By Jessica Wedemeyer
6:54am PDT, Aug 22, 2022
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Can you believe it's been 11 years since "Game of Thrones" debuted on HBO on April 17, 2011?! The fantasy-drama show — which is based on George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" book series — quickly became an international hit, shooting its stars into the spotlight. It ended in 2019 but spawned a prequel series — "House of the Dragon" — that premieres on HBO on Aug. 21, 2022. To celebrate, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at what the cast of the original "GoT" is up to now…
Keep reading to catch up with Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams and more…
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Scottish actor Richard Madden has done a lot since leaving "Game of Thrones." He's starred in everything from Disney's live-action "Cinderella" film as Prince Kit to the drama series "Medici" to the Netflix rom-com "Ibiza." He then won a Golden Globe for his work as war vet-turned-personal protection officer Sergeant David Budd on the acclaimed BBC thriller series "Bodyguard" in 2019, the same year he had notable roles in the Elton John biopic "Rocketman" and the Sam Mendes war drama "1917." In 2021, he appeared as Ikaris in Marvel's "Eternals."
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Kit Harington starred as Jon Snow on "Game of Thrones."
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Kit Harington, who starred as Jon Snow, scored two Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for his work on "Game of Thrones," which marked his acting debut. He went on to star in "Silent Hill: Revelation," "Pompeii," "Seventh Son," "MI-5," "The Death & Life of John F. Donovan" and more. (Sadly, none made much of an impression at the box office.) He also voiced Eret in the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise and popped up on episodes of "Modern Love" and "Criminal: UK." In 2019, Kit sought professional help "to work on some personal issues" amid reports he was struggling as "GoT" neared its conclusion. He then moved on to other projects: In 2021, he starred in Marvel's "Eternals" and in 2022, he starred in "National Theatre Live: Henry V" as the titular King of England. Kit married "Game of Thrones" co-star Rose Leslie, who portrayed Ygritte on the HBO show, in 2018 and two years later, they welcomed a son.
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Emilia Clarke starred as Daenerys Targaryen on "Game of Thrones."
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Emilia Clarke made her major Hollywood debut on "Game of Thrones," for which she earned four Emmy nominations. Her performance as Daenerys Targaryen on the hit HBO series helped her win roles in "Terminator Genisys," "Me Before You," "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and "Last Christmas." It also introduced her to stars like Seth MacFarlane, whom she briefly romanced in 2012, and Jai Courtney, to whom she was linked in 2015. She also briefly dated director Charlie McDowell in late 2018 and early 2019. After "GoT" came to an end, Emilia revealed that she secretly suffered two brain aneurysms during her time on the show.
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Peter Dinklage starred as Tyrion Lannister on "Game of Thrones."
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Peter Dinklage took home a Golden Globe and four Emmys for his work on "Game of Thrones." Although he made his acting debut in the '90s, the HBO series opened new doors for him. He went on to star in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Pixels," "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," "Avengers: Infinity War," "I Care a Lot" and "My Dinner with Hervé," for which he scored yet another Emmy nomination — this time for his work as an executive producer. He also voiced characters in the "Ice Age" and "Angry Birds" franchises as well as "The Croods: A New Age." In 2021, he starred in the musical drama "Cyrano." The same year "GoT" debuted, Peter and his wife, Erica Schmidt, welcomed their first child, a daughter. Their second child arrived in 2017.
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Isaac Hempstead Wright played Bran Stark, the second son and fourth child of Eddard and Catelyn of Winterfell, who's paralyzed by Jaime Lannister at the start of the series when he's just a boy. He's seen here with on-screen brother Robb Stark (Richard Madden) and their direwolf pups on season 1.
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Former child actor Isaac Hempstead Wright grew up before viewers' eyes on "Game of Thrones," which marked his first role outside of a commercial. He hasn't done much acting since the series ended — his latest appeared was in the 2021 sci-fi movie "Voyagers" — as he's been a college student. Since 2019, he's reportedly been studying neuroscience at University College London.
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Lena Headey starred as Cersei Lannister on "Game of Thrones."
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Lena Headey made her feature-film debut in 1992 but it's "Game of Thrones" that made her a star. She earned five Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination for her work on the hit HBO series. During her time on the show, she also starred in "Dredd," "The Purge," "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," "300: Rise of an Empire," "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," "Fighting with My Family" and more. In recent years, she's worked as a voice actress on a number of series including "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance," "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Infinity Train" and, more recently, the film "DC League of Super-Pets." The same year "GoT" debuted, Lena separated from musician Peter Loughran — the father of her son, Wylie — after four years of marriage. They settled their divorce in late 2013 following a heated custody battle. She's reportedly dated two "GoT" co-stars: Jerome Flynn (Bronn) years before the show, and Pedro Pascal (Oberyn Martell). In 2014, the Telegraph reported that Lena and Jerome's breakup had been so bad that members of the crew were forced to keep the co-stars apart on set. In 2015, the "300" alum welcomed a daughter, Teddy, whose father she at first declined to reveal publicly. In 2017, she got engaged to childhood friend Dan Cadan, a director, and revealed that he's Teddy's father. The couple wed in 2018, but it wasn't meant to be: They quietly split in 2019 following a year of marriage. The following year, she moved on with fellow HBO star Marc Menchaca.
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Sophie Turner starred as Sansa Stark on "Game of Thrones."
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Sophie Turner made her acting debut in 2011 with "Game of Thrones," for which she earned an Emmy nomination in 2019. The HBO series helped her land the role of a young Jean Grey in "X-Men: Apocalypse" and "X-Men: Dark Phoenix." More recently, she appeared on the HBO Max miniseries "The Staircase." The English actress — who dated The Vamps guitarist James McVey during her rise to fame — has been happily coupled up with Joe Jonas since 2016. The couple got engaged in 2017, tied the knot in 2019 and welcomed a daughter, Willa, in July 2020. Their second daughter arrived in 2022.
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Maisie Williams starred as Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones."
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Maisie Williams made her acting debut in 2011 with "Game of Thrones." She scored two Emmy nominations for her performance as Arya Stark on the hit HBO series, made her feature-film debut with 2013's "Heatstroke" and had a four-episode stint on "Doctor Who" in 2015. She went on to appear in several more films including 2020's "The New Mutants" and "The Owners." In 2022, she starred on FX on Hulu's biographical miniseries "Pistol" based on the Sex Pistols' rise to fame. The English actress dated childhood pal Ollie Jackson for several years before finding love with her business partner, Reuben Selby.
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Nikolaj Coster-Waldau starred as Jaime Lannister on "Game of Thrones."
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Though Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has been acting since the early '90s, it wasn't until he debuted as Jaime Lannister on "Game of Thrones" that he achieved Hollywood heartthrob status. Since then, the Danish American actor — who scored two Emmy nominations for his work on the hit HBO show — has starred in a wide range of feature films from "Mama" and "Oblivion" to "The Other Woman" and "Gods of Egypt." More recently, he starred in the 2022 historical drama "Against the Ice." Nikolaj and his wife — Greenlandic actress, singer and beauty queen Nukâka — have two daughters, Filippa and Safina, who are both pursuing acting.
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Iain Glen starred as Jorah Mormont on "Game of Thrones."
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Iain Glen was one of the more established members of the cast when "Game of Thrones" debuted in 2011. The Scottish actor — whose biggest pre-"GoT" hits include "Downton Abbey," "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," "Kingdom of Heaven" and two installments in the "Resident Evil" franchise — has since appeared in "The Iron Lady," "Kick-A** 2," "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" and "My Cousin Rachel." More recently, he portrayed Bruce Wayne on "Titans" in 2019 and starred in the 2020 "Black Beauty" remake. Iain and his longtime partner, actress Charlotte Emmerson, reportedly welcomed their second daughter, Juliet, in 2012. In addition to their first daughter, Mary, the actor has a son, Finlay, from his first marriage to actress Susannah Harker.
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Alfie Allen starred as Theon Greyjoy on "Game of Thrones."
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Alfie Allen — who scored an Emmy nomination for his work on "Game of Thrones" — had already appeared in "Elizabeth," "Atonement" and "The Other Boleyn Girl" when the hit HBO series debuted. The British former child actor — who's Lily Allen's kid brother and the inspiration for her song "Alfie" — went on to star in "John Wick," "The Predator," "How to Build a Girl" and "Jojo Rabbit." He also had a five-episode stint on "Harlots." In 2017, Alfie was snapped packing on the PDA with DJ, model and fashion designer Allie Teilz. They welcomed a daughter, Arrow, the following year but split not long after that. He then moved on with artist Antonia Showering and in 2022 was linked to artist Nicole Della Costa.
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Gwendoline Christie starred as Brienne of Tarth on "Game of Thrones."
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Gwendoline Christie scored an Emmy nomination for her work on "Game of Thrones," which marked her major Hollywood debut. Three years after she joined the cast of the hit HBO series in 2012, she made her debut as Captain Phasma in the "Star Wars" franchise. She also appeared in "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2," starred on the second season of "Top of the Lake" and portrayed a version of herself in "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie." More recently, the English actress appeared in the 2021 drama "Our Friend." She'll next star as Larissa Weems on the highly anticipated Tim Burton Netflix series "Wednesday," which is based on Wednesday Adams from "The Addams Family." Gwendoline has been in a relationship with fashion designer Giles Deacon since 2013.
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Aidan Gillen starred as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on "Game of Thrones."
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Aidan Gillen has been acting since the '80s and was already well known for his work on "The Wire" when "Game of Thrones" debuted. He went on to appear in "The Dark Knight Rises," "Calvary," "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," "Bohemian Rhapsody, two installments in the "Maze Runner" franchise and the 2021 Angelina Jolie film "Those Who Wish Me Dead." He also portrayed Aberama Gold on "Peaky Blinders." The Irish actor split from wife Olivia O'Flanagan, the mother of his two children, in 2014. He and singer Camille O'Sullivan have been an item since 2015.
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Kristofer Hivju starred as Tormund Giantsbane on "Game of Thrones."
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Two years after he made his Hollywood debut in 2011's "The Thing," Kristofer Hivju joined the cast of "Game of Thrones" as Tormund Giantsbane. He's since appeared in "After Earth," "The Fate of the Furious" and "Force Majeure" as well as the 2020 American remake "Downhill" and the hit Netflix series "The Witcher" in 2021. In 2015, the Norwegian actor wed longtime partner Gry Molvær, a TV host, documentary director and the mother of his two daughters. The couple are set to co-host the upcoming reality show "Ultimate Viking."
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Carice van Houten starred as Melisandre on "Game of Thrones."
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Carice van Houten had already worked alongside some of Hollywood's biggest stars — like Tom Cruise in "Valkyrie" and Jude Law in "Repo Men" — when she joined the cast of "Game of Thrones," for which she scored an Emmy nomination. She went on to appear in "The Fifth Estate" and in several smaller films like "Race," "Incarnate" and, more recently, 2021's "Poor Boy." In 2015, the Dutch singer-actress and Dutch director Kees van Nieuwkerk called it quits after two years as a couple. She moved on with "Brimstone" co-star Guy Pearce a few months after the Australian actor's wife of almost 20 years ended their marriage. The following year, Carice and Guy welcomed a son, Monte.
