Nicholas Hoult has revealed that he auditioned to play Jon Snow in Game Of Thrones way back in 2010.
The 29-year-old X Men star unsuccessfully went up for the role, which is famously played by Kit Harington, while he was filming for Clash Of The Titans alongside Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes and Gemme Arterton.
Recalling the rather method experience, Nicholas said: ‘I had long hair extensions [at the time]. They gave me a ponytail and also a very patchy fake tan.
‘So I remember being like, “This is probably not what they’re hoping for”, and it obviously wasn’t.’
Nicholas continued to Page Six: ‘I auditioned for the pilot. I had no idea what Game of Thrones was.
‘Didn’t get it. Kind of forgot about it.’
This almost casting bombshell comes just a month after Maisie Williams confessed she nearly didn’t audition to play Arya Stark.
The 21-year-old actress, who was only 11 when she was cast in the fantasy epic, came close to passing up the opportunity because there was a school trip to a pig farm that she wanted to go to instead.
‘I desperately wanted to go on a school trip instead – good job I didn’t!’ she told Lorraine Kelly. ‘I wouldn’t be here now.’
Game Of Thrones is currently airing its eighth and final season and the cast are all on the hunt for new television jobs.
Ian Beattie, who played Set Meryn Trant, let it slip that actors from the HBO franchise have been banned from auditioning from some shows.
‘It’s quite unusual because there was another show, that I’d rather not name if you don’t mind, which was auditioning,’ Beattie explained while on the panel at MCM Comic Con Birmingham.
‘It’s based on a video game and I can’t remember if Amazon or Netflix were doing it. But at the bottom of the casting call: “No Game of Thrones actors”.
Beattie admitted that it had occurred previously, adding: ‘And that’s not the first time that’s happened. And I’m thinking, there’s some pretty bloody good actors in Game of Thrones. What the heck?
‘But they did not want any form of brand recognition. That’s to do with the identity of the show. This is obviously a show that sees itself as a Game of Thrones-type show.’
Game Of Thrones airs Sunday on HBO, Sky Atlantic and NOW TV.
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