Highlights
- Game of Thrones cast members have stayed busy since the show's finale, with Kit Harington filming Eternals and doing voice acting for How to Train Your Dragon.
- Emilia Clarke starred in Last Christmas and expressed a preference for independent films after the series ended.
- Sophie Turner played Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, got married to Joe Jonas, and confirmed her divorce in 2023.
For eight seasons, Game of Thrones was one of the most watched and talked about shows on television. HBO's popularity surged as viewers got hooked on the intense and exciting fantasy drama. Unfortunately, the final season was poorly reviewed by critics and fans, casting a pall over the end of the show's blockbuster run.
The cast of the show still gave the final season their all. In the years since the show came to its famously rocky conclusion, its stars stayed busy both on and off-screen. Here’s what the cast of Game of Thrones has been up to since the final season's 2019 premiere.
Updated September 2023: A lot has happened since Game of Thrones ended in 2019 — including the release of a prequel, 2022's House of the Dragon. Peter Dinklage appeared in an off-Broadway show in 2022, and Hannah Waddington came to more widespread notice in Ted Lasso.
Season 2 of House of the Dragon remained in production, slowed by a series of entertainment industry strikes in Hollywood. And in September 2023, cast member Sophie Turner confirmed her divorce from Joe Jonas in a statement.
11 Kit Harington: Jon Snow
During his time on Game of Thrones, Kit Harington played the role of Jon Snow, a young man with no idea he was the son of Ned Stark. As he got older, he became a member of the Night's Watch and tried to do his best to follow their code of conduct and protect the innocent. Since leaving the show, Kit Harington filmed Eternals, a Marvel Cinematic Universe film. He also did voice acting for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. He is married to Rose Leslie.
10 Emilia Clarke: Daenerys Targaryen
Emilia Clarke portrayed one of the most powerful and prominent characters on Game of Thrones. She was the mother of dragons who was forced to marry at a young age – then ultimately broke free to pursue her own interests. In later seasons, Daenerys Targaryen took a darker turn, surprising many fans. Since Game of Thrones came to an end, Emilia Clarke starred in Last Christmas in 2019 – and expressed a preference for working on independent films.
9 Sophie Turner: Sansa Stark
Fan-favorite Sansa Stark was one character viewers rooted for throughout the course of Game of Thrones. She got the short end of the stick and dealt with one too many tragedies in her personal life.
In real life, Sophie Turner was cast as Jean Grey in X-Men: Dark Phoenix in 2019 as well as in the leading role on the TV series Survive. Sophie married Joe Jonas, welcoming their two daughters in 2020 and 2022, respectively. But in September 2023, the couple confirmed their divorce in a joint statement.
8 Peter Dinklage: Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion Lannister is another character from Game of Thrones that fans were happy to see make it to the finale. So many main characters passed away before making it to the end, but Tyrion Lannister survived!
Peter Dinklage is the actor who took on the role. After Game of Thrones, he did voice acting for the Angry Birds Movie 2, starred in a 2020 Netflix film called I Care A Lot, and appeared in an off-Broadway production in 2022. Peter is also starring in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds, slated for a November 2023 release.
7 Lena Headey: Cersei Lannister
Cersei Lannister is regularly counted among the most evil characters in the history of television – heartless, cruel, and mean. Cersei arguably deserved a more fitting death, but fans were severely disappointed with her character's fate.
In real life, Lena Headey starred alongside Vince Vaughn in a 2019 movie about a female wrestler, called Fighting With My Family, and did voice acting for an animated series called Masters of the Universe.
6 Nikolaj Coster-Waldua: Jaime Lannister
Jamie Lannister evolved as a character, from "good guy" to "bad guy" and in between. In some instances he was honorable, but that was not the case in other scenarios.
In real life, Nikolaj starred in Suicide Tourist and Domino in 2019, and filmed a pilot episode for a show called Gone Hollywood. In 2020, he filmed The Silencing and The Day We Died. He hasn’t really slowed down at all.
5 Alfie Allen: Theon Greyjoy
The character of Theon Greyjoy is someone fans couldn't help but pity. Despite his character's flaws, his life was stolen from him in a brutal way, and didn’t deserve all of that torture! In real life, Alfie Allen starred in the third season of Harlots on Hulu, the film Jojo Rabbit, and in a miniseries called White House Farm.
4 Maisie Williams: Arya Stark
Maisie Williams is an amazingly talented young actress who made her acting debut in the high-profile role of Arya Stark on Game of Thrones. Arya Stark was known for being a fighter who wanted justice, and would stop at nothing to reach her goals. Unfortunately, season eight didn’t really allow her to achieve what she wanted to achieve. In real life, Maisie Williams starred in The New Mutants, and produced a short film with Lowry Roberts.
3 Isaac Hempstead Wright: Bran Stark
A lot of fans were disappointed to find out that Bran Stark was ultimately going to take the crown at the end of the show's long run ... but that's exactly what happened. In real life, Isaac Hempstead Wright signed onto two movies called The Blue Mauritius and The Voyagers. Other famous actors in the latter film include Colin Farrell and Lily Rose-Depp.
2 Gwendoline Christie: Brienne Of Tarthe
She was tall, she was mighty, she was brave, and she was strong! Brienne of Tarthe was willing to risk her own life to protect the lives of those she was in charge of. In real life, Gwendoline Christie appeared in The Personal History of David Copperfield in 2020.
In 2019, she took to the stage for A Midsummer Night's Dream. She also starred in the film The Friend, alongside Dakota Johnson, Casey Affleck, and Jason Segel.
1 Hannah Waddingham: Septa Unella
No Game of Thrones "where they are now" list would be complete without Hannah Waddingham – whose portrayal of Septa Unella proved especially popular in the form of a viral meme.
Hannah's star rose further and faster in 2020, with the release of Apple TV+'s feel-good comedy (and runaway hit) Ted Lasso. In it, Hannah portrayed Rebecca Welton, a foe-turned-friend to the show's titular character.