Outside of playing Leaf in Game of Thrones, Kae Alexander is known for appearing in Collateral and Bad Education. The British actress was actually the second person to play Leaf. Two actresses portrayed the leader of the Children in the Forest over the course of the series, according to ScreenRant.
In season four, when the character first debuted, Leaf was played by young actress Octavia Alexandru. It wasn’t until season six that Leaf returned to the screen, this time played by Kae Alexander.
Per ScreenRant, it’s speculated that the casting change was made merely because the directors wanted an older actress to portray Leaf in the later episodes. Not only was she older, but the character also had a dramatically different look when she returned. In early episodes, the Children of the Forest were small and had faces like regular children. But when they returned in season six, the Children were far more “distinguishable,” ScreenRant reported.
Leaf’s role in the series was also expanded in season six — another reason the directors may have recast with an older and more experienced actress.
Kae Alexander isn’t the only Game of Thrones star who looks drastically different than her character. Check out our gallery of more Game of Thrones stars that are gorgeous in real life.
