10 TV Performances Way Better Than Anyone Expected

You could throw a stone and hit a Game of Thrones actor who didn't massively exceed all expectations. In fact, the performances may be the one silver lining in an underwhelming last couple of seasons. Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Rory McCann, to name a few, all surprised us with how much depth they could delve into George R. R. Martin's world.

Jack Gleeson may have been the most surprising of all considering it's six years on and we're still praising the work of the young Irish actor. He plays the despicable, deplorable, psychopathic Joffrey Baratheon with such an awful realism that he may have frightened himself into giving up acting for good.

Any fans of the books would not have been expecting to enjoy Joffrey's scenes going in; it's a testament to his performance that they ended up being the most tantalisingly hair-raising parts of the show during his four year tenure.