# Game of Thrones - why so many roles recast? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 1, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624 "2016-05-01T19:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/1 "2016-05-01T19:01:26Z")
In 50 episodes they have had a several roles where they changed actors. Is this more typical of British TV shows? I know it happens on American TV too . The roles recast are : The Mountain , king Tommen, Myrcella\_Baratheon and Beric Dondarrion are the main ones I remember. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/2 "2016-05-01T19:11:35Z")
Funny, I was thinking just the opposite. With the dozens of named characters, it’s amazing that they can keep such a consistent cast. Especially since I’m sure many are presented with more lucrative opportunities as a result of the huge exposure from being on the show. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/3 "2016-05-01T19:13:38Z")
You’re forgetting Dario. I don’t think that it means anything, in particular. It’s just a very big cast, with characters who show up and then aren’t seen for a while, and then show up again and are far more important than they were before, etc. So actors have other commitments, or they suddenly they need an actor capable of carrying a much heavier burden, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/4 "2016-05-01T19:14:15Z")
they can stay on the show and still do other roles . That’s been the case for Dinklage and others. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/5 "2016-05-01T19:14:31Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > In 50 episodes they have had a several roles where they changed actors. Is this more typical of British TV shows? I know it happens on American TV too . > > The roles recast are : The Mountain , king Tommen, Myrcella\_Baratheon and Beric Dondarrion are the main ones I remember. I think its because a lot of characters show up several seasons before they have to actually do anything. So it doesn’t make a lot of sense spending a lot of time finding the write actress for, say, Myrcella in the first season when she isn’t even going to have any lines until literally years in the future. Plus, since the series writers aren’t working from a completed series of books, and Martin’s love of killing off lots of people, its wasn’t even clear for them who they’d need to be regular characters several years down the line. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/6 "2016-05-01T19:21:32Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I think its because a lot of characters show up several seasons before they have to actually do anything. So it doesn’t make a lot of sense spending a lot of time finding the write actress for, say, Myrcella in the first season when she isn’t even going to have any lines until literally years in the future. > > Plus, since the series writers aren’t working from a completed series of books, and Martin’s love of killing off lots of people, its wasn’t even clear for them who they’d need to be regular characters several years down the line. This was the case for Tomnen, Myrcella and Dondarrion. The guy who played the original Daario got handed the lead role in the next Transporter movie and that was too juicy to pass up, just like the first mountain left to play the head orc in the Hobbit movies. I think the second mountain just didn’t work out. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/7 "2016-05-01T19:23:33Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > In 50 episodes they have had a several roles where they changed actors. Is this more typical of British TV shows? I know it happens on American TV too . > > The roles recast are : The Mountain , king Tommen, Myrcella\_Baratheon and Beric Dondarrion are the main ones I remember. As someone pointed out, all these characters either had very minor roles when first introduced, were small children in the case of the Lannister kids, or was just a giant man witt who mostly wore a helmet. The most jarring cast change IMHO was Daario Naharis. He went from looking like a muscle-bound pretty-boy Fabio to a skinny guitarist in an indie rock band. Other than that, I don’t recall too many cast changes. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/8 "2016-05-01T19:25:20Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > they can stay on the show and still do other roles . That’s been the case for Dinklage and others. This depends on a lot of factors. If GoT needs you on set April 15-30, and Side Project 2 needs you on the set March 1-May 31, then you have to pick one or the other and the side project is clearly the larger role overall. The bigger a name an actor is, the more likely they can get the shooting schedule worked around their side projects. Smaller names do their best to avoid conflicts and then make the tough decisions when it can’t be avoided. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/9 "2016-05-01T19:59:49Z")
Tommen was recast in series 5 because the plot called for him to romp in bed with Margery. TPTB on the show realized that the first lad who played Tommen was too young (he was about 14) to be shown enjoying sexy time. So they recast the role with a boy a few years older. I remember reading that one of the showrunners (I think it was Benioff) said that he regretted having to let the younger actor go and that he had performed the role of Tommen capably; the boy simply was below the legal age of consent. It would have been exploitative, not to mention icky, to show the kid in the sack with a naked Natalie Dormer who must be, what, like 30? The Mountain has been played by three different muscle men. I’ve read that the casting directors just kept on replacing the actors until they found one who was sufficiently mountain-like. Number 1 was big, then he was replaced by Number 2 who was even bigger. Finally came Number 3, that stupendously huge Icelander who looks like Obelix, who is the the biggest of the trio. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/10 "2016-05-01T20:27:13Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > who is the the biggest of the trio. He might be the biggest, but he looks like a big cuddly teddy bear. [Ian Whyte](http://www.theironthrone.it/it/images/stories/attori/gregor2.jpg) and [Conan Stevens](http://media.carddit.com/a/tJ4zqkBs4.jpg) both looked like they would eat your pets after murdering your family. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/11 "2016-05-01T21:03:14Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > He might be the biggest, but he looks like a big cuddly teddy bear. A teddy bear zombie … interesting concept. That Conan guy is aptly-named, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/12 "2016-05-01T21:18:00Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > The Mountain has been played by three different muscle men. I’ve read that the casting directors just kept on replacing the actors until they found one who was sufficiently mountain-like. Number 1 was big, then he was replaced by Number 2 who was even bigger. Finally came Number 3, that stupendously huge Icelander who looks like Obelix, who is the the biggest of the trio. The current guy is the shortest of the three. I think Conan Stevens looked the part the most and Ian Whyte the least, but that’s not a casting that really matters that much as long as the guy’s huge. I was most surprised by the Myrcella recast. It’s not like the new girl had much of anything to do, and there was no scheduling conflict. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/13 "2016-05-01T21:23:20Z")
There appear to be [nine recast roles](http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Recast_Characters) in GoT, which doesn’t seem like many to me with such a huge cast over six seasons. (I don’t know why Josh Stillwood is on the list, since he is played by an unidentified extra.) The only recast role where the original actor had a substantial number of lines and was recognizable has been Daario Naharis. Other roles were brief and/or the actor had his face hidden. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/14 "2016-05-01T21:37:36Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I was most surprised by the Myrcella recast. It’s not like the new girl had much of anything to do, and there was no scheduling conflict. I never paid much attention to Myrcella and, frankly, until I stumbled into this thread I hadn’t noticed that the part had been recast. Is the second Myrcella actress older than the first? Maybe, if they _have_ cast an older actress (and I’m just guessing here) it’s because the storyline requires her to acknowledge that uncle = daddy then going “Arrgh!” and succumbing to poison. Incest plus murder is pretty heavy stuff and maybe the showrunners thought the material was inappropriate for a very young performer Anybody else have a theory? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/15 "2016-05-01T21:58:54Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > I never paid much attention to Myrcella and, frankly, until I stumbled into this thread I hadn’t noticed that the part had been recast. Is the second Myrcella actress older than the first? > > Maybe, if they _have_ cast an older actress (and I’m just guessing here) it’s because the storyline requires her to acknowledge that uncle = daddy then going “Arrgh!” and succumbing to poison. Incest plus murder is pretty heavy stuff and maybe the showrunners thought the material was inappropriate for a very young performer > > Anybody else have a theory? Actually Aimee Richardson, the first Myrcella, was born December 29, 1997, and at 18 is older than than Nell Tiger Free, who was born 13 October 1999 and is 16. Richardson’s response to being recast was [pretty hilarious.](https://vine.co/v/M0LJpJpgQ3I) ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/16 "2016-05-01T22:03:51Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > I never paid much attention to Myrcella and, frankly, until I stumbled into this thread I hadn’t noticed that the part had been recast. Is the second Myrcella actress older than the first? > > Maybe, if they _have_ cast an older actress (and I’m just guessing here) it’s because the storyline requires her to acknowledge that uncle = daddy then going “Arrgh!” and succumbing to poison. Incest plus murder is pretty heavy stuff and maybe the showrunners thought the material was inappropriate for a very young performer > > Anybody else have a theory? They actually recast her to a younger actress. ---
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/17 "2016-05-01T22:05:27Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Actually Aimee Richardson, the first Myrcella, was born December 29, 1997, and at 18 is older than than Nell Tiger Free, who was born 13 October 1999 and is 16. > > Richardson’s response to being recast was [pretty hilarious.](https://vine.co/v/M0LJpJpgQ3I) Thank you, **Colibri** , for providing the facts and for the vine. That’s funny! 😃 BTW, **Colibri** , do you get HBO in Panama? Is GoT dubbed in Spanish? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/18 "2016-05-01T22:11:25Z")
In the cases of Myrcella and Tommen, it could be that the original performers weren’t very good actors. They were basically window dressing in the early seasons. Interestingly, the actor who currently plays Tommen also had a bit part in season three, as a Lannister who gets kidnapped & murdered by the Starks. It could be that the producers were impressed enough with his performance to offer him a larger role – something that happened on _The Sopranos_ at least twice. Speaking of _The Sopranos_, it’s interesting that very few roles were recast on that show. The only one of any substance was Agent Deborah Ciccerone-Waldrup, originally played by Fairuza Balk in season 3, but replaced in season 4 onward by Lola Glaudini (who also re-filmed Fairuza’s scenes for repeat airings.) There were also two roles (Irina Peltsin and Father Phil Intintola) played by different actors in the pilot episode, but that probably shouldn’t count. (GoT also did some recasting after the original, unaired pilot – specifically Daenerys Targaryen and Catelyn Stark.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/19 "2016-05-01T22:15:47Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > BTW, **Colibri** , do you get HBO in Panama? Is GoT dubbed in Spanish? I get HBO on my local cable service. There are several channels, one of which has GoT in English while the other one is I believe dubbed in Spanish. I’ve just started watching it on HBO this season, however, since I didn’t watch it from the beginning and have had to catch up via DVDs. I just caught up to the season 5 finale a week before season 6 started. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624/20 "2016-05-01T22:25:26Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > In the cases of Myrcella and Tommen, it could be that the original performers weren’t very good actors. In the first season, Myrcella was basically just a placeholder. The producers however decided that Richardson was such a good actor that she was cast for the second season. It’s not really clear why Myrcella was recast. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-why-so-many-roles-recast/753624.md?page=2)