It’s hard to believe that the final season of Game of Thrones is just around the corner. It seems like some of the cast members from the show feel even more stunned that the show is coming to an end. Many of these cast members have spoken to the press about their feelings as they promote the upcoming show ending. Within these interviews, the cast has expressed deep gratitude for their time on the show, as well as a joy at the result of the fruits of their labor. Oddly, not every single actor on the series feels as good about as we do. Some feel like their time was wasted while shooting Game of Thrones. Additionally, some actors are less than pleased with the show’s content and therefore have chosen to speak out against it. This may not be uncommon for some of the show’s critics to do, but it is surprising coming from one of the series’ performers.
However, these people are few and far between. The vast majority of the cast, as well as the crew, have expressed gratitude for their years on the show as well as an extreme excitement for the upcoming and final season. How could they not? The series is one of the most complex, engaging, full-on, and exciting of all time. As readers will see, some of the cast rank this series up with all-time greats such as Breaking Bad and The Sopranos. And, with time, they may be proven right.
Here are 3 Actors Who Regretted Being On Game Of Thrones (And 17 Who Adored It).
Adored It: Iain Glen - Jorah
In an interview with Indian Express, Jorah Mormont himself, aka Iain Glen, spoke about his feelings regarding the show’s upcoming finale. He expressed incredible gratitude for his time being on the show as well as working with the cast. When he was asked about the show’s ending, he went into detail saying that it may not please every single fan as it makes some bold choices. He also admitted to being a dedicated Game of Thrones fan himself and said that he thought that the upcoming ending is “rather brilliant.”
This is high praise coming from someone who has been pretty consistently vocal about loving the opportunity of being on one of the greatest shows of all time.
Adored It: Sophie Turner - Sansa
If you’ve seen practically any interview with Sophie Turner, you’d know that the young woman is a major Game of Thrones fan and loves being on the show. She knows full well that she owes the start of her career to this beloved series. She is also quite vocal about her relationship with the cast that she’s been working with for most of her adolescent life.
She even told Elite Dailythat she enjoys the fans speculating what her wardrobe and hair choices off-camera truly mean. Not long afterward, Turner showed off a tattoo she got honoring House Stark. Someone who gets a tattoo of a show is clearly a fan of it and grateful for their experience on it.
Adored It: Peter Dinklage - Tyrion
Peter Dinklage is another actor who is grateful for his time on Game of Thrones. He’s often spoken about how lucky he feels to have been given a complex role in a fantasy series that didn’t make a man of his size into a stereotype. Originally, he was concerned about the role but was quickly relieved to find out that Tyrion would be handled with incredible care.
Recently, Dinklage spoke to Variety about the upcoming finale. He said, “It’s bittersweet when it’s time to move on with everything. It’s always the sad part of our business because you get pockets of great people for short amounts of time and then you have to move on and it’s always heartbreaking. Especially when you’ve spent more than a couple months with people."
Adored It: Emilia Clarke - Daenerys
Global News wrote a story on Emilia Clarke’s emotional farewell to Game of Thrones. They explained that the actor wrote a public message stating that she had finished the show and she was in tears because of it. Of course, she went on to say how grateful she has been for Game of Thrones as well as how much everyone she’s worked with means to her. She said that the set had been her “home away from home” for the past nine years of her life. She then admitted that she would “never stop missing” the people she has worked with.
It’s clear that Queen Dany herself is one major Game of Thrones fan but, more importantly, she is utterly thrilled to have been part of such a monumental series.
Adored It: Jerome Flynn - Bronn
Jerome Flynn has undoubtedly loved his experience on Game of Thrones. He has always been an advocate of the show, even when he was facing criticism for his battle with Dany’s dragon. He went on to say, “Since the day the battle aired, I’ve been a little unpopular, I have to say. My postman won’t speak to me because I shot the dragon.”
Regarding the show’s end, he said, “I get a bit weepy thinking about it. It’s going to be a strange year. Saying goodbye to everyone, having your last scene with this person or having your last scene with that person. Not only you’re attached to it, loads of people around the world are attached to it.”
Regretted: Stephen Dillane - Stannis
One of the most notables actor who has regretted their time on Game of Thrones is Stephen Dillane who played Stannis Baratheon. The actor told The Times that he was happy to be relieved from his duties on the show.
He went on to say, “Liam Cunningham [who plays Ser Davos Seaworth, Stannis’ right-hand man] is so passionate about the show. He invests in it in a way I think is quite moving, but it wasn’t my experience. I was entirely dependent on Liam to tell me what the scenes were about — I didn’t know what I was doing until we’d finished filming and it was too late. The damage had been done. I thought no one would believe in me and I was rather disheartened by the end. I felt I’d built the castle on non-existent foundations.”
Adored It: Maisie Williams - Arya
Maisie Williams is another member of the Game of Thrones team who absolutely loved her time on the show. She’s been quite vocal about this ever since she started to appear on talk shows and do press. In particular, her love for her co-stars, like Sophie Turner who “lifts her up”, is noteworthy. Perhaps nothing captures her love for Game of Thrones better than the way she said goodbye to the show. Not unlike other cast members, Williams shared her “goodbye” via an image on social media.
Although her photo was revealing, the caption was more descriptive of her love for the show. She wrote, “Goodbye Belfast. Goodbye Arya. Goodbye Game of Thrones. What a joy I’ve had. Here’s to the adventures to come.”
Adored It: Sean Bean - Ned
Sean Bean’s Ned Stark may have met his end in the ninth episode of the very first season of Game of Thrones, but that doesn’t mean that he has lost his love for the show. In fact, The Lord of the Rings alumni has a deep affection for the show and his time on it.
When asked about his early departure from the show, Bean stated, “It was a memorable event — a bit of a shock. I’m proud of all that, though. It’s great to be part of a phenomena, establish this character and then he’s there forever.” He then went on to say that he still watches the show and believes that Arya is the one who capable of making until the very end.
Adored It: Nathalie Emmanuel - Missandei
During an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Missandei actor Nathalie Emmanuel spoke about how she first heard about Game of Thrones and how it became one of the most impactful aspects of her life. Although she was intimidated to join the cast, she’s very grateful for it. She stated, “It’s been an incredible experience for me professionally. It’s really opened up so many doors because people just love the show.”
In a somewhat reflective post that she posted on social media, Emmanuel said, “When you see the sunrise over Belfast with the people who, over the last 6 years, have become family… in a city that now feels like home. A new day marks new beginnings. Ain’t that the truth… Love you all, you crazy kids."
Regretted: Jonathan Pryce - High Sparrow
Pirates of the Caribbean alumni Jonathan Pryce has gone down as one of the few actors who didn’t really enjoy his experience on Game of Thrones nor the show itself. However, that’s not to say that he didn’t have some interesting to say about it. He was interested to see that some thought The High Sparrow was a villain, as he himself saw him as someone who was trying to save society.
This analysis doesn’t cancel other statements Pryce has made about his time on the show. He said that the show never appealed to him as he never liked the genre. He even passed on the role the first time around. Ultimately, more money reportedly changed his mind, as well as a juicier role.
Adored It: Gwendoline Christie - Brienne
Gwendoline Christie has been vocal about her experience on Game of Thrones. Ever since she was cast as Brienne of Tarth, she’s been ecstatic to be part of the show. Just think back to when she was describing her battle with The Hound and how much she enjoyed taking off his ear.
Christie also reflected on when she was first presented with the part: “I know how generic it sounds but it just was, in every sense of the word, incredible that that part should come along, made for me in a way that none of my friends would’ve identified for a second,” she said. “I had to cut my hair, change my body, strip off my make-up. This is not the person I have presented to the world at all.”
Adored It: Aiden Gillen - Littlefinger
Due to the fact that Littlefinger finally met his end at the hands of Arya and Sansa Stark at the end of the last season, Aiden Gillen has not been privy to the final Game of Thrones scripts. Therefore, he said in an interview that he has no idea how it’ll conclude. He continued to describe the finale, “I’ll be excited to watch it as an audience member.” He says that he loved the show so much that he occasionally slips into his old Littlefinger costumes.
Gillen claims that he’s grateful to have been part of the show. He said, “It’s pretty fascinating. The fact that I was actually part of it for a number of years is kind of mind blowing, as a big player in George Martin’s fantastic world.”
Adored It: Jason Mamoa - Drogo
Jason Momoa isn’t one to miss an opportunity to celebrate Game of Thrones. Just recently, he took the time to attend the wrap party for the final season (as well as the series) in Ireland. This is especially special since his character was only in the first season, excluding a small cameo at the end of season two.
Mamoa knows that he owes much of his Aquaman success to his time as the beloved Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. The star had this to say: “I’m so grateful to be apart of the greatest show on earth. I’m honored to be able to come to Ireland and celebrate with my friends. I’m just here for kisses and hugs.”
Adored It: Iwan Rheon - Ramsay
Almost every single fan was totally thrilled to see Ramsay Bolton finally meet his end at the hands of Sansa Stark and a pack of rabid dogs. After all, Ramsay was arguably one of the most evil characters ever written for television or film. Even the actor who played the dastardly Northerner, Iwan Rheon, agreed that Ramsay deserved what he got and so much more. That doesn’t mean he was happy about leaving the show, though.
In fact, Rheon seems to have adored his time on the show and is very proud of what he helped to create. He continued by saying, I’ve had four lovely seasons here. It’s been great to be involved with such an amazing show."
Adored It: Carice van Houten - Melisandre
We’re still waiting to see how the Red Priestess, Melisandre, will return to Game of Thrones and what she will do when she arrives. There’s just no way that the writers would write her out after her cliffhanger appearance near the beginning of the last season
. Besides, actor Carice van Houten is just too grateful to the show not to give her some sort of conclusion. Many times she’s spoken about how lucky she’s been to have had such a juicy part with tons of “crazy scenes.” She then talked about how challenging but ultimately rewarding that famous Shireen scene. Frankly, the actor just seems to love the show and her time on it.
Adored It: Natalie Dormer - Margaery
There’s not much clearer sign that an actor adores Game of Thrones than one who is still unhappy about being offed. This is the case for Margaery Tyrell’s Natalie Dormer. In an interview, the English actor described the feeling of watching the latest season of the show that continued on without her. She said, “Just looking at how gorgeous High Garden was — and when the High Garden soldiers were all [gone] on the floor I felt, you know, protective. It was so stupid. It was that little bit of Margaery that’s still in the back of my brain.”
She went on to say that though her character, and the rest of the Tyrells, are gone from the show, they continue to live on in the roses of Westeros.
Adored It: Lena Headey - Cersei
In a video interview with Mashable, actor Lena Headey spoke about her experience at the table read for the upcoming final season of Game of Thrones. While she told the interviewer that everybody cried at some point, she expressed just how grateful she was for the opportunity to play Cersei Lannister, a character who is undoubtedly one of the most complex villains in modern television history.
Headey claimed that the show changed her life in “spectacular ways” and generally seemed to feel that it all coming to an end was bittersweet. Of course, it was a tremendous undertaking and a ton of work, but it also provided her with a juicy role, a hefty paycheck, and an assortment of new friends and colleagues whom she adores.
Adored It: Pedro Pascal - Oberyn
Can you think of an actor on Game of Thrones who made as much of an impression on the show in only a couple of episodes as Pedro Pascal? Well, it’s clear that the show made the same sort of impression on him. Not only is he thankful for his experience on the show, but he also appreciates the impact his role has had. In an interview, he stated, “I do feel like Oberyn brought some sort of, like, cultural of representation to fantasy land that resonated not just for Latin America, but for many nonwhite people, amongst many nonwhite cultures.”
He went on to say that he actively watches the show and texts the show creators while he does in order to share his support.
Regretted: Jack Gleeson - Joffrey
Perhaps the most disappointing example of an actor who didn’t enjoy their time on Thrones is Joffrey’s Jack Gleeson. After his evil character was offed, Gleeson said he was retiring from acting as he didn’t like the lifestyle nor the celebrity status that came with his famously disliked role.
His unhappiness with Game of Thrones comes from a moral place as well. Gleeson said in an interview that he doesn’t like how the show treats women. He said that it does all of these bad things to women and doesn’t ever come out and say that they’re bad even, if they’re accurate to the time period that the show is reflecting. He’s stated that he no longer watches the show but hears about what happens on it.
Adored It: Kit Harington - Jon
In an interview back in October, Kit Harington talked about how grateful he is to have been part of GOT. He said, “I cried at the end! It wasn’t anything particular that happens. You have to remember, I’ve done eight years of it. I think, no one really cares about [Game of Thrones] more than us…”
Additionally, Harington also met his wife, Rose Leslie, while working on the show. He told GQ Australia, “A lot of people meet their other halves at work. Our work just happened to be this iconic TV show… it dawned on me, recently, and I have no idea if we will, but say me and Rose do have children, they’ll know. They’ll be able to see the genesis of their parents getting together. Which is quite a wonderful thought, really.”
Which actor do you think loved being on Game of Thronesthe most? Let us know in the comments below!
