In honor of the last season, we have decided to take a look back at where some of the most beloved and hated characters on the show started in the acting business. Some of these stars were already very established in the industry such as Charles Dance who plays Tywin Lannister and Sean Bean who plays Ned Stark. But others were relatively unknown before the series such as Sophie Turner who plays Sansa Stark and Maisie Williams who plays Arya Stark.
All of these stars are, for the most part, household names now and have steadily moved onto huge roles in franchises like The X-Men or gone the indie route so that they are not typecast. Keep on reading to find out about your favorite characters and how this series has launched them into superstardom and significantly increased their net worth.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, $13M
Undoubtedly you will recognize this actor right away as he plays the notorious Jaime Lannister. The actor hails from Denmark and already had a fairly successful acting career before starring on the series.
He was seen in the film Black Hawk Down which was directed by Hollywood heavyweight Ridley Scott, and his co-stars were other very famous actors like Eric Bana and Ewan McGregor. To date, it is estimated that he is worth about $16 million.
Peter Dinklage, $15M
Dinklage has gone by many names throughout the series: Tyrion Lannister, the dwarf, the imp, and most recently the Hand. On the show, he is part of the wealthy Lannister family from King’s Landing and in reality, he is also worth a pretty penny, $15 million to be exact. He got his start in Hollywood with roles in film and television.
In the film Elf, he is quite memorable for coming to fisticuffs with Will Ferrell, and he has had some guest spots on sitcoms and several children’s movies. It was not until Game of Thrones that he was really able to flex his acting chops in a wide array of settings.
Emilia Clarke, $13M
This actress who is known as Daenerys Targaryen on the series and who is the Mother of Dragons plays a critical role throughout each season. But before she was cast as one of the most-known queens of Westeros she was relatively unknown in the acting world.
Since her breakout role on the show she has earned around $13 million and with new film credits to her name as well as future ones, her net worth will most likely increase exponentially. She has tapped into the Star Wars and Terminator franchises. She is quickly racking up the experience outside of her Khaleesi role.
Kit Harington, $12M
Another unknown before his starring role as Jon Snow and now possibly the king of the Iron Throne as his true name has revealed, Harington did not have a lot of experience under his belt. Since the series, he has had a lot of doors opened in the film world and you can see him in Pompeii and hear him as one of the voices in How To Train Your Dragon 2.
With the series drawing to a close we expect him to continue his arc towards movie stardom, as he definitely has the whole brooding warrior character down. His net worth has been listed at around $12 million which seems to be on par with his fellow castmates.
Lena Headey
Out of all of the actors and actresses on this list, Lena Headey is by far one of the most experienced. She has been acting for well over 20 years, primarily in big-budget Hollywood flicks and a few smaller indies. Her role as Cersei Lannister certainly thrust her into the limelight, as she was relatively despised by the audience making her one of the most discussed characters.
But while it may seem like she would have made a substantial amount of money off of movies like 300 and The Purge which she starred in, sadly that was not exactly her reality.
Lena Headey’s Net Worth, $1.1M
Headey had experienced an extremely bad divorce right before she was cast as Cersei which meant that almost all of her money was gone. She desperately needed this job and has been quoted as saying that she actually had $5 to her name at the time.
Seven years have passed, and she is worth around $9 million and with her raking in $1.1 million an episode for Game of Thrones, she should be more than comfortable by the end of the series.
Aidan Gillen, $8M
As the conniving character of Petyr Baelish or ‘Littlefinger,’ Aiden Gillen has been a fan favorite on and off depending on what he got up to. He was rarely up to anything good. He too had a career in television and a few small film roles before he was cast, so he was something of a veteran himself.
In recent years he has shown up in The Maze Runner franchise. He clocks in at being worth about $8 million.
Sophie Turner
Lady Sansa Stark has become a true powerhouse as the series has progressed. No more is she the wary naive girl but truly the Lady of Winterfell. Sophie Turner was actually a child actress but not on screen. She was on stage with the Playbox Theater Company.
She joined the company as a member when she was only 3 years old. This stage experience is what gave her the confidence you see exuding from her portrayal of Sansa now. However, her net worth is something of a tricky subject.
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, $31M
Joe Jonas of The Jonas Brothers, and now group DNCE, is engaged to Sophie Turner and it was in 2017 that they went public with their relationship. He is worth about $25 million and she is worth around $6 million, so when they get married their combined net worth will exceed all of the stars on this list.
As well, Turner was cast as Jean Grey in The X-Men franchise and got her first standalone film this year in X-Men: Dark Phoenix so her net worth is sure to rise.
Alfie Allen, $6M
As the brother of British songstress Lily Allen, Alfie Allen has long been in the glitz and glamour of the acting world. Before he was on Game of Thrones he had some supporting roles in Atonement and The Other Boleyn Girl.
He is worth a nice $6 million like Williams and Turner, and with his role as Theon Greyjoy, he has shown that he is an actor with a lot of depth. It cannot have been easy to play his character when he was known as Reek.
Carice van Houten, $5M
As one of the most mysterious characters on the show, Melisandre or The Red Woman, Carice Van Houten has had to bear it all, mentally and physically. No matter what scene she is in the commands the screen, which harkens back to all of the acts she has done in her native country The Netherlands.
It is estimated that she is worth about $5 million which is very respectable considering she does not share as much screen time as others on the show.
John Bradley, $4M
Everyone’s favorite wannabe Master, Samwell Tarly, is basically as Sam was to Frodo, as this Sam is to Jon Snow. He is the faithful sidekick, and before John Bradley was cast in this very important role he had had a few minor spots on some other television series. Most notably he was in Borgia and Shameless.
He will be in some upcoming films, but to date, he is only worth about $4 million and his career trajectory does not seem to be the same as some of his co-stars.
Isaac Hempstead-Wright, $4M
You might think that this was Isaac Hempstead-Wright’s first role as he was so young when he first began playing Bran Stark, but it was not. It also seemed like he might be a short-lived character when he was pushed out that window, but he has gone on to be one of the most important as the three-eyed raven.
His first role was in the film The Awakening and as of now, he has a net worth of $4 million.
Jacob Anderson
As the head of the Unsullied military group that makes up a large component of Daenerys’ army, Grey Worm is a character who spends a lot of time in the shadows. Jacob Anderson the actor who plays him definitely does not. While he may not have been a known face in North America, he had shown up on the British television scene on more than one occasion and with starring roles.
This meant that he joined the series with some acting clout and he was also known for something else.
A Jack Of All Trades, $3M
In fact, Anderson has starred in three series before his recent stint on the last five seasons of Game of Thrones. He starred in Broadchurch, The Mimic, and Episodes. To top it off, he is also a singer and released his debut album in 2013.
Since then he has continued to release songs and has gathered a large fan base outside of his acting. All in all he worth about $3 million with a lot of room for growth in the coming years.
Jerome Flynn, $3M
At 56-years-old, Jerome Flynn, who plays the character Bronn, first started acting in 1985, in American Playhouse. Mostly known for his role as Paddy Garvey in Soldier Soldier, he joined the Game of Thrones cast from the first season in 2011.
In his earlier years, he took a break from acting and released a song that went straight to the number one spot in the Uk charts. He is estimated to be worth around $3 million.
Joe Dempsie, $1M
Born in Liverpool England Joe Dempsie found fame on a drama series called Skins, where he played Chris Miles. When it came to auditioning for the part of Gendry, Joe thought that he didn’t have a chance, saying “The character breakdown described Gendry as tall and muscular with black hair. I was none of those three at the time.”
“I thought, ‘I could dye my hair and hit the gym, but I can’t stretch my legs!’… My friend is such a big fan of the books that even he didn’t actually approve of my casting as Gendry. But it was a nice little vote of confidence from David and Dan.” His net worth is said to be around $1 million.
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, $2M
Finally, the character of Gregor “The Mountain” Elegance has a set actor. In the first few seasons of Game of Thrones, this was not the case and the actor was changed three times, from Ian Whyte to Conan Stevens, until they found the perfect fit in Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.
The Icelandic strongman currently holds the title of the World’s Strongest Man and he has a net worth of $2 million.
Kristofer Hivju, $3M
Playing the character of Tormund Giantsbane, actor Kristofer Hivju is also a producer and writer. Born in Oslo, Norway, he was a great help to the cast when they were on location in Thailand. He has been playing his role in Games of Thrones since 2013.
Leader of the Wildlings, Hivju has an estimated net worth of $3million.
Jason Momoa, $14M
Jason Momoa played the much-loved Khal Drogo, who went to be Daenerys Targaryen’s partner in the Game of Thrones. Born in Hawaii, Momoa has also found fame as DC Universe’s Aquaman. Married to Lisa Bonet, the once wife of Lenny Kravitz, the pair share two children.
He is always an actor to look smooth and calm, he is known as a producer, director, model, and writer aside from acting. He is worth a whopping $14 million.
Iain Glen, $3M
This acting veteran was already a recognizable face when he was cast as Ser Jorah Mormont, Queen Daenerys’ right-hand man. Hailing from Scotland, Glen had spent a lot of time on British dramas and in the film itself. One of his most recognizable roles being that of the villain in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider with Angelina Jolie.
Since then he has starred in a lot of miniseries, the most recent of which is Mrs. Wilson. His net worth is estimated at $3 million which seems measly for the amount of work he has done.
Gwendoline Christie, $3M
This actress’s height made her a shoo-in for the role of Brienne of Tarth on the series, but it would seem it may have been a bit difficult to procure acting roles before this. At well over 6 feet, just like her character Brienne she has embodied the role almost perfectly.
Since her start in Game of Thrones, she has been cast in The Hunger Games franchise and The Star Wars franchise. To date, she is worth about $3 million but if she continues to work her way through the franchises it will be much more.
Nathalie Emmanuel, $1M
Like her co-star Sophie Turner, Nathalie Emmanuel also began in the theater rather than film. At the age of 10, she got her big break in the stage production of The Lion King and then moved into television work. She was the star for the British series Hollyoaks before moving on to Game of Thrones.
As her career seems to really just be starting within Hollywood she is not worth as much as her co-stars and rings into the tune of $1 million.
Charles Dance, $5M
While his character’s story arc was short-lived, Tywin Lannister was an important character for the time. Charles Dance himself has been acting since the 1970s with his big break being on the show Father Brown.
Since then he has starred in numerous film and television productions such as The Imitation Game and The Phantom of the Opera. With this body of work behind him and more to follow, he is reported to be worth around $5 million.
Iwan Rheon
Possibly one of the most hated characters of all time, Iwan Rheon played Ramsay Bolton in the series where he had to do some very dark and twisted things. Coming off of television shows like Misfits and Grandma’s House this was a real change from the normal kind of characters he had played.
He can be seen in the recent film Berlin, I love you and his estimated wealth is $2 million but he has lots of projects in the works which will affect this.
Natalie Dormer, $6M
As Margaery Tyrell, she had a shorter stint on the series than some, but until her end, she was ruling with an iron fist. Natalie Dormer is no newcomer to the television or movie scene and has starred in The Hunger Games franchise, as well as in the long-running series The Tudors as Anne Boleyn.
With so many acting credits to her name, it is not surprising that her net worth is quite a bit higher than some of the actors on here. She is worth about $6 million.
Rose Leslie, $4M
We also have one of Jon Snow’s lady loves and actor Kit Harington’s real-life wife. That’s right, these two met on set and fell in love. But before she starred as Ygritte the Wildling, she was one of the maids on Downton Abbey which was where she got her start.
Since her character’s death on Game of Thrones, she has focused on making movies like The Last Witch Hunter. Her net worth outside of Kit Harington’s is about $4 million which is not too shabby!
Maisie Williams, $6M
The Girl With No Name also known as Arya Stark and played by Maisie Williams was essentially an unknown entity before her starring role as the young assassin. She has proved in each episode that she has the staying power to carry a starring role, and that has shined through as she has been cast in more films and series.
She is also entering the X-Men family with the upcoming film X-Men: The New Mutants. Like Sophie Turner, she is worth $6 million.
Cold Temperatures
There have been many things happening in the show but what about those that are happening behind the scenes? Although many fans may think that the show’s scenery is created by a special effects team as well as an amazing set, they would be wrong. In fact, season seven was filmed in Iceland. Many of the cast members spoke out about how freezing the temperatures were while they were there.
Kristofer Hivju, the Norwegian actor who plays Tormund Giantsbane grew up in a cold climate and so he helped the production team and advised them on the equipment everyone would need to help them stay warm during filming.
So Many Lines
Tyrion Lannister has had a long list of names throughout the Game of Thrones series. Out of all of the cast members, he has appeared the most since the show began, appearing in almost every episode since 2011. He has been known as the imp, the hand of the king, the dwarf, and others.
With the number of episodes, he has popped up in, he has had to learn an insane amount of lines. Fans have noted that he has truly shown how much of a fantastic actor he is.
A New Name
The world tends to be very easily influenced by the celebrity world, whether it be the real-life versions of people or the character they play in a popular show or movie, and Game of Thrones is no different. Fans loved to watch the love story evolve between Daenerys and Khal Drogo and their marriage sparked a new title for the bride.
Since Daenerys was given the name, “Khaleesi”, it seems many people want to use it to name their own children. Since 2012, around 200 girls have been given the name. Now they are some die-hard fans!
The Real Queen
Game of Thrones has gathered a fan base that reaches far and wide. The show has accessed people from all over the world, of different jobs, ages, and hobbies. The brilliance of the show’s production and storylines have fans hooked. One particular person who wanted some behind-the-scenes details was the Queen of England!
With the sound stage being in Belfast, Ireland, the Queen could not resist a visit. She was shown the famous Iron Throne and reportedly had a great time.
Staying Close
In the show’s first seasons, we saw how important the dire wolves were to the Stark children. When it comes to working with animals, the cast really becomes attached as they have to work and build a strong relationship with them to ensure everything appears as good as it can on screen.
Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark really fell in love with her direwolf, so much so that she went on to adopt her in real life! The pup lives with Sophie and her husband Joe Jonas.
Forever Friends
Throughout the show, fans have seen the difficult relationship between the Lannister siblings. One of the main storylines is how much the pair try to ruin each other, constantly fighting and plotting against one another. However, off-screen, the actors could not be further from their characters.
They have a blossoming friendship to the point where they will try their hardest to rent a shared apartment when they are on location.
Right Decision
When the producers began auditions for the show, it was very important to them that the actors could embody their characters. They didn’t just want a successful show, they wanted characters that fans could believe, connect with and rally around.
Good or evil. Jon Snow has found a place in many people’s hearts, but his character was almost played by Iwan Rheon, who now portrays the sinister Ramsey Bolton.
Disconnecting From Character
Charles Dance displays an amazing portrayal of the dark Lord Tywin and his qualities come to light as he responds to his son, Tyrion Lannister. With both characters always trying to get one over the other, sometimes roles such as these can be hard to play.
After all, these actors have to become the character in all their entirety. Dance is rumored to be one of the nicest people to work with and this was reiterated when he was heard apologizing to Peter Dinklage for how he has to treat in during screen time.
