What The Cast Of Game Of Thrones Did After The Show Ended

From 2011- 2019, "Game of Thrones" seemed to be all anyone could talk about. The hit HBO series, based on George RR Martin's "A Song Of Ice And Fire" novels, smashed viewership records, won multiple awards, and garnered more attention than any fantasy series since "Harry Potter."

Season 8 saw the series reach a long-awaited, highly-anticipated conclusion to the epic story of ice and fire ... and fans weren't pleased. The final season features some of the show's lowest-rated episodes. Controversy overshadows content: Daenerys Targaryen goes from Mhysa to Mad Queen in one episode. Instead of killing the Night King, Jon Snow kills Dany before leaving Westeros for a quiet life with the wildings. Perhaps most unexpected of all is Bran Stark's rise to power, as the remaining characters elect him as their king in the series finale.

Controversy aside, the cast of "Game of Thrones" have remained loyal to the series after its end, (mostly) voicing support for season 8 and its polarizing decisions. For many actors, the HBO series helped launch successful careers, while established actors expanded acclaimed careers throughout the show's run. The finale may have been the end of an era, but for cast members, the show went on. Here's what everyone did after the game ended.

Richard Madden had an early exit from "Game of Thrones." His character, Robb Stark, met a grisly end that took fans by storm in Season 3. During the infamous Red Wedding, Robb and his army are slaughtered by the Freys in retaliation for breaking a marriage oath. The Young Wolf perishes early in the series, yet his shadow looms over the events going forward. With Robb and Catelyn gone, the rest of the Starks are left to pick up the pieces of Robb's plight.

Madden's career continued to flourish after his character's death. He reprised his role as Romeo in a 2016 West End production of "Romeo And Juliet." In 2015, he played Prince Kit in the live-action "Cinderella," and 2016 also saw him star as Cosimo de'Medici in Season 1 of the historical drama "Medici." In 2018, he appeared in the BBC thriller series "Bodyguard," earning a Golden Globe for his performance as Sergeant David Budd.

Madden's film career continued to grow with his role as John Reid in the 2019 Elton John biopic "Rocketman," 2016's "Bastille Day" alongside Idris Elba, and 2019's "1917" with fellow "Game of Thrones" alumni Dean-Charles Chapman. Madden also joined the MCU as Ikarus in the 2021 film "Eternals." With a Marvel role and an upcoming Amazon Studios project, "Citadel," with the Russo brothers on the horizon, the future looks bright for this ex-"Thrones" star.

Despite their animosity onscreen, Lena Heady and Peter Dinklage's real-life friendship caused Heady to audition for the role of Cersei Lannister. In retrospect, nobody could have played the evil queen better. Heady's iconic look as Cersei (smirking and drinking wine) elevated the character to new heights. Her portrayal of Cersei encapsulates the schemes, betrayals, and subterfuge that makes "Game of Thrones" what it is.

Before "Thrones," Heady gained notoriety for her roles in "Waterland" (1992), "The Brothers Grimm" (2005), and Zack Snyder's "300" (2007), as well as playing Sarah Connor in "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (2008 – 2009). She continued her career in film while working on "Game of Thrones." In 2012, she appeared as the primary antagonist in comic book movie "Dredd" before starring in 2013's "The Purge," "300: Rise of an Empire" (2014), "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (2016), and "Fighting with My Family" (2019).

After "Thrones" came to an end, Heady reunited with former co-star Nathalie Emmanuel for "The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance," where she has a supporting role as the voice of Maudra Fara/The Rock Singer. Additionally, Heady voiced Amelia Hughes in the animated web series "Infinity Train," as well as Morgana in TV miniseries "Wizards." Heady criticized her character's endgame in an interview with the Guardian, stating she "wanted a better death" for Cersei.

Like Turner, Maisie Williams was a newcomer to show business when she made her acting debut as Arya Stark. Portraying Arya gave Williams plenty of action to work with: Unlike her sister, Arya preferred sword-fighting to sewing, shedding societal expectations to become one of the show's biggest badasses. Her character even did what Jon Snow couldn't — kill the Night King.

Williams' other roles include a guest appearance on "Doctor Who" in 2015, as well as lead roles in the 2015 docudrama "Cyberbully" and the British sci-fi thriller "iBoy." She's appeared in multiple movies, such as "The Falling" (2014), "Mary Shelley" (2017), "Early Man" (2018), and "Then Came You" (2018). In a review of "The Falling," The Independent praised Williams' performance, saying she "has the same mix of defiance, precociousness and vulnerability that she brings to her most famous role thus far, as Arya Stark in HBO's 'Game of Thrones.'"

A successful tenure on "Thrones" propelled William's momentum after the series finale. She starred in "The New Mutants," the final installment in Fox's "X-Men" franchise. In addition, Williams starred in "The Owners" (2020), a horror film adapted from a graphic novel, as well as appearing in 2019's "Two Weeks to Live" and voicing Cammie MacCloud in the animated web series "gen:LOCK" alongside Michael B. Jordan, David Tennant, and Dakota Fanning.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau amassed a successful career in the Danish film industry before his international breakthrough role as Jaime Lannister. Breaking through in Danish thriller "Nightwatch" in 1994, he appeared in multiple movies throughout the late 1990s and the early 2000s, but it wasn't until "Thrones" that his career reached new heights. Coster-Waldau won the hearts of fans with a redemption arc that saw him go from pushing Bran out a window in the first episode to defending Winterfell from wights in the final season.

With "Game of Thrones" under his belt, Coster-Waldau appeared in mainstream movies such as horror flick "Mama" (2013) alongside Jessica Chastain, as well as "Oblivion" (2013) and "Gods Of Egypt" (2016). He also appeared in a 2015 "Saturday Night Live" sketch, playing a parody of his "Thrones" character.

Coster-Waldau continued his film career after the show ended. In May 2019, he starred as Christian Toft in "Domino," directed by Brian De Palma, and appeared in "Suicide Tourist" later that year, as well as founding his own production company. 2020 saw him star in "The Silencing" as well as "The Day We Died," based on the 2015 Copenhagen shootings. In an interview with Variety, Coster-Waldau acknowledged the backlash against the final season. "It was great," he insisted. "It was fine. How do you end that story? Let's talk about this in 10 years, then you can talk about it. But now, I think it's a little too recent."

Jack Gleeson's portrayal of King Joffrey represents a simpler time for "Game of Thrones" fans. Remember when we were all united by a singular hatred for the brutal boy king? Joffrey's reign of terror lasted until Season 4, when he was poisoned at his wedding feast. Before that, Joffrey was easily the most despicable character in the series. Fans despised him, and waited eagerly for him to get his comeuppance.

Gleeson did a great job portraying a monstrous character. After Joffrey's demise, he dipped out of the acting world, later returning for appearances in theatre as well as a role in the 2020 BBC miniseries "Out of Her Mind." In an interview with the Irish Independent, Gleeson attributed his decision to quit acting to the success of "Game of Thrones," stating: "The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn't something I gravitate towards."

Emilia Clarke rose to stardom with her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen throughout "Game of Thrones." Though it's hard to imagine anyone else donning that wig, Clarke was a latecomer to the series: Her role was initially played by Tamzin Merchant in the original, unaired pilot before Clarke came in, quickly becoming synonymous with the Mother of Dragons.

While appearing in "Game of Thrones," Clarke starred in the 2018 Star Wars prequel "Solo: A Star Wars Story" as Han Solo's first love, Qi'ra. 2015 saw her star as Sarah Connor in "Terminator: Genisys"; other roles include a Broadway debut in 2013 as Holly Golightly in "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and a main movie role in 2016's "Me Before You."

After the series finale, Clarke starred alongside Henry Golding in the 2019 romantic comedy "Last Christmas." In 2021, it was announced that she'd appear in the Disney+ series "Secret Invasion," where fans will likely see her interacting with a Skrull or two. In addition to her work onscreen, Clarke launched a charity in 2019, SameYou, which aims to raise awareness and support for brain injury recovery — a cause close to Clarke's heart because, as she revealed in an article for the New Yorker, she suffered two brain aneurysms while filming "Game of Thrones."