Game of Thrones Cast: Where Are They Now?

Despite its terrible conclusion, HBO’s Game of Thrones still stands tall as one of the greatest series to be created ever. The most favorite aspect of GOT is its remarkable characters, played to perfection by a stellar cast. It’s been six years since this TV show ended its nearly decade-long run. Many actors and actresses who debuted in GOT went on to make a name for themselves in Hollywood. So if you wish to see what the cast of Game of Thrones is doing now, keep reading.

Spoilers Warning:

This article contains heavy spoilers about the story and characters of Game of Thrones. Therefore, we suggest you watch the TV Show before hand to avoid ruining the intended experience.

We have put together a list of the most favorite characters of Game of Thrones along with their then and now photos.

1. Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen

No one can deny the fact that Daenerys Targaryen became the face of Game of Thrones. She is still the most popular character in the GoT cast despite the showrunners rushing and laying waste to her beautifully written character arc. Daenerys was one of the last surviving Targaryens and aimed to sit on the Iron Throne. However, her great ambitions turned her into a mad queen who destroyed the lives of the King’s Landing with her dragons. Thus, she had to be assassinated by Jon Snow towards the anticlimactic end of GOT.

Emilia Clarke rose to prominence around the world by living as Daenerys Stormborn, aka the Mother of Dragons in GOT. She survived two life-ending brain aneurysms when she was involved in Game of Thrones and won the hearts of the fans down the road. Following the ending of GOT, Emilia acted in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Last Christmas, etc. Recently, she played the role of G’iah in Marvel’s Secret Invasion series. She has a lot of projects coming out very soon, and we are excited to see her don more characters.

2. Kit Harington as Jon Snow

Fans will never forget how D&D brother ruined possibly the greatest character of GOT, Jon Snow. He was originally born as Aegon Targaryen to Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, but his identity was kept a secret for Jon’s protection. Therefore, he was raised as the bastard son of Ned Stark until the biggest reveal in season 7. Jon was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne but was banished to the Night’s Watch in the end.

Jon Snow’s character is excellently brought to life by Kit Harington. The British actor worked in Modern Love, Marvel’s Eternals, Extrapolations, etc, but none of the roles could come close to his astonishing performance in Game of Thrones. HBO initially planned a Jon Snow spin-off but was later canceled. Kit recently starred in MAX’s Industry, which is praised as one of his best performances since Jon Snow in GoT.

3. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister

Inarguably, Tyrion Lannister is not just the best Lannister but also one of the best Game of Thrones cast members when it comes to his impact on the storyline. He is the youngest child of Tywin Lannister and is belittled throughout his life for his appearance. However, Tyrion overcomes the ordeals and proves his wit over might to the fans. At the end of GOT, Tyrion becomes the Hand of the King, Bran the Broken. With all of his kin dead, Tyrion also becomes the rightful Lord of Casterly Rock.

Peter Dinklage won the Emmy and the Golden Globe Awards for his exceptional performances as Tyrion Lannister. The award-winning actor got his breakthrough in The Station Agent movie first, and Tyrion’s role further bagged him many roles after Game of Thrones. Peter’s latest projects include Dean Casca Highbottom in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and Dr. Dillamond in Wicked. Finally, The Toxic Avenger movie in which Peter plays the main character, is releasing on August 29, 2025, after being unreleased for two years.

4. Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

Arya Stark holds a special place in the fans’ hearts, as she is the favorite member of the Stark family. She is the second daughter of Ned Stark and the younger sister of Sansa Stark. Arya is a little girl at the start, but undergoes a remarkable transformation with rigorous training at the House of Black and White. She becomes a highly skilled assassin who exacts revenge against the House Frey for the Red Wedding. Later, Arya unexpectedly kills the Night King to save the people at the Battle of Winterfell.

Arya sets sail to the West to explore the undiscovered regions of Westeros at the end of GOT. Like all the other child actors who worked in GOT, Maisie Williams’ acting career kicked off with this blockbuster show. Following the show’s conclusion, Maisie starred in numerous works due to her massively successful role in GOT. She played Rahne in The New Mutants, but that was a disastrous movie. However, Maisie’s recent roles in Pistol and The New Look TV Shows put her back in the game.

5. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister

No one foresaw Jaime Lannister’s extraordinary character arc at first in GOT. He went from the most hated character to one of the fan-favorite characters by the end of the series. Jaime Lannister was the eldest son of Tywin Lannister and the twin brother of Cersei. He was well-known as the Kingslayer and served as the Kingsguard for numerous kings throughout the show. Even though he redeemed his character, Jaime met his unfortunate end when trying to help his sister at the Red Keep.

Jaime Lannister was wonderfully played by the Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau. After his role in GOT came to an end, Nikolaj continued to act in Danish and Hollywood projects. He acted in various projects such as The Silencing, God Is a Bullet, and Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever. He is all set to star in another medieval drama called The King and Conqueror, which comes out in 2025.

6. Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister

Cersei Lannister tops every list as the greatest adversary of Game of Thrones. She was the wife of Joffrey Baratheon and this power-hungry character was later crowned as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei was always a master of manipulation as the series unfolded and did everything she could to keep House Lannister in power. However, she lost her life with Jaime when the Red Keep collapsed during the Battle of King’s Landing.

Lena Headey was already a big star before appearing in Game of Thrones cast and her portrayal of Cersei is still praised as her career-best performance by the fans. Lena continued to appear in projects such as Gunpowder Milkshake, 9 Bullets, Beacons 23, etc. Apart from acting, she also lent her voice to animated shows such as Masters of the Universe series, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Wizards, and many more.

7. Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark

Sansa Stark is the eldest daughter of Ned Stark and Catelyn in GOT. In the early phases of the show, she was controlled like a puppet by other characters. However, Sansa begins to observe and learn from the wisest people she encounters to become the Lady of Winterfell. Sansa has always wanted to become a queen and she emerges as the new Queen in the North after she makes the northern kingdom independent in the end.

Sansa Stark was the starting and turning point of Sophie Turner’s life. With her incredible performance, she gained popularity worldwide. She then played the role of Jean Grey in the X-Men movies. In the meantime, she married Joe Jonas and appeared in the Jonas Brothers’ video songs. However, she divorced him last year, and fans are expecting to see her in more challenging roles soon.

8. Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark

If there is a single character who has gone through a life-changing journey in Game of Thrones, then it’s got to be Bran Stark. He is the second son of Ned Stark, and every event was set in motion when he was pushed out of the window by Jaime Lannister. The cripple Stark became the Three-Eyed Raven at first and eventually went on to become the new ruler of the Six Kingdoms by the end of the series.

Isaac Hempstead Wright was included in the Game of Thrones cast as Bran Stark when he was eleven years old. We watched him grow up over the years as the GOT series progressed. Right now, Isaac is busy pursuing a degree and also focusing on his acting career. He appeared in Voyagers (2021) as Edward and has not been involved in any other works at the time of writing.

9. Sean Bean as Ned Stark

Lord Eddard Stark, more popularly known as Ned Stark, was the perfect hero Westeros has ever seen. He was a living representation of the honor and integrity that House Stark is known for. However, the honorable lord’s life quickly came to an end as he was beheaded on the orders of Joffrey Baratheon. Despite having a brief appearance in GOT cast, Ned Stark is still hailed as one of the best characters in the show.

This role was played to perfection by none other than the veteran actor Sean Bean, who has been in the field since the 1980s. Sean’s role ended right after the second season of GOT, and lately, he has worked on projects such as Snowpiercer (TV Show), The City is Ours, etc. He also has more projects coming up in 2025, such as Robin Hood, Rogue Trooper, etc.

10. Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth

Brienne of Tarth made history by becoming the first woman knight in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. The scene where Jamie knighted her is one of the favorite moments in the series for many. She remained a fiercely loyal knight throughout the series and deservedly became the Lady Commander of the Kingsguard by the end of GOT.

Gwendoline Christie, the British actress, has been in the acting scene for a long time, and Brienne of Tarth became the game-changing role of her career. Aside from GOT, she played Captain Phasma in the Star Wars Franchise. Gwendoline’s most recent appearances were in blockbuster TV shows such as The Sandman, Wednesday, and Severance.

11. Richard Madden as Robb Stark

Robb Stark will always be remembered as the man who would have made a supreme king. He was the first son born to Ned Stark and Catelyn. After Ned’s unfortunate death, Robb stepped up to become the King in the North rightfully. However, Robb didn’t last long as the promising king as he and his people were cold-bloodedly massacred by the House Frey at the Red Wedding.

It’s a pity that Robb Stark didn’t have a longer run in the GOT series, as fans loved Richard Madden’s portrayal. The Scottish actor has been involved in numerous projects such as Bodyguard, Rocketman, Oasis, etc. His notable works apart from GOT include Marvel’s Eternals, Prime’s Citadel, and Killer Heat.

12. Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane

Sandor Clegane, more prominently known as “The Hound” was the Kingsguard of the late king, Joffrey Baratheon. Every GOT fan used to hate this man in the initial seasons, but the Hound redeemed himself by protecting the Stark sisters. Sandor Clegane finally got his deserved revenge against his brother, The Mountain, but also lost his own life in the process as the brothers died together.

Without a doubt, The Hound is the best role of Rory McCann’s career. Since the end of Game of Thrones, he appeared as the main villain in Jumanji: The Next Level and voiced Megatron in Transformers: Earthspark. Rory’s most recent works include his role in Gladiator II, The Damned and Tornado.

13. Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell

House Martell has always been one of the important houses in Game of Thrones. The most popular member of this house was none other than Oberynn Martell. He was known as the Red Viper of Dorne and an elite warrior. During the events of season 4, Oberyn becomes the champion of Tyrion in his Trial by Combat arranged by the latter’s father. While Oberyn aimed to get his revenge against Sandor Clegane, he was mercilessly squashed to death by the Hound. It is still one of the most gruesome deaths we have ever seen in GOT.

Although Pedro Pascal played such a short role, he remains one of the most beloved actors by the fans. Pedro later starred in multiple hit movies and TV shows such as Gladiator II, The Wild Robot, The Last of Us, and The Mandalorian. He is one of the in-demand celebrities currently, as the fan-favorite star is involved in The Last of Us Season 2, Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Materialists.

14. Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth

Ser Davos Seaworth was a smuggler turned knight who eventually became the Hand of the King of Stannis Baratheon. We all know how Stannis’ Iron Throne journey ended. Since then, Davos joined forces with Jon Snow to become the King in the North’s right-hand man. Later, Ser Davos got a seat in the Small Council of the current king as the Master of Ships.

Liam Cunningham is a veteran Irish actor who got widespread recognition after being included in the Game of Thrones cast as Ser Davos Seaworth. After GOT’s end, Liam worked as a voice actor in popular animated shows such as Rick and Morty, Netflix’s Masters of the Universe, etc. However, he teamed up with GOT showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss once again to play the role of Thomas Wade in 3 Body Problem.

15. John Bradley as Samwell Tarly

Samwell of House Tarly was a timid and brainy boy. However, his father despised him for that and forced him to join the Night’s Watch. There he met Jon Snow, who would become his lifelong friend in the show. Sam was always more of a “Brains Over Brawn” character and overcame his life challenges to become the new Grand Maester of the Seven Kingdoms.

John Bradley joined the GOT cast as a rookie and made a name for himself with his excellent performance as Samwell Tarly for eight seasons. After the show’s conclusion, the English actor got roles in movies such as Moonfall, Marry Me, and The Railway Children Return. However, John stepped into the spotlight again with his role as Jack Rooney in Netflix’s 3 Body Problem, where GOT showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss also served as the creators of the sci-fi show.

Game of Thrones has truly been a life-changing experience for many of the cast members. From veterans to debutant actors, each and every one achieved global recognition with their fantastic performances. Having said that, who is your favorite actor in Game of Thrones? Let us know in the comments below.