Game of Thrones actors then and now: Child stars of megahit show unrecognisable

They achieved global renown through the juggernaut success of one of the biggest TV shows of all time. You wouldn’t recognise them now.

Game of Thrones, one of the biggest shows in television history first hit our screens 15 years ago and remains one of the greatest shows to ever grace the small screen. But after production ended in 2019, the cast have gone their separate ways. So where are they all now?

Emilia Clarke, aka Daenerys Targaryen aka The Mother of Dragons, was arguably the biggest star of the show with the actress becoming everyone’s favourite character and an outfit you were almost guaranteed to see every Halloween

She rose from being an overlooked family member at the start of the series to taking down King’s Landing … we won’t talk about the end to the show. But behind her character arc, she was hiding a big secret.

Around the time season 1 of the hit show was wrapping up, Clarke said she suffered severe headaches that came on suddenly during a workout in February 2011. It was ultimately revealed that the Brit had suffered a brain aneurysm.

Clarke was rushed to hospital but kept her condition under wraps from HBO and her castmates. She ended up spending five weeks in hospital and it took her two weeks before she was able to speak again. But she wasn’t out of the woods, suffering yet another aneurysm in 2013 which led to emergency open-skull surgery and parts of her skull being replaced with titanium. 

In an interview on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, Clarke thought her time had come. “I was just convinced that I had cheated death and I was meant to die,” she said. 

Thankfully not only was she able to return to the show, she delivered a performance that may never be forgotten. Since walking away from the throne, Clarke has appeared in a vast array of shows and movies with her latest venture being the lead in spy fiction series Ponies. 

Alongside Clarke as the biggest character from Game of Thrones was Kit Harrington who played Jon Snow, aka the man who knew nothing. In a rather striking storyline, he went from being the outcast family member to the King in the North. 

He became a much loved figured around the globe with his character portrayal and the bond between he and Clarke remains as strong as ever with the 39-year-old soaking up the festivities at her recent birthday bash. 

Since his time in Westeros came to an end, Harrington has appeared in multiple shows and movies while also becoming a father. He and wife Rose Leslie now have two kids. If Rose looks familiar, it’s because the pair met on the set of Game of Thrones.

Rose portrayed Ygritte who was a member of the wildlings and appeared on the show from season 2 through season 4. The pair met on the set of the show before they tied the knot in Scotland in June 2018.

Since her time on GoT came to an end, Rose has starred as Gwen Dawson in Downton Abbey, Maia Rindell in The Good Fight, and Clare Abshire in The Time Traveler’s Wife 

On the other side of the GoT coin was Lena Headey who portrayed matriarch Cersei Lannister and ruled King’s Landing with an iron fist. Her villainous character drew widespread hatred among the masses. Image: Binge/HBO.

In a recent outing at the 2026 New York Comic Con, Headey looked almost unrecognisable from her iconic time as the ruler of the Iron Throne. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for ReedPop)

Sticking with the Lannister family and arguably one of the most hated characters in TV history was Joffrey Baratheon, portrayed by actor Jack Gleeson. His role drew so much backlash that Gleeson disappeared from the screen. 

Gleeson’s time on Game of Thrones ended in 2014 and it wasn’t until 2023 that he returned to acting. Rumours swirled that the hatred he received was the cause, but he put those rumours to bed. “I can say thankfully, it wasn’t because I received any sort of abuse from anybody,” he said. Gleeson is currently appearing in House of Guiness. 

Turning to another character who falls into the category of the most hated from the show we have Olly who was played by 14-year-old Brenock O’Connor. Disdain for him inspired a ‘F*** Olly’ subreddit along with a never ending stream of backlash towards the then teen. Even in his hometown he couldn’t escape the hatred with comments on posts of spotting him around town being riddled with: “should’ve shanked him”, “should’ve stabbed him” and “should have slit his throat”. My god people, it’s just a TV show… Image: Supplied.

Speaking four years after the season five finale, O’Connor told Huffington Post in 2019: “I used to have a Vespa, a little 50cc scooter, and I was driving it around the day after I got it. I parked it up in town and one of my mates sent me a screenshot of this Facebook post, and it was, ‘Just seen that c**t Olly from ‘Game of Thrones’ driving on his scooter. He looked at me as if to say ’Yeah, it’s me. For f**k’s sake don’t look at me.’ And the comments from people in my hometown, people who I would pass in the street… I was like, I’m 16. I literally just turned 16. This is not okay.” Picture: HBO

Now 26, He now lives a very different life as a musician who plays under the name McGovern and looks completely unrecognisable from the youngster who not only shot and killed Ygritte, but also helped lead the mutiny and assassination of Jon Snow. He’s also still acting and was in all 24 episodes of the show Alex Rider as the titular protagonist’s best friend from school.

Okay now back to the Lannister lineage here with Peter Dinklage who played Tyrion Lannister. Yet another outcast family member who ultimately joined the other side and became Daenerys’ right hand man