With HBO announcing that the Game of Thrones‘ prequel, House Of The Dragon, will be gracing our screens, it seems like the ideal time to take a closer look at the making of the original series. Many of these behind-the-scenes photos will alter your perception of cast members like Sophie Turner, Kit Harington, and Emilia Clarke. While others might heighten your burning desire to have the final season remade.
These behind-the-scenes photos reveal new angles on the cast members that may just shock you to your very core. At the very least, they’ll offer you a unique glimpse into the grueling creation of this beloved series right from it’s beginning. Without further ado, here are 20 photos of the Game of Thrones cast that change everything.
20 Further Proof That Bran Isn’t Suitable For The Role Of King… #Shorts
The King of Westeros does NOT wear shorts. Actually, the true King of Westeros probably bears no resemblance to Bran whatsoever. Aside from developing our disdain for Bran’s character arc this photo also reveals how toasty it was on the set of the final season. Sophie Turner also looks like her costume is causing her to sweat. Good thing Kit Harington was around to touchy up the cast’s shiny foreheads.
19 So, Her Self-Heating Powers Were All A Lie?
Melisandre always told us that her body was heated by the energy of The Lord Of Light and therefore she never experienced the cold. Well, this photo of Carice van Houten utterly dispels that. In reality, shooting in the frigid snowy landscapes wasn’t nearly as fun as it looked. In fact, it probably was constantly uncomfortable.
18 The Painful Process Of Getting Those Pale Targaryen Locks
Nope, Emilia Clarke isn’t naturally a blonde, nor did she dye her hair for the role of Daenerys Targaryen AKA the character with the most poorly developed plot twist in the series. As we can see from this photo, Clarke had to have her hair pulled back under a bald cap. Afterward, the hair team would put her long white-blond wig on.
17 Jon Likes Dany So Much He Wants To Be Her
Well, this photo makes us completely rethink Jon Snow. Did he love Dany or just want to be her really, really badly? This is one of the photos that Kit Harington posted after the finale aired. He claimed that he was bored on set and decided to play dress-up with whatever he found in the hair and makeup trailer. But we think he might have had an obsession with the Dragon Queen’s luscious locks.
16 Kristofer Hivju Really Can Do It All
Kristofer Hivju’s Game of Thrones character, Tormund, was physically capable of pretty much anything. This photo proves that the actor was just as strong and daring as the Wildling he played. Even though he was wired in for protection, Hivju definitely needed a lot of courage to climb that Wall set. This is downright impressive!
15 Maisie Had A Lot Of Assistance During That Waif Escape Scene
One of Arya’s biggest twists in Game of Thrones was when she was surprisingly attacked by The Waif and has to jump off a bridge into the channels of Braavos to escape. While it appeared that Maisie Williams did the majority of her own stunts, she was constantly protected. Divers were on standby just in case and she even had a flotation device to hold on to.
14 Now He’s Just Rubbing It In
Johan Philip “Pilou” Asbæk has been pretty blunt about how the writers needed him to easily take down a dragon in one episode and be incapable of doing it again in the next. Regardless of whether or not you liked these choices, this photo feels like he’s rubbing it in. But hey, it’s pretty in line with his brash character.
13 Arm Trickery For That Famous Bathtub Speech
Although Jaime Lannister’s bathtub speech about how he saved the people of King’s Landing from The Mad King now completely contradicts his choices in the final season, it’s still one of the best scenes in the series. As this photo reveals, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau had to wear a prosthetic arm to keep the illusion of his severed hand alive. This is a pretty cool trick as they probably had to use CGI to remove his working hand in other scenes.
12 Vladimir Trying To Ingratiate Himself With The Future King
Ugh! Just ugh! While many GOT fans were angriest about Dany’s plot twist, the rest of us are most unhappy with how the White Walkers were handled in the final season. Perhaps the cast was too. It would explain why The Night King actor, Vladimir Furdik, was trying to ingratiate himself with the man who would end up on The Iron Throne.
11 Peter Dinklage Isn’t Afraid To Chirp The Boss
It’s nice to see that one of the cast members wasn’t afraid to chirp the creators of the show. Although, this photo looks as though it was taken during the filming of Season Three or Four, meaning that Peter Dinklage was teasing D.B. Weiss back in the days when we all loved him. If only Dinklage had taken him to task when he was handed the Season Eight scripts.
10 Jason Momoa Is A Constant GOT Supporter
Jason Momoa is an extremely dedicated GOT fan. This behind-the-scenes photo absolutely proves that. Although he didn’t have a cameo in the final season, he still stopped by the set to show his love for the show and shower the cast members with affection. Both Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage look pleased as punch that he visited.
9 Maybe Jaime Lannister Really Isn’t The Best Swordsman In Westeros
Perhaps Nikolaj Coster-Waldau became a better swordsman as the series went on? Because he was clearly incapable of doing it all himself. This behind-the-scenes image from Season One tells us that his stunt double had to take on Sean Bean during that duel outside Littlefinger’s office. We can see Coster-Waldau chillin’ on the sidelines while his lookalike did all the work.
8 Richard Brake Acting As Though He’s Going To Be In The Show For The Long Haul
Richard Brake looks completely committed in this behind-the-scenes image. It seems as though he believed this moment would pay-off somewhere before the series ended… Little did he know. It also appears as though he believed he was to play The Night King for the entirety of the series… Little did he know again. In reality, he’d only be The Night King in Seasons 4 and 5. Vladimir Furdik ended up replacing him for Season Six through Eight.
7 There’s No Hard Feelings Between Lena Headey And Hannah Waddingham
Lena Headey did a magnificent job portraying relentless hate for Hannah Waddingham’s Septa Unella in Game of Thrones. Let’s face it, it was a necessary emotion after what Unella and The High Sparrow did to Cersei. But, as we can see here, the actors quite enjoyed each other’s company between scenes.
6 Bronn Likes Lunch Just As Much As The Next Guy… He Just Likes It Far Away From The Rest of The Cast
So we know that Bronn actor Jerome Flynn couldn’t be in the same room as his real-life ex, Lena Headey, but we didn’t know that he generally enjoyed his alone time. This behind the scenes photo shows us that Flynn occasionally took his lunch to a private part of the set. This probably allowed him to clear his head and prepare for the next scene.
5 Working Out Some Conflicts?
How could anyone have a conflict with Hodor? He’s just a big lovebug. In reality, actors get on each other’s nerves all the time. It’s just part of the job. We’re not sure if Isaac Hempstead Wright had actual issues with Kristian Nairn. It’s more probable that the two loved to joke around between takes. Still, we wouldn’t trust Bran holding a boulder over our heads.
4 Conleth Hill’s Attention To Detail Is Unparalleled, Making Him Ideal For Lint Rolling
It takes real trust for an actor to trust a fellow thespian with their wardrobe. But clearly, Lena Headey was fine with Conleth Hill keeping her robes in mint condition. Given that Hill played Varys, the Master of Whisperers, it’s likely that his attention to detail is unparalleled. Regardless, it’s pretty cool to see such a playful candid moment.
3 Well, Someone Feels Right At Home
It takes a boss to play a boss. And The Queen Of Thorns was definitely that. It looks as though Diana Rigg felt right at home on the Game of Thrones set. Then again, she almost always got the upper-hand in her scenes, which would make any actor feel completely comfortable.
2 Building A Connection With Her “Dragon”
Emilia Clarke can clearly act. After all, we believed that she had a genuine connection with her dragons. But most of the time, Clarke was acting with nothing. The dragons were created with CGI and therefore had no presence on the set. Even when she rode them, she’d be “flying” on mechanical humps like this one.
1 Theon Keeps The Stark Kids Entertained Until He Turns On Them
This is one way to create chemistry between characters that didn’t exist in real life. Alfie Allen’s Theon Greyjoy had to seem like he grew up with the Stark kids. So, playing poker with them between takes was a fabulous idea. Aside from that, it’s amazing to be reminded of just how young that cast looked in the First Season. They’ve certainly come a long way since then.
Sources: Digital Spy, Demilked, Vulture, Screen Rant, Gamer, Daily Mail
