Game Of Thrones: 10 Criminally Overlooked Performances

6. Sibel Kekilli As Shae

Shae is an interesting case. Given nearly no backstory in the source material, this foreign-born prostitute eventually worms her way into the heart of Tyrion Lannister, becoming both his strength and Achilles heel by the end of season three. Alongside Bronn and Tywin, Shae is one of the three main characters who define Tyrion's life. Of all the duplicitous characters in the show, Shae is at times the most inscrutable. Despite this, Sibel Kekilli gives the right mix of bluntness and sensuality to make Tyrion's growing feelings for her perfectly understandable. As the show wears on, her scenes with Sansa allow Kekilli to display Shae's harder edge, the evidence of a woman who has had to pave her own way in the world rather than let others lead her by the hand. The relationship between the two of them works well because of their contrast, and Shae always gives off the air that she is in control, or if she is not, that she will regain it. Why is this Performance Overlooked? Kekilli is another actress who suffers from sharing scenes with Peter Dinklage, but on top of that, the writers have never decided to give Shae a long backstory revealing monologue like they do for most of the key supporting characters, making her past more ambiguous, and thus more difficult to empathise with.