10 Interesting Facts About The Making Of Game Of Thrones

These are the behind-the-scenes secrets every Game of Thrones fan should know about...

By Jacob Wilkins /

Game of Thrones was one of the most ambitious shows ever created. Backed by an increasingly-large budget, each season featured multiple plot threads, stunning visuals, and a large cast of outstanding characters.

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Plenty of interesting things took place during the making of this epic show, and thanks to an extensive number of interviews with the cast and crew, fans have been able to examine the behind-the-scenes goodies for themselves. Indeed, there’s so much interesting information out there, that condensing it down to a list of ten is no easy task.

Whilst some of these facts focus on the more troublesome side of production, such as casting difficulties and painful injuries, others are more comedic. Daft pranks, unusual cameos, and funny auditions all took place during the making of Game of Thrones. There are also some intriguing anecdotes from the cast about the inspirations behind their performances.

Casual fans of the show will discover lots of new information here. But even if you’re a diehard fan of Game of Thrones, you’ll probably still encounter plenty of obscure facts that you were previously unaware of.

10. Jack Gleeson Was Inspired By Joaquin Phoenix’s Performance In Gladiator

With the possible exception of Ramsay Bolton, Joffrey Baratheon is the most hated character in Game of Thrones. Spoiled by the poor parenting skills of his wicked mother, Joffrey is a vain, sadistic, immature king with no redeeming qualities.

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Jack Gleeson captured all these traits with his exceptional performance right up to his painful death in the second episode of Season 4. Whenever he was on screen, it was impossible not to hate him.

Interestingly enough, Gleeson’s performance was inspired by the main antagonist in Gladiator, Emperor Commodus, who was played by recent Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix. Though Joffrey is much more of a brat than Commodus, both villains carry a similar sense of pride and arrogance. Even Gleeson’s smirk is reminiscent of Phoenix’s performance.

Whilst George R. R. Martin will always be the real genius behind the characters in Game of Thrones, it’s cool to know that Gleeson’s portrayal was also inspired by one of the greatest actors of our time.

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