Game Of Thrones Season 4: 10 Actors Who Knocked It Out The Park

9. Liam Cunningham €“ Davos Seaworth

Not all storylines are created equal, and nothing showed this like Stannis Baratheon's season four arc. While Kings Landing was flush with movers and shakers pursuing their own agendas, the Dragonstone lot seemed to have lost all momentum. Regardless of the fire-based revelations Stannis had in the third season closer, he and his entourage were content to sit around and mope. Sadly, that didn't make for good TV. But in the middle of all this rough stands the diamond that is Davos Seaworth. It can't be underestimated how important Davos is to proceedings €“ maybe he's not the most crucial chap in the world plot-wise, but he represents probably the very last paragon of virtue in Westeros. Though Game Of Thrones's world is rife with morally grey characters, from an audience perspective it pays to have a good guy to hang onto. Thankfully, Liam Cunningham could be affable in his sleep, and he brought all his considerable game to bear here. Good with kids? Check. Adorable when reading? Double check. Incongruous-but-awesome Geordie accent? You bet. But Davos was always like this €“ what changed this season was they gave him a grand-standing speech. Playing off against his antithesis in the Braavosi bankers (led by the urbane, unctuous Tycho Nestoris, superbly played by Mark Gatiss) Cunningham managed something viewers probably thought impossible €“ he made us root for Stannis Baratheon. Sure, it was only momentary, but from the moment he brought out his stump-fingers, all wild-eyed and pumped-up to defend his King, you were sold that Stannis probably is the best King remaining in Westeros, brick-like personality be damned.