. Even though you may not recognize him because of his age (he is 90 years old!), it is very likely that you have seen him display his amazing acting chops before. For example, he was the priest in The Exorcist.
His career has spawned several decades and he has worked in both British and American cinema and TV. Another one of his many famous roles was as the man himself, Jesus Christ, in The Greatest Story Ever Told.
#22. Robb Stark
Robb Stark was a fan favorite from the beginning, because he perfectly embodied the hero persona to a tee. He seemed to be the perfect fit for the Iron Throne and the king that Westeros deserved to have. However, GOT is everything but a fairytale...
Robb's naivety made him fall for a trap that destroyed almost half of his entire family. It was sad to see him go so early from the show (on season 3), but this gave actor Richard Madden many opportunities to work on other projects and expand his career.
#21. Richard Madden
Although he had worked as a teenage actor before, GOT gave Richard Madden the opportunity to jump from the small screen to the big screen. Right after he left the show, he got the role of the Prince in Cinderella and the starring role in Bodyguard.
But the Scottish actor was actually a shy, nerdy kid growing up, and was constantly teased at school. Luckily, he got more confident as he grew up and is now a movie star. Those mean children that made fun of him are probably green with envy right now!
#20. The Hound
Sandor Clegane, better known as The Hound, was more of a bodyguard than anything else at the start of the show. He was intimidating and ruthless, but as the show went on, we got to know the man behind the scars, and it was truly surprising.
Only after his journey with Arya Stark and a religious revelation through the Lord of Light does he try to make up for all the wrong he has done and redeem himself. Those scars on his face, of course, are not real, and the actor looks nothing like that in real life.
#19. Rory McCann
Rory McCann looks nothing like The Hound. First of all, he has no scars, and he often goes for a clean shave and short hair. He is also more of a teddy bear than a scary bodyguard, which is shocking to see after watching him on the show for so long.
The Scottish actor began his career in 1991 and got small parts on British television before moving on to film. He acted in many projects for 20 years before he finally got the recognition he deserved thanks to Game of Thrones.
#18. Littlefinger
Fans of the show had the strongest love/hate relationship with Petyr Baelish, also known as Littlefinger. He was a character who could not be trusted under any circumstances and was even responsible for many of the characters' deaths.
Even though he never picked up a sword, he made kings and queens fall. His search for the Iron Throne was one of the strongest and he came quite close, but just like Robb Stark, he just got too confident. Even though he left the show on season 7, actor Aidan Gillen got plenty of work.
#17. Aidan Gillen
Irish actor Aidan Gillen looks pretty different in real life compared to the show. He usually has a clean shave rather than Littlefinger's distinctive beard and he tends to wear his hair long. He boasts a long career in both film and TV and he usually plays the role of the villain disguised as a good guy.
Other big roles that he's had include the conniving villain Tommy Carcetti in HBO's The Wire. Although he didn't receive any awards for his performance as Baelish in America, he did get nominated twice for an Irish Film & Television award.
#16. Melisandre
Melisandre first appeared on the show at the end of season 2, where she aided Stannis Baratheon in his fight for the throne. She was a red priestess, meaning that she did magic in the name of the Lord of Light, and she had no problem using her powers for destruction
As the seasons went by, fans got to know more and more about this character and began empathizing with her. She quickly became a beloved character, especially on season 6 when she brought back Jon Snow from the dead.
#15. Carice Van Houten
Carice Van Houten has a perfect British accent on the show, but she is actually Dutch. She began acting in The Netherlands in 1997 and already won awards for her first work, a TV film called Suzy Q.
She had a small role in an American movie alongisde Leonardo DiCaprio in 2008, but her scenes were cut from the final product. Because of that, she had her big international break thanks to GOT. In her day-to-day life, she looks nothing like Melisandre, and it's hard to see her without her signature long, red hair.
#14. Varys
Varys had an important job in the kingdom that was also invisible to most people: he was the Master of Whispers. This meant that he was in charge of spying and dealing secretly in the best interest of the realm, which is what he always cared about the most.
This made audiences fall even more in love with him, because he always did the right thing. Despite his tragic fate, the Varys we saw from season 1 to season 8 was incredible, and his distinct bald hair is unforgettable. However, the actor who plays him is actually not bald.
#13. Conleth Hill
It is honestly shocking to learn that Conleth Hill not only isn't bald in real life, but also has an incredible amount of hair on his head, not to mention he has a fabulous beard. The makeup department did an excellent job hiding his head full of hair.
Before he was Varys, Hill had a very successful career in both film and theater. Although he loves being in front of the camera, his true passion lies with the stage. He has won two Laurence Olivier Awards and has been nominated for a Tony Award twice.
#12. Ned Stark
Patriarch Ned Stark ruled as the Lord of Winterfell for many years and is the character that introduced us to the world of Game of Thrones. He was the main protagonist of season 1, which made audiences quickly get attached to him and his story.
It really seemed like he would be the main character of the whole story, but then, at the end of season 1, one of the biggest plot twists on TV happened and he was killed off. It really shocked everyone, but it let people know GOT was different, fresh, and exciting.
#11. Sean Bean
Ned Stark became such a beloved character in just a few episodes thanks to the brilliant work of actor Sean Bean. But before he played the Lord of Winterfell, he already had an illustrious career in both movies and TV. Most notably, he played Boromir in The Lord of the Rings.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. He has been on countless movies, such as James Bond and Troy, and he has starred on several TV series. On top of that, his voice has been featured in several video games. GOT did give him more popularity, but his career was just fine without it!
#10. Tywin Lannister
Tywin Lannister was the intimidating Lannister patriarch, father of Cersei, Jamie, and Tyrion. The most important thing to this ruthless lord was always to protect the family heritage and keep the Lannister name clean, no matter at what cost.
His cunning and wisdom made him very popular with fans, but his hate for Tyrion got out of hand and ended up being the reason for his demise. Actor Charles Dance really did a great job in bringing him to life.
#9. Charles Dance
Charles Dance started acting long before the Game of Thrones books were even an idea. His first role came in 1971 and from then on, he acted in both film and television. You might remember him from films like Jewel of the Crown and Alien 3.
Even though he has been in so many movies, it is hard to picture him not being Tywin, perhaps because the character was so impactful, even though he was on the show only for 4 seasons. After the show ended, he went on to act inThe Crown.
#8. Khal Drogo
Khal Drogo was only on the show for 10 episodes, yet he made an incredible impact on everyone who watched it, an definitely made an impact on Daenerys, whose story is driven by her losing Drogo.
It is when Daenerys loses Drogo that she is driven to really pursue the iron throne and claim what is hers. Before that, she was just a naive girl, but Drogo showed her the real world. This role skyrocketed the actor to fame, and he doesn't look like this at all in real life...
#7. Jason Momoa
Nowadays, Jason Momoa needs no introduction, as he is one of the most popular Hollywood actors at the moment. However, there was a time when he was just a fresh-faced young man trying to make it in the industry. He had many minor roles here and there until he got a role on Baywatch.
However, it was his role as Khal Drogo and his massive abs that really put him on the map. Even though he was on it for a brief period of time, the offers came pouring in right afterwards. He got the role of Aquaman and has been on several DC movies ever since.
#6. Olenna Tyrell
Margeary Tyrell may have gotten all the attention, but the mastermind behind her actions was her grandmother, Olenna Tyrell. She did everything she could to protect her grandchildren and to get them to the throne.
All in all, Olenna orchestrated some of the best plots on the show, and all from the comfort of her chair. Let's not forget that she helped Margeary become queen and helped keep his grandchild's homosexuality a secret! The actress who played her, actually used to be a Bond girl...
#5. Diana Rigg
Diana Rigg started acting in 1957 when she was 19. She got her big break as Emma Peel in The Avengers (not the Marvel one, of course), and went on to appear on countless movies and television series.
She was a sex symbol in the 1960s and also starred in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. She has won several accolades, including three nominations in a row for an Emmy for her performance as Olenna, although she didn't win any, unfortunately.
#4. Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion Lannister started as an arrogant, spoiled womanizer that only cared about drinking and being with women. He slowly realized, however, that there was more to life than that, when he became Hand of the King to Joffrey, and when he fell in love with the prostitute Shae.
On season 4, he is betrayed by Shae and his father, Tywin, and framed for the murder of Joffrey, so he kills them both and escapes Westeros with the help of Varys. Tyrion was many people's favorite character because of his character development, and actor Peter Dinklage skyrocketed to fame thanks to this.
#3. Peter Dinklage
Peter Dinklage is best known for playing Tyrion, but the truth is that he has been around for decades. Although his British accent is impressive, he is actually from America, and he began acting in 1995. His breakthrough performance came in The Station Agent.
Dinklage is a man that can do it all and has appeared on films of multiple genres. He is mostly known for his dramatic work, and the role of Tyrion earned him a record of 4 Emmys! But before he became an international superstar, he sported this hilarious haircut!
#2. Daenerys
Daenerys Targaryen lived in hiding for most of her early years, until she was married to Khal Drogo against her will. She slowly fell in love with him and got pregnant, but lost not only her husband, but also her son. Not all was lost, however, as she was left with three dragons, which made her more powerful than anyone else.
All throughout the show, we see the development of Daenerys as she becomes braver and stronger, but by the end of season 8, she becomes so crazy with power that she actually loses her mind, causing her own demise. She was brought to life by Emilia Clarke, who looks nothing like that in real life...
#1. Emilia Clarke
Emilia Clarke stole everyone's hearts asDaenerys, but everyone was shocked to learn that she was actually not a blonde, but a brunette. She has put the blond wig aside for many acting roles over the years, but her big break was definitely Game of Thrones.
She basically grew up with the role of Daenerys, and it was very hard to just let it go. She has been keeping herself busy, however, with her own charity to help people who have suffered from brain injuries. She recently starred in the new Terminator and on the Star Wars spin-off, Solo.