There was a time when Game of Thrones dominated the entirety of pop culture. Despite its controversial final season, the series remains the gold standard of television, featuring some of the most impressive setpieces ever seen on TV. Some of the show’s alumni are among Hollywood’s most well-renowned personalities these days. Every actor wanted to be part of Westeros. Well, almost every actor, as these 10 celebrities prove that not everyone was so enchanted by HBO’s epic (and spicy) medieval drama. These 10 actors turned down Game of Thrones for surprising reasons.
10. Lily Allen
Lily Allen wasn’t thrilled by the idea of sharing the screen with her brother, Alfie Allen, who plays the part of Theon Greyjoy. She refused to join the cast once she was briefed on Yara’s “intimate” horseback ride scene with Theon.
9. Brian Cox
Cox had a very good reason to skip playing Robert Baratheon: money. In Game of Thrones Season 1, salaries weren’t as attractive for seasoned actors like Cox, especially for a character who spends half of his appearances on the show agonizing in bed.
8. Izzy Meikle-Small
The earlier seasons of Game of Thrones relied a bit too heavily on nudity and sex scenes, a fact that kept actresses like Izzy Meikle-Small away from the show. She was one of the final contenders for the role of Sansa Stark, but she wasn’t a fan of the character’s arc.
7. Mark Strong
While he’s kept the role he was going to play heavily under wraps, fans speculate that Mark Strong was a contender for the role of Stannis Baratheon, before the show’s producers went with Stephen Dillane instead.
6. Gillian Anderson
Anderson refused a major part in the show (likely Cersei Lannister) due to GoT’s restrictive filming schedule that would keep her away from her three children.
5. Tamzin Merchant
Before Emilia Clarke, The Tudors’ Tamzin Merchant played the role of Daenerys in the series’ pilot. Unfortunately for her, the showrunners wanted a different approach to the character.
4. Dominic West
Game of Thrones had an infamously punishing filming schedule, with some actors present on-set for upwards of twelve hours at a time. In the case of Dominic West, this was enough to keep him well away from Westeros.
3. Jennifer Ehle
Another veteran from the show’s pilot, Ehle played the original Catelyn Stark, but had to refuse the role to spend more time with her newborn once production started on Season 1.
2. Charlie Hunnam
Hunnam was just about to have a cameo as Rhaegar Targaryen, but his obligations with King Arthur: Legend of the Sword kept him away from the show. He’s still open to collaborating, so we might see him someday in House of the Dragon.
1. Mahershala Ali
Scheduled to play the flamboyant Xaro Xhoan Daxos in Season 2, Maheshala Ali stormed out of his audition because all he had to work with was a backless stool that messed with his acting style. Ali frequently jokes that a chair cost him his role in the GoT universe.
