5 Famous Actors You Forgot Were In Game Of Thrones

"Game of Thrones" revolutionized television. It brought fantasy to the mainstream on the small screen, enticing viewers with a gritty tale of political intrigue, blood, and sex while carefully weaving in fantasy elements like zombies and dragons. Unfortunately, the show also became a cautionary tale of how not to adapt a popular series of books, with fans still arguing about the ending of "Game of Thrones" to this day.

Now that "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" has revived some of the love for George R. R. Martin's world of Westeros, many (including this writer) have gone back to rewatch the award-winning original series. Watching "Game of Thrones" in 2026 is an interesting experience, not only because we still don't know if Martin will stick to the show's ending or kill even characters that survived the show. For one, it's easier now to realize that the show wasn't just ruined in its final season, but that its problems began much, much earlier. Ignoring seemingly crucial plotlines and big characters from Martin's books started creating problems already in the first couple of seasons, problems that quickly escalated with time. 

Another thing that's easier to notice on a rewatch is just how many famous names appear in "Game of Thrones." There are some who weren't that well known at the time the show was airing, and others who had small roles in otherwise busy seasons and were easy to miss. There were also numerous cameos, from musicians like Sigur Rós and Ed Sheeran, to Martin Starr and Rob McElhenney. Even J. R. R. Tolkien's great-grandson, Royd Tolkien, had a small appearance in the show.

For those currently re-watching "Game of Thrones," or simply interested in taking a trip down memory lane, here are five famous and very talented actors you forgot were a part of the world of Westeros.

Vecna (Or Jamie Campbell Bower) may have almost appeared in "Game of Thrones," but Eddie Munson actually made it into the show. Joseph Quinn appears in a brief scene in "Game of Thrones" season 7.

In the episode, titled "The Spoils of War," Quinn plays a Winterfell guard named Koner in a scene where Maisie Williams' Arya Stark makes her triumphant return to her ancestral home. Unfortunately, Koner and another guard dismiss her and laugh at her, believing Arya to be dead. They mock her when she tries to call on her brother Jon or sister Sansa to let her in. The two guards debate whether to believe this random girl, and Arya takes the opportunity to slip past them.

The scene is a callback to an early season 1 episode wherein Arya is shut out of the Red Keep in King's Landing by two guards who didn't recognize her as a high born lady. It isn't until Arya threatens to have her father, the Hand of the King, execute the guards that she is allowed inside.

It may not have been a big role, but Quinn did well for himself following his appearance in "Game of Thrones." He joined "Stranger Things" and became one of the best characters in that entire show. He then made his way into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Johnny Storm in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Next, Quinn will play George Harrison in Sam Mendes' four-part Beatles movie.

"Game of Thrones" didn't just have Marvel heroes in its cast, but also Marvel villains — well, reformed villains. Before she played Ghost in "Ant-Man and the Wasp" and then the criminally underseen "Thunderbolts," John-Kamen journeyed to Essos.

Ïf you need a refresher, John-Kamen played Ornela, a member of the Dosh Khaleen, a group of khaleesi widows who serve as the religious leaders of Vaes Dothrak. We meet her in season 6 when Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) is forced to join the Dosh Khaleen. There, Daenerys befriends Ornela, another outsider who married a khal — one who burned down her village when she was 12, then broke her ribs a year later when she gave birth to a girl and not a boy. When she was 16, Ornela's husband died and she was sent to live with the Dosh Khaleen, unable to ever leave the city. Even as some of the khals want to kill Daenerys for being an outsider and for not joining the widows earlier, she finds a friend in Ornela. It is this meeting that reminds Daenerys of her original promise to the Dothraki: to kill those who would hurt them.

Sadly, Ornela did not gain a lifelong friend. Daenerys was rescued by Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) and Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman), who helped her set the khals on fire and took most of the remaining dothraki with her. She did free the widows, who can now do whatever they want with the rest of their lives. Ornela is last seen bowing to Daenerys, though we don't know if she actually joined her followers or decided to go back to her homeland of Lhazar.

Oh, Three-Eyed Raven, we hardly knew ye. This is arguably one of the biggest characters in the show when it comes to the larger lore of Westeros, and also one of the biggest fumbles of "Game of Thrones." Max von Sydow was an absolute legend of cinema, touching many genres and many staples of the medium. And yet, in a short span, von Sydow had the misfortune of being misused by not only "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" but also "Game of Thrones." Both of his characters did little and died seemingly for nothing.

The Three-Eyed Raven was teased from the very start of "Game of Thrones": a character who has guided Bran since he fell from a tall tower, and who lives among the remnants of the Children of the Forest. He is also a character of great power and knowledge, which he briefly attempts to share with Bran. Unfortunately, the Three-Eyed Raven only really appears in three episodes before Bran ignores his training and leads the White Walkers to their hideout, causing not only the death of his mentor but also all of the Children of the Forest. We learn nothing of the Three-Eyed Raven, his past, or even his powers beyond the vague ability to "see the past". Of course, his death was also for nothing, since the Night King's death was ultimately caused by a random girl with a dagger.

Thankfully, we might learn more about him. "House of the Dragon" had a brief cameo of this forgotten "Game of Thrones" character, and "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" will likely introduce the character as Brynden Rivers, the man who eventually becomes the Three-Eyed Raven.

Richard E. Grant only appeared for three episodes in "Game of Thrones," but his role was perfectly cast. Grant, who has appeared in everything from "Doctor Who" and "Star Wars" to "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Frasier," joined season 6 of "Game of Thrones" as Izembaro the mummer. He is part of a theatrical troupe touring the city of Braavos, putting on a very inaccurate play that recaps the previous couple of seasons of "Game of Thrones."

Yes, this is the "Game of Thrones" equivalent of "The Ember Island Players," one of the best episodes of "Avatar: The Last Airbender." In the play, Izembaro plays both Robert Baratheon and Tywin Lannister, which is a hilarious and inspired choice that makes me want a spin-off sitcom focused on that duo. Izembaro's troupe is part of Arya's storyline in Braavos, involving a jealous actress wanting another one dead. Arya refuses to do her job and kill the actress, resulting in her escaping Braavos and returning to Westeros. We don't know what happens to Izembaro, unfortunately, but it's likely he just continued to tour the Free Cities and become an acting legend.

Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje is best known for playing the scene-stealing Mr. Eko in "Lost," one of the best characters in that show. He also played Simon Adebisi in "Oz" and Kurse in "Thor: The Dark World."

In "Game of Thrones," Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje only had a small role as Malko, the captain of a slaving ship in Essos, who captures Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) and Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) ollowing a brief detour through Valyria after they shipwreck on their way to Meereen. Malko wants Tyrion killed in order to sell his penis due to its supposed magical properties, and plans to sell Jorah as a slave. But Tyrion manages to convince Malko that Jorah is a legendary warrior in Westeros and would best serve Malko as a fighter in the Meereen fighting pits. Meanwhile, Tyrion is kept around in order for a merchant to verify he is indeed a dwarf before cutting off his penis. ("The dwarf lives until we find a c–k merchant," Malko declares.)

It's a brief role, but Malko is the reason Tyrion and Malko ultimately make it to Meereen and meet Daenerys. Without them, the second half of "Game of Thrones" would have played out vastly differently. Who knows, maybe Daenerys wouldn't have burned King's Landing and we would never have known that Bran the Broken has the best story.