Royal Resumes: Game of Thrones Cast—Where Are They Now?
The throne melted seven years ago, yet the cultural shadow cast by “Game of Thrones” remains massive. When HBO’s fantasy epic concluded in 2019, fans wondered if its stars could ever escape the defining roles of their careers. Breaking free from iconic roles — let alone dragons, White Walkers, and political backstabbing — is no small feat, but the “Game of Thrones” cast proved remarkably prolific in their post-series careers.
Beyond the Seven Kingdoms, these actors have successfully conquered Hollywood, London’s the West End, and prestige television. From Marvel blockbusters and gritty crime dramas to indie theater and highly anticipated streaming series, the main cast — and some supporting members — royally diversified their careers.
Let’s check out what your favorite Westeros vets have achieved since leaving The Realm behind, and what projects lie ahead for them.
Sean Bean (Ned Stark)
[SPOILER AHEAD — snort!] Remember the shock of Sean Bean’s character, the honorable patriarch Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark, losing his head to the executioner after seeming to be the central character in GoT’s amazing first season. It showed fans the show wasn’t messing around — no character was safe.
After the show, Bean didn’t suffer, career-wise. His portrayal of a conflicted prison officer in the BBC drama “Time” earned Bean widespread critical acclaim and a BAFTA TV Award.
In addition, the actor delivered standout performances in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series “Snowpiercer” on TNT, the intimate BBC miniseries “Marriage,” and the live-action adaptations of the “Knights of the Zodiac” anime. He also lent his iconic voice to the animated feature “Rogue Trooper.”
In 2025, Bean portrayed drug dealer Ronnie Phelan in the BBC series “This City Is Ours.”
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)
Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, is perhaps the most famed Game of Thrones character. In that role, Emilia Clarke — a relative unknown until GoT — captivated global audiences throughout the show’s eight-season run, her dramatic evolution from a magically beautiful exiled princess to a tragic tyrant defining the series.
Clarke deliberately chose roles outside the fantasy genre, on both stage and screen. She appeared in the romantic comedy “Last Christmas,” the critically acclaimed stage production of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series “Secret Invasion,” and the sci-fi indie film “The Pod Generation.”
Most recently, Clarke starred in and executive-produced the spy series “Ponies,” now streaming on Peacock. She has also been an active philanthropist, founding the charity SameYou to advocate for brain injury recovery after she survived two aneurysms.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)
In portraying Jaime Lannister, the cynical Kingslayer, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau took the character from arrogant villain to deeply conflicted antihero — it’s one of “Game of Thrones'” definitive character arcs.
Following the show, the Danish actor co-wrote and starred (as real-life Arctic explorer Ejnar Mikkelsen) in the Netflix survival drama “Against the Ice.”
He also starred alongside Jennifer Garner in the popular Apple TV+ mystery miniseries “The Last Thing He Told Me,” headlined the thriller “The Silencing,” and executive-produced independent content through his production company, Ill Kippers.
Most recently, Coster-Waldau played William the Conqueror in (and executive produced) “King & Conqueror” on BBC One.
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister)
As the brilliant, sharp-witted outcast Tyrion Lannister, Peter Dinklage served as GoT’s moral and intellectual anchor, earning a record-breaking four Primetime Emmy Awards.
Since “Game of Thrones,” Dinklage has cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s most versatile talents. He delivered a critically acclaimed performance in the title role of the musical drama “Cyrano,” written and directed by his wife, Erica Schmidt.
He then stepped into another massive cinematic universe, portraying the cynical, opium-addicted dean Casca Highbottom in the blockbuster prequel “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”
Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon)
Eeeeeeeeewwwwww. Didn’t King Joffrey Baratheon give you the oozing, pulsating ick? Credit a brilliant performance by Irish actor Jack Gleeson, who imbued the role with sadism, petulance, and terrifying tyranny.
After King Joffrey was finally murdered with tainted wine in the fourth season of GoT, Gleeson vanished from the screen for six years. He attended Trinity College Dublin, studying philosophy and theology, and co-founded the Dublin-based Collapsing Horse Theatre Company.
Fortunately for fans, Gleeson has launched a triumphant screen comeback, appearing in the BBC comedy “Out of Her Mind,” playing a quirky hitman in the Liam Neeson action-thriller “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” and guest-starring in “Sex Education.”
The actor also somewhat reprised Joffrey via the mischievous, malevolent hobgoblin Puck in the second season of Netflix’s hit fantasy series “The Sandman.” His most recent appearance was in another Netflix series, last year’s “House of Guinness.”
Kit Harington (Jon Snow)
As Jon Snow, the brooding illegitimate son of Winterfell, turned reluctant King in the North, Kit Harington was the heroic pulse of “Game of Thrones'” eight seasons. But, post-series, Harington has consistently parried his heroic swordsman archetype.
He portrayed history prof Dane Whitman (aka Black Knight) for the MCU film “Eternals” and appeared in the star-studded Apple TV climate anthology “Extrapolations.” Harington also earned critical acclaim as Sir Henry Muck, an entitled green-energy billionaire, in the HBO/BBC drama “Industry.”
Simultaneously, the actor returned to his theatrical roots on the West End, garnering praise for headlining Shakespeare’s “Henry V” and starring in the buzzy London transfer of Jeremy O. Harris’ provocative “Slave Play.”
Harington’s most recent work includes playing Sydney Carton in (and executive producing) the upcoming BBC One miniseries “A Tale of Two Cities” and the Hulu limited series “Count My Lies,” currently in production.
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)
Lena Headey brought chilling nuance, fierce maternal instinct, and calculating malice to the role of Cersei Lannister, the ruthlessly ambitious queen who played the show’s titular game to its bitter end.
Like her GoT co-stars, the five-time Emmy nominee shook up her portfolio after leaving the show. She traded crossbows for firearms in the slick action flick “Gunpowder Milkshake” and delivered a sharp comedic performance as Dorothy Hunt in HBO’s Watergate satire miniseries “White House Plumbers.” Headey also headlined the gritty Netflix Western drama series “The Abandons,” created by Kurt Sutter (“Sons of Anarchy”).
Also an in-demand voice actor, Headey has lent her commanding vocals to animated series like “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.” Additionally, she’s made her feature directorial debut with the short psychological thriller “The Trap.”
More recently, Headey appeared alongside Bob Odenkirk and Henry Winkler in the action-comedy film “Normal.”
Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo)
Jason Momoa stood out as the fierce, towering — and gone too soon — Dothraki warlord, Khal Drogo. His rugged good looks and imposing screen presence launched him straight onto Hollywood’s A-list.
Now Momoa is a cinematic dynamo. He played the lead in DC’s “Aquaman” and its sequel (“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom”), and flashed his sci-fi chops as the heroic Duncan Idaho in Denis Villeneuve’s epic “Dune” and three seasons of Apple TV’s post-apocalyptic drama “See.”
Momoa also stole the show as the eccentric, flamboyant villain Dante Reyes in the high-octane blockbuster “Fast X,” starred in the live-action blockbuster “A Minecraft Movie,” and created the historical drama series “Chief of War.” He also plays bass in the hard-rockin’ power trio ÖOF TATATÁ.
Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark)
In Sophie Turner’s portrayal of Sansa Stark, the character arced from a naive, victimized noblewoman into the steely, brilliant Queen in the North.
After GoT, the actress immediately jumped into major projects, headlining the X-Men blockbuster “Dark Phoenix.” Turner also kept one foot in prestige television as Margaret Ratliff in the acclaimed HBO true-crime miniseries “The Staircase.” She also contributed a hilariously sharp cameo in the hit Netflix dark comedy “Do Revenge.”
Recently, Turner earned glowing reviews for her leading role in the British crime drama series “Joan,” where she portrays real-life 1980s jewel thief and criminal mastermind Joan Hannington. Turner is also set to play Lara Croft in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s live-action “Tomb Raider” TV series for Amazon Prime Video.
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)
Maisie Williams captivated global audiences as Arya Stark, the fresh-faced but fiercely independent noble-girl turned lethal, faceless assassin who ultimately saved Westeros from the Night King.
When “Game of Thrones” ended, Williams leaned into her signature edgy, unconventional style across diverse genres. She explored the superhero realm in “The New Mutants” and flexed her comedic muscles in the dark British thriller series “Two Weeks to Live.” Williams underwent a striking transformation to portray Jordan (Pamela Rooke) in Danny Boyle’s FX miniseries about the Sex Pistols (“Pistol”).
Williams also starred in Apple TV’s historical drama “The New Look,” delivering a powerful performance as Catherine Dior, a courageous French Resistance fighter and sister to fashion icon Christian Dior. Her upcoming projects include Morgan Matthews’ drama film “500 Miles” and “Practical Magic 2,” both of which are in post-production.
“Game of Thrones” cast FAQ
What is the "Game of Thrones" cast doing now?
Following the conclusion of the series, the Game of Thrones cast successfully broke out of the fantasy genre, avoiding typecasting and diversifying across major cinematic universes, West End theater productions, and high-prestige television. Many of the core GoT cast members landed in huge Disney-owned franchises or headlined Marvel blockbusters, while others turned to indie thrillers, historical dramas, and filmmaking.
Who was the highest-paid actor in the "Game of Thrones" cast?
In the battle over who's the highest-paid actor in the "Game of Thrones" cast, there's no battle. It's a five-way tie between Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. For the final two seasons, the show's top-tier stars negotiated salary parity, each pulling in a whopping $1.2 million per episode. Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams, considered secondary leads, received substantial pay bumps for the final season, earning an estimated $175,000 per episode.
Which "Game of Thrones" cast members are in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Several Game of Thrones cast members have successfully traded their fantasy armor for superhero suits in the MCU. The most notable crossover stars include:
- Peter Dinklage: He portrayed Eitri, the giant King of the Dwarves who forged Thor's Stormbreaker axe in "Avengers: Infinity War" from 2018.
- Kit Harington and Richard Madden: The Stark brothers reunited on screen in 2021's "Eternals" as Dane Whitman (Black Knight) and Ikaris.
- Emilia Clarke: The Mother of Dragons joined the MCU as the Skrull rebel G'iah in the 2023 Disney+ series "Secret Invasion."
- Pedro Pascal and Joseph Quinn: Both GoT alumni have entered the official timeline as cast members of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."
Who is the most successful actor from the "Game of Thrones" cast?
While the core GoT cast has enjoyed continuous work, Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell) and Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) — both of whom played characters who died early in the series — have since achieved global box-office success and pop-culture stardom. Momoa became "Aquaman" and starred in "A Minecraft Movie," while Pascal starred in "The Mandalorian," "The Last of Us," and "Gladiator II." Among the main GoT cast, Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) is the most critically decorated, with four Primetime Emmy Awards — a record.
