8 Game Of Thrones Actors Who Originally Auditioned For Different Roles

2. Joe Dempsie - Jon Snow, Pyp, Grenn

Joe Demspie might be a little bit gutted that he didn't land the role of Jon Snow. While Gendry, the character he did end up playing, was a fairly big part of Seasons 1-3, he was shipped off from Dragonstone by Davos and didn't return until Season 7, where he only played a bit-part. Jon Snow, meanwhile, grew into the show's main hero.

Unlike with Rheon or Allen, it's actually easier to imagine Dempsie playing Jon: he's got a similar brooding nature to him, but with enough charisma to make it something more when required. Perhaps too much charisma, really.

The other roles he went for would've been a waste of his talents though: Pyp and Grenn are both enjoyable enough, but don't get anything as meaty to do, and Dempsie ultimately elevated Gendry into a fan-favourite, enjoying great chemistry with Maisie Williams' Arya in particular.

Even that he doubted would happen though, with the actor thinking he didn't have the right look for the part, having neither the black hair nor the physique of King Robert's bastard. The showrunners told him "We’ll dye your hair, you go to the gym," but he still thought they might recast him for Season 2, when the role became bigger. They didn't, thankfully, and Dempsie got to go rowing for four years.