All those dead Game of Thrones characters – where are the actors now?

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

From Digital Spy

If there's one thing Game of Thrones knows how to do, it's bump people off in spectacular style and at a ferocious pace – and with the new series just around the corner (April 14), we decided to look back on some of the faces we lost along the way and what they're up to now.

Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: The king was poisoned during his wedding feast following his marriage to Margaery Tyrell. Littlefinger and Lady Olenna cooked up the plot together.

Where he is now: Following his time on Thrones, Gleeson retired from acting in favour of academia but has since partially walked that back and is now running his own theatre company.

Littlefinger / Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Arya and Sansa Stark orchestrated his demise by putting him on trial for treachery and executing him on the spot.

Where he is now: Gillen appeared in Bohemian Rhapsody as John Reid, Queen's former music manager. He also recently starred in Project Blue Book, a History channel drama about US Air Force investigations into UFO encounters and bizarre phenomena.

Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon)

Photo credit: HBO/Helen Sloan
Photo credit: HBO/Helen Sloan

How it happened: Ramsay was left by Sansa to his starving dogs in a prison cell. They mauled him to death.

Where he is now: Rheon is set to appear in romantic drama film Berlin, I Love You with a cast including Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke. It follows ten different stories set in… wait for it… Berlin. He will also be appearing in The Dirt, a musical comedy-drama about the band Mötley Crüe, alongside Douglas Booth.

Ned Stark (Sean Bean)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Joffrey ordered Ned's beheading and Ser Ilyn Payne carried it out.

Where he is now: Bean recently appeared in Sky's Curfew, a show that someone managed to merge the outbreak of an unstoppable virus with illegal street car racing. He is also set to star in BBC series World On Fire, a drama set after World War II about the lives of ordinary people from Britain, Poland, France, Germany and the United States.

Robb Stark (Richard Madden)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Roose Bolton killed Robb during the Red Wedding, shoving a dagger into his heart.

Where he is now: It's safe to say Madden has done pretty well for himself following his time on the show, appearing in the supremely popular BBC political thriller Bodyguard alongside Keeley Hawes. He is also set to appear in the Elton John biopic Rocketman with Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Walder Frey (David Bradley)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Arya feeds Walder Frey a pie made from the remains of his eldest sons before slitting his throat.

Where he is now: Bradley is currently in Ricky Gervais's new Netflix comedy series After Life, as well as recently appearing in the BBC's Les Misérables.

Olenna Tyrell (Diana Rigg)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: She was given poison by Jaime Lannister which she willingly drank.

Where she is now: Rigg's most recent TV work to date was a role in ITV's Victoria.

Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: She was killed in the wildfire explosion which Cersei organised.

Where she is now: Dormer is set to appear in The Professor and the Madman alongside a host of names including Mel Gibson and Sean Penn. It's a biographical film based on Simon Winchester's book The Surgeon of Crowthorne, about the professor who began compiling the Oxford English Dictionary while also undergoing treatment at an asylum for the criminally insane.

She will also star in the new Penny Dreadful spin-off, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

Hodor (Kristian Nairn)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Poor old Hodor died protecting Bran, stopping the White Walkers from entering the caves by holding the door shut.

Where he is now: Alongside his acting career, Nairn has always enjoyed success as a DJ and his Rave of Thrones sets have proved very popular.

Ygritte (Rose Leslie)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Ygritte was shot with an arrow by young Olly of the Night's Watch at the battle of Castle Black. She died in Jon Snow's arms.

Where she is now: Leslie is currently starring in CBS's legal and political thriller The Good Fight – a spin-off of The Good Wife.

Oberyn Martell / The Red Viper (Pedro Pascal)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Oberyn could have lived to see another day after outmanoeuvring
the Mountain in a duel but his arrogance led to his demise, the Mountain seizing his opportunity when Oberyn was distracted.

Where he is now: Pascal, who starred in Narcos, is set to appear in The Mandalorian, the new Star Wars TV series. He also appears in Netflix's Triple Frontier with Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac and Charlie Hunnam this year, as well as Wonder Woman 1984 next year.

Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Catelyn had her throat slit by Black Walder Rivers at the Red Wedding.

Where she is now: Fairley is set to appear in Amazon Prime series The Feed about a type of technology which is implanted into people's brains – but which goes drastically wrong.

Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Daenerys was forced to smother her husband after he was left in a vegetative state by Mirri Maz Duur's treacherous magic.

Where he is now: Momoa's biggest role following GOT is of course Aquaman, a character he also voiced in The Lego Movie 2.

He also appears in Netflix's Frontier and is set to appear in See, an upcoming Apple TV series which takes place in "a future when the human race has lost the sense of sight".

But "all of that is challenged when a set of twins with sight is born".

Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: The head of the Lannister family was shot with a crossbow by his son Tyrion while he was sat on the loo.

Where he is now: Dance recently appeared in the BBC's Little Drummer Girl and is currently starring in Amazon Prime's The Widow with Kate Beckinsale, which will also later air on ITV. It follows a woman who wants answers about the death of her husband.

Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: She is pushed through the Moon Door by Littlefinger, plunging to her death.

Where she is now: Dickie is currently appearing in ITV crime drama Shetland as DI Sam Boyd.

Tommen Baratheon (Dean-Charles Chapman)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Tommen killed himself by swan-diving from the window of the Red Keep.

Where he is now: He will appear alongside Hayley Atwell in British drama film Blinded by the Light, which is inspired by the life of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor and his obsession with Bruce Springsteen.

Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: He was killed by his son Ramsay so he could be the one to lead the charge against the last remaining Starks. Ramsay also discovered that his dad's wife had given birth to another son, so his position was potentially under threat.

Where he is now: McElhatton's most recent work was Channel 5's Agatha and the Truth of Murder in 2018, a drama film about Agatha Christie becoming embroiled in a real-life murder case. He played the role of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You may also have spotted him in Justice League.

Viserys Targaryen (‎Harry Lloyd)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Khal Drogo poured molten gold over his head.

Where he is now: He has been cast as Professor X in the third and final season of FX’s Legion.

Grand Maester Pycelle (Julian Glover)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: He was stabbed to death by a group of children on the orders of pseudo-maester Qyburn.

Where he is now: Soon to turn 84, Glover is set to appear as Nonno in The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams at the Noel Coward Theatre later this year.

Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Pregnant Talisa was killed during the Red Wedding.

Where she is now: Chaplin, the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin, starred in Taboo with Tom Hardy and is set to appear in a number of the Avatar sequels.

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont (James Cosmo)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Jeor was stabbed in the back by Rast, a member of the Night’s Watch, during the mutiny at Craster's Keep.

Where he is now: He will appear in SundanceTV's adaptation of The Name of the Rose, an adaptation of Umberto Eco’s 1980 novel set in a monastery where lots of murders take place. He's also set to appear as Farder Coram in the BBC adaptation of His Dark Materials.

Alliser Thorne (Owen Teale)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: He was executed by the resurrected Jon Snow.

Where she is now: Teale is currently appearing in Channel 4's spy thriller Traitors, as well as appearing in A Discovery of Witches as Peter Knox.

Yoren (Francis Magee)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Yoren was killed by a man called Ser Amory Lorch, who was on the hunt for Gendry. He stuck a sword through the back of his neck.

Where he is now: Magee has been working on The Dig, a thriller about a man who has served time for murder and returns home to find the victim's father searching for the body. He then decides to, wait for it, help him dig.

Qhorin Halfhand (Simon Armstrong)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Halfhand let Jon Snow kill him in a fight so as to prove Jon's loyalty to the Wildlings.

Where he is now: His latest piece of work was French film Rémi sans famille.

Pypar (Josef Altin)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Pyp was a member of the Night's Watch who was killed during the attack on Castle Black. He was shot with an arrow by Ygritte before choking on his own blood.

Where he is now: Altin recently appeared in Les Misérables on the BBC.

Grenn (Mark Stanley)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Grenn is a member of the Night's Watch who was killed by Stannis Baratheon and his forces, burned in Castle Black's courtyard.

Where he is now: Stanley will appear in the film Sulphur and White alongside Anna Friel later this year about a man who works in the City of London on the trader floor and is harbouring a big secret.

Shireen Baratheon (Kerry Ingram)

Photo credit: HELEN SLOAN - HBO
Photo credit: HELEN SLOAN - HBO

How it happened: Shireen was sacrificed to the Lord of Light by Melisandre and burned on top of a pyre.

Where she is now: Ingram appears in Netflix's Free Rein, which is about a 15-year-old from LA who spends the summer in England at her mum's home and bonds with a mysterious horse. You heard it here first.

Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: He was savaged by the Night King's zombie polar bear before freezing to death overnight trapped on a rock in the middle of a frozen lake.

Where he is now: He is currently appearing in Gervais's After Life. He also recently appeared in ITV's Vera, as well as Cold Feet as Reverend Daniel Booth.

Ser Barristan Selmy (Ian McElhinney)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Ser Barristan died in battle, killed by Meereen's Sons of the Harpy.

Where he is now: McElhinney is currently playing the role of Granda Joe in Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, as well as appearing in Silent Witness earlier this year.

Syrio Forel (Miltos Yerolemou)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: So the death of Arya's sword fighting instructor doesn't happen on screen and it isn't stated explicitly. Naturally, that lack of clarity meant that some people were unconvinced, but showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss confirmed that he had died. Arya tells the Hound that he was killed by Ser Meryn Trant.

Where he is now: Yerolemou's CV has looked fairly quiet of late, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Danish Girl with Eddie Redmayne back in 2015 his biggest pieces of work following Thrones.

The Baratheon brothers (Mark Addy, Stephen Dillane, Gethin Anthony)

Photo credit: HBO
Photo credit: HBO

How it happened: Robert was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip, an "accident" orchestrated by Lancel Lannister at the behest of Robert's wife Cersei. Renly was killed in his tent by a Shadow Baby with the face of Stannis Baratheon. Stannis was killed by Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), who had been sworn to defend Renly.

Where they are now: Addy appeared in the most recent series of Vera and he also played Paltraki in Doctor Who and Clyde the Horse in Mary Poppins Returns. Dillane will also appear in The Professor and the Madman alongside Natalie Dormer.

Anthony hasn't got many titles to his name of late, but he did appear in a film called First Kill with Bruce Willis back in 2017.


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