10 Controversies That Rocked Game Of Thrones
It's not just action in the show that has shocked fans.
Game of Thrones is a world-wide phenomenon. It pulls in huge ratings, it's hotly debated online, and there's even a travelling exhibition of the artwork, props, and sets used in the show.
Like any other show of that magnitude, the HBO series, based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire, is not without controversy - both on-screen and away from it.
Content-wise, there are matters of murder, incest, war, treachery, backstabbing, and constant plays for power between the major houses of the fictional world of Westeros. More than enough for a simple television series, no? Yet off-screen, the controversy is sometimes even more intense, and seems to erupt from all areas of the show. Issues have ranged from repeated recasting to uproar over nude scenes, and of course, grievances about the show straying from the source material. No matter how impressive it may be, the award-winning fantasy epic just cannot shake the the critical eye of both fans and media alike.
Now in its fifth season, the show gives no sign that it is about to slow down when it comes to veering away from the books and provoking conversation. So with that in mind, let's take a look at ten controversies surrounding Game of Thrones.
10. An Actress Refuses To Do More Nude Scenes - But Who?
Back in 2013, the closest thing Game of Thrones had to a mutiny took place when actress Oona Chaplin, who portrayed Rob Stark's doomed wife Talisa Maegyr, let slip that a fellow Thespian on the show had refused to do further nude scenes. Chaplin did not identify the actress by name, but noted that she had "got her kit off the most" in the first few seasons when speaking to the Telegraph. The mystery figure was also quoted as saying: "I want to be known for my acting not for my breasts."
Suspicion immediately fell on Emilia Clarke, the budding star behind Daenerys Targaryen, but in subsequent seasons, she appeared in the buff plenty more. The were also rumours that the discontent arose from Esme Bianco - the actress behind the kindly prostitute Ros - however the whispers were never confirmed, and Ros eventually met her fairly organic (storyline speaking) fate.
With the show often criticised for the amount of nudity on screen, this refusal by a supposed series star certainly fanned the flames - but the show has marched on unrepentant, and the person in question was never formally identified. As for the nudity issue, on a show with such levels of violence, is a bit of skin really the concern?