Even non-fans can admit the impact 'Game of Thrones' has had on popular culture. And while the story started long before the likes of Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams took to the screen, the actors truly brought the tale to life.

And although Emilia, Sophie, and Maisie may have garnered the most attention in Hollywood (hey, they were up-and-coming stars who are now mega-popular), nearly every actor in 'GoT' earned rave reviews for their performance.

At the same time, there were plenty of criticisms to go around. While fans loved Lena Headey as Cersei, some complained that she used a body double for her walk of shame. There was also a ton of buzz about Daenerys's lackluster end (Cersei's too).

One character that fans loved so much they hated? Jack Gleeson's Joffrey Baratheon. Yep, Jack was that good.

Though Jack's acting experience extends far beyond the 'GoT' universe, fans were thrilled over his portrayal of Joffrey. The Irish actor was an exceptionally convincing villain.

RELATED: Did Game of Thrones Ruin Jack Gleeson?

But, it cost him. Jack's Joffrey was so believable that he wound up receiving hate mail for his role. The conniving Joffrey was the most-hated on-screen villain, probably ever, and fans took their interpretation of his act a bit too far.

As fans on Quora discussed, Jack's hater-base failed to see him as more than Joffrey. The "increasingly hateable character" likely means that no matter what projects Jack's interested in, fans will still perceive him as an evil king.

Fans take this theory a bit farther and relate Jack's Joffrey to Daniel Radcliffe's career-defining run as Harry Potter. Similarly, Jack's followers (haters and fans alike) probably won't be able to get past his epic performance as Joffrey. Though, Gleeson did manage to keep in touch with castmates and has formed seemingly lifelong friendships as a result.

Some people took their passion over 'GoT' too far as well, sending Jack death threats and hate mail. That's not exactly the reason Jack retired, though, reported Time.

When 'GoT' wrapped, Gleeson was only 21, but he'd been acting since age eight. And as he got older, Jack explained in an interview, acting used to be something he did for fun. However, he elaborated: "When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do."

Another comment Jack made that had fans thinking he quit for being too good at being evil? "Being a faceless member of a mob, I soon realized, is far more comforting than teetering on a brittle pedestal one inch off the ground."

Fame, whether positive or negative, was embarrassing, Gleeson noted, and an exercise in "dehumanization." No surprise then that the young actor quietly ducked out of Hollywood as sneakily as he slid in.

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