As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms arrives, here are 23 Game of Thrones stars with surprising pasts

You probably recognize her as the intimidating but ultimately friendly girl from Nicholas Hoult’s school days. She also famously played Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter movies.

So, before he was Khal Drogo or Aquaman, Jason Momoa had a pretty interesting life! He actually studied Buddhism in Tibet and even took pastel drawing classes in Paris – talk about a Renaissance man! He also did some modeling and was on Baywatch Hawaii. After that, he really started focusing on fitness and bulked up, which obviously paid off!

Peter Dinklage is now a major movie star, known for his role in X-Men: Days of Future Past, but he first gained widespread recognition as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. Before that, he impressed audiences with appearances on the cable drama Nip/Tuck and in both the British and American versions of the comedy Death at a Funeral. Many also remember his funny performance as Miles Finch in the holiday classic Elf, where he had a memorable and heated encounter with Will Ferrell’s Buddy.

Lena Headey was already known for playing strong female leaders before her role as Cersei in Game of Thrones. In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008-2009), she skillfully took over the iconic role previously played by Linda Hamilton, earning a dedicated fanbase. Before these parts, Headey appeared in critically acclaimed films like the eight-time Oscar nominee The Remains of the Day (1993) and the action-packed hit 300 (2007), establishing herself as a talented film actress.

Michiel Huisman, known for his charming role as Daario Naharis in Game of Thrones, wasn’t always a heartthrob. Before acting, he was a popular musician in the early 2000s, fronting the band Fontane and later performing as a solo artist – he was something of a Dutch version of Gary Barlow. You can check out the music video for Fontane’s 2002 song ‘Slapeloos’ here, and it might just change how you see Daario forever!

Kristian Nairn, best known as the actor who played Hodor, is also a DJ! When his character wasn’t needed for a season of Game of Thrones, Nairn took the opportunity to tour Australia, playing house music inspired by the show. He cleverly named his tour ‘Rave of Thrones’, promising fans ‘the deepest house [music] from all seven kingdoms’.

Before becoming famous for his role in HBO’s popular fantasy series, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau had already built up an extensive and somewhat unexpected career, working in the UK, the US, and Denmark.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, famous for his role as Jaime Lannister in Game of Thrones, has a surprisingly extensive early career. While many remember his roles in films like Wimbledon (2004) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005), few realize he also appeared in two episodes of the short-lived British series Lock, Stock…. Before Game of Thrones brought him success, Coster-Waldau struggled with television; his supernatural drama New Amsterdam was cancelled by Fox in 2008 after only eight episodes.

Before facing a terrible fate at the hands of Ramsay Bolton, actor Alfie Allen – who played Theon Greyjoy – had a memorable stage role. He took over from Daniel Radcliffe in the play Equus, known for its nudity and scenes involving horses. Allen didn’t seem worried about being exposed, perhaps because he’d previously appeared in the family film Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London back in 2004. Later, his role in John Wick proved to be a more fitting choice after his appearance on Game of Thrones.

Although Jack Gleeson is best known for playing the villainous Joffrey and has since stepped away from acting, he’s had a surprisingly varied career. Beyond his infamous role in Game of Thrones, he actually appeared in two Batman films!

Man, I totally remember seeing Brendan Gleeson in Batman Begins! It was a small part – he played this kid Rachel Dawes, Katie Holmes’ character, saves. It’s funny, I’d first seen him a few years earlier in Reign of Fire with Christian Bale, and didn’t even realize it was the same guy at the time!

Shae spent four seasons as a source of comfort for Tyrion, but ultimately betrayed him during his trial.

Sibel Kekilli is a highly accomplished actress, having received two Lola Awards – Germany’s equivalent of the Oscars – for her work in film. Before achieving mainstream recognition, she also appeared in adult films under a pseudonym. A quick online search might turn up those earlier works, so be aware they contain mature content.

Many fans recognize Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger from Game of Thrones, known for his shifting accent. He also played the ambitious politician Tommy Carcetti in HBO’s The Wire, and had an early role in Russell T Davies’ Queer as Folk. However, it’s less well-known that Gillen also hosted Ireland’s music show Other Voices with Huw Stephens. The combination of the cunning Littlefinger and an energetic DJ feels like something out of a Saturday Night Live sketch, but it really happened!

Many fans of Michelle Fairley know her as Catelyn Stark from Game of Thrones, but she also appeared in the Harry Potter films. In 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, she played Hermione Granger’s mother. She took over the role from Heather Bleasdale, who originally played Hermione’s mother in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets eight years prior.

I’ve been a fan of Natalie Dormer for ages! She really broke out with her amazing work on Game of Thrones, and then she was fantastic as Cressida in the Hunger Games movies. But it’s so cool to realize she was actually in Captain America: The First Avenger a while back! Looking back, her character, Pvt. Lorraine, who clearly had a thing for Steve Rogers, feels like a great stepping stone to how perfectly she played Margaery Tyrell. It’s fun to see how her roles have built on each other!

You might already be aware that the actor who plays the frightening Hound also played a strong character named Michael “Lurch” Armstrong – a supermarket worker – in the 2007 comedy film Hot Fuzz.

Rory McCann isn’t just known for playing tough characters. He also showed his range by portraying the kind and gentle Kenny McLeod in the BAFTA-winning Channel 4 comedy-drama, The Book Group, which aired from 2002 to 2003.

He was also the face (and other things) of Scott’s Porage Oats.

It’s already well-known that the Night King orchestrated the brutal attack on Hardhome, but did you know he also killed Batman’s parents? It’s easy to miss that Richard Brake, who originally played the Night King (before Vladimir Furdik took over), also played the gunman, Joe Chill, in the 2005 film Batman Begins. Maybe his cold and ruthless portrayal should have been a hint!

It’s surprising to many, even devoted Game of Thrones viewers, that the tough character Bronn actually released two albums that topped the UK charts.

I first discovered Jerome Flynn as a serious actor in the ITV drama Soldier, Soldier – he was brilliant! But what a surprise when I found out he and Robson Green actually formed a musical duo afterwards! And get this – Simon Cowell helped launch their pop career! It was a totally unexpected turn, but they actually had some hits, which was pretty cool.

In 1995, Robson and Jerome’s version of ‘Unchained Melody’ was the biggest-selling single in the UK, staying at number one for seven weeks. They went on to release two more chart-topping hits – a remarkable achievement for a duo who initially found fame through a television drama.

Before I knew him as Loras Tyrell from Game of Thrones, Finn Jones was actually part of my childhood! I totally forgot, but he played Santiago Jones – Jo Grant’s grandson – in a couple of episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures way back in 2010. It was cool to see a familiar face pop up later as Marvel’s Iron Fist, though! It’s funny how you remember actors from different roles.

I’ve been a fan of Liam Cunningham for ages, and it’s amazing how much he’s been in! Before he was Ser Davos in Game of Thrones, he was popping up everywhere. I remember him in a couple of cool TV shows like Cracker and Outcasts. But he really impressed me as this tough, posh Captain Ryan in the horror movie Dog Soldiers – it was way before his Game of Thrones days! And if you go back even further, he was actually two characters in the 1995 film A Little Princess – Captain Crewe and Prince Rama! He’s seriously versatile.

He also acted in the 1996 film Jude alongside Christopher Eccleston, who was considered for the role of Stannis Baratheon – the character who later became Seaworth’s superior and was eventually played by Stephen Dillane.

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is known for his imposing role as Gregor ‘The Mountain’ Clegane, and for good reason – he’s a massive 6’9″ and weighs 400 pounds! But beyond acting, Björnsson is an incredibly accomplished strongman, having been named Iceland’s Strongest Man three times in a row and finishing second in the World’s Strongest Man competition last year. Before focusing on strongman competitions, he was also a professional basketball player in Iceland until an injury ended his athletic career. It’s safe to say opposing players probably weren’t eager to go up against him on the court!

Interestingly, Ian Whyte – known for playing both Clegane and the giant Wun Wun in Game of Thrones – actually started his film career in 2004 as the Predator in AVP: Alien vs. Predator. He might not advertise that role too much, though!

Nathalie Emmanuel is well-known for her role as a close confidante to Daenerys in Game of Thrones, but she started her career on the British soap Hollyoaks. She played Sasha Valentine, a character dealing with drug addiction, for nearly 200 episodes between 2007 and 2010, and Sasha was involved in some intense storylines including violence, prostitution, and alcohol abuse. Before that, and showing her range as an actress, Emmanuel tackled difficult topics in the BBC Three documentary Websex: What’s the Harm? and, as a young child, performed as Young Nala in the West End production of The Lion King.