Now that it's been confirmed as the most popular show in HBO's history, you should probably take it for granted that to make it onto Game Of Thrones's cast list requires acting chops of the highest order. And guess what? You'd be right. You can bet for damn sure you won't make it to Westeros's shores without an ass-kicking CV, or some god-given gift to utterly embody the character you're playing. These guys are at the top of their game, and they've got a bumper audience to prove it to. But even in the big leagues, there are standouts, the creme de la creme, the top bananas. The kind of actors who deserve a shrine of Emmys in their front room, who make grown men cheer and women swoon through sheer bloody talent. Luckily for Game Of Thrones, they seem to have these guys in abundance, bringing GRRM's epic tales to life in absolutely stunning fashion, and making sure season four was the best yet. But who are these guys? Well, that's what this list is about of course, and it comes with a nice, fat SPOILER WARNING. So now the wildlings have been captured, the three-eyed crow discovered and Oberyn's brutalised remains swept off the King's Landing tiles, let's get down to business. But first of all, an honourable mention.
Jaime is possibly one of the most interesting characters in Game Of Thrones and certainly has one of the most compelling character arcs. His transformation from amoral child-crippler to sympathetic good guy is nothing short of compelling, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau brings it to life quite beautifully. Nonetheless, there was definitely a feeling this season that Jaime was coming down after scaling the dramatic heights in season three. Though Coster-Waldau still got plenty of excellent dramatic moments, there was nothing on par with the barn-burner that was the monologue in the Harrenhal bathhouse. His repartee with Tyrion was touching and his love-hate relationship with his father and sister were covered expertly, but you couldn't help but feel he was treading water, and overshadowed by his busier family members. Hell, halfway through the season he even lost Brienne, which kind of left him adrift for a while, and then there's the matter of the rape-not-rape scene in the next to his son's corpse. Frankly, that's the main reason he's not quite made it onto the list there's a way to burn your dramatic bridges, and then there's that. No actor's coming back from that, and it unfairly coloured all Coster-Waldau's good work from then on.
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
