Dark Secrets The Cast Of Game Of Thrones Tried To Hide

There's more than just one Hall of Faces on HBO hit "Game of Thrones" — the massive cast of the equally massive fantasy series is made up of the faces of a number of stars, up-and-comers, and talented creatives so that the cast list is basically its own metaphorical Hall of Faces. But some of the actors who made the show so memorable have hidden secrets, both good and bad, that they tried to keep hidden from fans. 

From Emilia Clarke's scary health battle to Maisie Williams' troubled youth, and even Charles Dance's tabloid-ridden romance history, the drama has certainly strayed from beyond the Westerosi walls — some for better, and some for worse. "The journey that I've been on with Daenerys, it's sharpened me as an actor, and because of the heights she goes to, it's forced me to find them within myself," Clarke shared in a behind-the-scenes video for HBO before the series finale in 2019. "And so anytime anything good or bad happens, you put it into her. So Daenerys is a tapestry of my entire adult life." What types of good and bad did the cast infuse into their roles? Read on to find out.

Emilia Clarke is endeared in the hearts of millions after her name-making portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen, aka the "Mother of Dragons," on HBO's "Game of Thrones." But while she was wielding her dragons against her enemies on screen, Clarke was battling her own off-screen. She suffered two brain aneurysms between 2011 and 2013, both of which brought her life into serious danger. 

Clarke discovered her first aneurysm while working out with a trainer. "I remember the sound of a siren," Clarke wrote in a piece for The New Yorker. " ... I heard new voices, someone saying that my pulse was weak. I was throwing up bile. Someone found my phone and called my parents ... " She immediately underwent surgery and, although the procedure was successful, she experienced serious setbacks during her recovery both in the hospital and back on set. "In my worst moments, I wanted to pull the plug," she continued in her New Yorker piece. "I asked the medical staff to let me die. My job — my entire dream of what my life would be — centered on language, on communication. Without that, I was lost."

In 2013, Clarke underwent another surgery to remove a growth on one side of her brain with a much more involved procedure. "The recovery was even more painful than it had been after the first surgery," she wrote. "I looked as though I had been through a war more gruesome than any that Daenerys experienced." But in classic Khaleesi style, healed herself through rest and charity work with SameYou, which helps provide treatment for those who suffer from brain injuries.

Kit Harington's role as Jon Snow on "Game of Thrones" cemented him as one of the most iconic pop culture characters of all time. Harington's character arc had him face danger and bodily harm for the majority of eight seasons, but just before filming Season 3, the actor suffered a personal injury that impacted his work. 

After accidentally locking himself out of his apartment, Harington attempted to climb into his own window and eventually fell ... hard. "I was an idiot," he told Entertainment Weekly. "The 'invincibility of youth' and all that. I couldn't even blame it on a film set." Because of the injury, the show's overall production schedule had to be tweaked, and some scenes even employed a body double in place of Harington. The team even had to modify the character's costumes in order to continue with filming. "We cut the back out of his [costume] boot so that he could put it on without having to actually step into it and just bound it to his leg," designer Michele Clapton shared with Entertainment Weekly in a separate interview. "He managed really well, considering the amount of pain he was in." 

"I'm sure [the producers] were cursing my name behind my back," Harington told Entertainment Weekly. "I bought the line producer a nice bottle of whiskey because I felt so guilty."

Lena Headey (aka Cersei Lannister) and Jerome Flynn (aka Bronn) didn't have much of a relationship on "Game of Thrones," but off-screen, the two were allegedly romantic partners. After meeting on the set of "Soldier Soldier" in 1993, the pair reportedly started dating until they split in 2004. 

The bad blood between the two apparently continued on for years, even on the set of the fantasy juggernaut series. "Lena and Jerome have not filmed together [on "Thrones"] due to a bad break-up, " a source revealed to The Sun. "They kept the full extent of it secret but it was a very turbulent relationship and it has been very awkward on set ... [Lena] appears to have a genuine hate towards [Jerome]."

By the show's peak in 2014, the two were even rumored to have stipulations in their contracts that would prevent them from appearing in scenes together. "Jerome and Lena aren't on speaking terms any more and they are never in the same room at the same time," a "Thrones" crew member revealed to The Telegraph. "It's a pity because they appeared to have patched things up for a while, but now the word is they should be kept apart at all costs." 

While Headey has never directly addressed the rumored relationship, Flynn once commented at Nashville Comic Con (via Hindustan Times), saying "The last time I saw Lena we were speaking, so I wouldn't believe everything you read ... [The media] can get pretty desperate for stories ... Lena's a wonderful person and a wonderful actress."

Despite being a major character on the world's biggest show, actor Lena Headey experienced financial troubles in the midst of the show's popularity. Headey divorced her then-husband Peter Loughran in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. Soon after, news of her financial woes made the rounds, starting with gossip fuelbox TMZ. 

In 2013, the outlet revealed legal documents that depicted Headey's monetary issues as "dire." According to the report, Loughran had petitioned for half of the couple's $46,000 tax return from 2011, but Headey countered that she needed that money for living expenses to help take care of their child. Both of the ex-spouses' petitions were eventually dismissed, but the actor's claim that she "had $5 in her bank account" shocked "Thrones" fans across the internet. 

Some have contested the true nature of her financial status, but Headey herself has never publicly commented on the issue. What she has commented on, however, is the depression she faced as a result of the hardships around the divorce itself. "There's a lot of hurt and sadness and disappointment," she told More Magazine (via Us Weekly). "It's a mourning process, and yet nobody's died ... People who never get anxious always amaze me. The world could be breaking up and they're saying, 'Everything's fine!' Getting older and having kids, you learn how to become less serious about it all."

Before he was Aquaman, Jason Momoa exploded onto the scene as Khal Drogo, the dangerous Dothraki leader to whom Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) is betrothed. Many of Momoa's scenes on the show were known to be very graphic and often violent, with one scene in particular standing out to many: Drogo raping Daenerys on their wedding night. 

This scene was originally supposed to depict consensual sex, but it was changed within the context of the show. The intense nature of the moment was one of the first of many graphic sex scenes that would frequent the show's eight seasons. "It was important to depict Drogo and his style," Momoa told The New York Times in 2021. "You're playing someone that's like Genghis Khan. It was a really, really, really hard thing to do. But my job was to play something like that, and it's not a nice thing ... "

10 years before his NYT interview, Momoa had more troubling things to say about his violent scenes with Clarke. "I love [sci-fi and fantasy] because there are so many things you can do, like rip someone's tongue out of their throat and get away with it and rape beautiful women," he once said on a Comic-Con panel (per The Guardian). The actor later apologized for his comments on Instagram, saying "I made a truly tasteless comment. It is unacceptable and I sincerely apologize with a heavy heart for the words I said."

Before he was the gone-too-soon patriarch of House Stark, Sean Bean was known for other roles in franchises like "The Lord of the Rings." His character on "Thrones," Ned Stark, was the patient and strong leader of the Stark family until his (SPOILER!) shocking death in Season 1. But right after his time on "Thrones" was up, the actor was embroiled in a real-life scandal that was the complete opposite of the Westerosi father figure he portrayed. 

In 2012, the actor was arrested in London on harassment charges against his ex-wife, Georgina Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe reported Bean's behavior to the authorities after he allegedly attacked her, as well as sent her abusive text messages and calls. Bean denied the accusations and maintained that the incident was simply a "domestic row that got out of hand" (per The Standard).

Bean spent the night in jail in central London before being released on bail the next morning. Sutcliffe subsequently dropped the charges afterward. While he has not spoken out directly about the incident, he is not a stranger to such happenings. Bean and Sutcliffe had experienced a similar "row" back in 2008, where the actor was also arrested and released on bail the next day. In that instance, Sutcliffe (who had been married to Bean for just five months at the time) told the press that all was well between the then-happy couple: "Everything is ok. Sean and I are at home together enjoying the sunshine ... There is not a problem between us."

Maisie Williams portrayed Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones," a character whose family life is considerably troubled. Williams' own family life was also rough, with the actor's father forcing her into a cult at a young age. "I, as a young child before the age of, like, eight, had quite a traumatic relationship with my dad," she shared with "The Diary of a CEO" podcast. "And I don't really want to go into it too much because it affects my siblings and my whole family ... But that really consumed a lot of my childhood. Ever since I can remember I've really struggled sleeping." 

Williams revealed that her early years in the cult affected all aspects of her life, including school. It was also at school that a "turning point" occurred when a teacher asked the actor about her welfare. "I think a lot of the traumatic things that were happening, I didn't realize that they were wrong," she continued on "The Diary of the CEO" podcast. "But I knew, I would look around at other kids and be like, 'Why don't they seem to understand this pain, or dread, or fear? When does [the joy] come for me?'"

As Williams acknowledged her pain, she also recognized the complicated freedom that came with fleeing her father with her mother and siblings. "There's never an end destination for that freedom," she shared on "The Diary of the CEO" podcast. "And it comes from within. When are you going to let yourself be free from the pain?"

Actor Rory McCann endeared himself to "Game of Thrones" fans as Arya Stark (Maisie Williams)'s gruff but loyal companion, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. Similar to his rough-and-tumble character, McCann is known to partake in a number of outdoor activities, including climbing. But one of those endeavors turned deadly and almost cost McCann his life: he suffered a 70-foot fall in 1990, sustaining major injuries including a cracked skull, a broken arm, and a broken wrist. 

"I mean, I have a few bumps," the actor joked with Daily Record in 2017. "I'm in plaster nearly every year. I'm a bit like that." In a poignant twist of fate, McCann booked his first major acting role after that incident in the series "The Book Group," in which he played a climber who loses control of his legs after a scary fall. The show lasted two seasons and won multiple BAFTA Awards in the UK.

But both the fictional and real-life injuries McCann has faced haven't stopped him from living an active life. While filming "Thrones," the actor continued to stay "rough and tumble." "​​I've been limping for two or three months to be honest," McCann continued in his interview with Daily Record. "But the main injury was my shoulder over-stretching throwing too many snowballs in between takes in Iceland and I'm not getting any sympathy for that."

Veteran actor Charles Dance portrayed the sinister Tywin Lannister on "Game of Thrones," ruling over Westeros from behind the scenes. In "Thrones," Tywin took lovers to (arguably) spite his family members. In real life, Dance has made news with his high-profile romances. 

In 2004, he split from his first wife, Joanna Haythorn, after more than 30 years of marriage and the birth of two children. He proceeded to have a number of relationships with a series of women in the years that followed, many of whom were 20 or more years his junior. One of those women, Eleanor Boorman, gave birth to their daughter just months before he left her. It was even reported that Dance was spending time with an ex-girlfriend a mere two days after his daughter's birth.

As of 2023, Dance is in a relationship with Alessandra Masi, who is 24 years younger than him. The two met on a film set and, according to Dance, he's never been happier. "I feel 35. I probably behave 25. It's certainly been a period of change for me," he told The Standard. "Some of the time I handled [my personal life] well and some of the time I didn't. It was difficult to get back into family life after being away."

Viewers may know Josephine Gillan as the courtesan Marei on "Game of Thrones," but what they may not know is that Gillan drew on personal experience for the role before appearing on the HBO hit series. She had been working as a prostitute and an adult film actor under the name Sophie O'Brien when she saw an ad for a "Thrones" casting call that changed everything. 

In fact, the actor claims that landing a role on "Thrones" saved her from dark circumstances in her life. "'Game Of Thrones' saved me from a life of prostitution, and has made me a much stronger person," she told Daily Mail.

Gillan also detailed her troubled past, which included childhood sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, and a stint in foster care, to the outlet. She saw her casting on "Thrones" as a chance at a new chapter. "I was thrilled [to be hired] because it was an amazing opportunity to do some proper acting. But I had no idea how much it would change my life." By the time she got on set, her previous experiences made her feel natural in front of the camera. "They didn't need to show me how to do anything because that's how I earned my living," she told Daily Mail. As for the reality of the scenes themselves? Gillan had a more coy answer: "People ask me all the time if we are at it for real and I reply, 'Are dragons or zombies real?'"

"The Haunting of Hill House" star Michiel Huisman was not the first actor to portray Daario Naharis, Daenerys' loyal lover, on "Game of Thrones." It was actually "Deadpool" villain Ed Skrein who was first seen giving the Khaleesi the eye. 

The actor starred in three episodes of Season 3 of "Thrones" before being replaced by Huisman in Season 4. Some have speculated that the casting switch was due to Skrien's leading role in "The Transporter Refueled," while others reported that fans were not ... well, fans of Skrein's take on the role. But behind the scenes, Skrein said that "politics" played into his recasting. "My plan was to stay with 'Game of Thrones' for the long haul," he told Entertainment Weekly. "That was always my plan. I would have loved to. It was a wonderful experience, but politics led to us parting ways. And from there I just said, 'Okay, look forward, be positive. Keep calm and carry on.'"

Skrein may have left Westeros for a different view, but he still maintains a positive outlook on his future projects no matter where they may lead him. "​​ ... My mentality when things go well [is to] stay grounded and not get too overwhelmed by the hype, and it's [also] my mentality when the plans change."

In addition to Josephine Gillan, aka Marei, a number of actors spent time in the adult entertainment business prior to their time on "Game of Thrones." Sibel Kekilli, who played Tyrion's lover-turned-betrayer Shae on the HBO series, once went by the name Dilara and starred in X-rated films. 

Her past career was exposed by German tabloids, which prompted Kekilli to speak out against how people began treating her. "I've made some decisions in my life, I've gone down a certain path because maybe I did not have any choice ... And it was traumatic ... it's still traumatizing, it's painful," the German-Turkish actor later shared with Variety. " ... But I will say this: If you want to be a free woman, with a free will, if you want to live a life of freedom, you have to make a complete break with your culture ... "

Another actor, Samantha Bentley, had actually won awards in the adult entertainment industry before being cast on the HBO juggernaut. She recalled the audition process for "GOT" to Uproxx, saying "My friend had to film me in the buff reading the lines for the scene and we had to email the video to the casting directors."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, has been a victim of sexual assault, or is dealing with domestic abuse, help is available. 

• Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services. 
• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.