Some characters, when introduced in a TV show, become fan-favourites over time and play a pivotal role in the story. Natalie Dormer’s Margaery Tyrell, who was added to the series in episode 3 of season 2, gained massive popularity due to her wits, seductiveness and cunning nature. Although, she originally auditioned for a different role on Game of Thrones, and that was Melisandre!
In James Hibberd’s book, Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, Natalie talked about her journey on the show. (Also, check out why she left the series). She recalled how thrilled she was for the audition. She said,
“I’ve never spoke about this previously: I didn’t audition for Margaery Tyrell originally. I auditioned for Melisandre. Then I got a call from my agents saying, ‘They loved you but want you to audition for another role.’ And I’m like, ‘Damn, this Melisandre role looks f**king cool!’ Dan [Weiss] and David [Benioff] said, ‘There’s this character Margaery, and we’re still exploring what we’re going to do with her.”
“ You look back and realize Melisandre couldn’t have been anyone else, Carice [van Houten] did an amazing job, but I always had a chuckle on the couch when a Melisandre scene came on. Margaery brought a very sort of modern PR kind of angle [to the ensemble]. She was canvassing the common people’s hearts and minds. I tried to think of her as like a hybrid of Michelle Obama and like a Kate Middleton or Princess Diana,” she added.
It’s hard to imagine Dormer in any other role, she nailed it so brilliantly. Would you have liked to see Dormer as Melisandre? Tell us in the comments below!
