Based on George R.R. Martin’s book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, Game of Thrones has become a pop culture sensation and cinematic masterpiece. It features intricate plotlines and unpredictable twists, which captivate the audience and make them open their mouths while watching.
But one intriguing factor that separates Game of Thrones is its lengthy list of uniquely fleshed-out characters. And that’s why people mostly love the series for its morally ambiguous characters that keep viewers hooked.
And now, it is hard to imagine Game of Thrones with different actors. After various seasons of bloodshed, drama, and adventure, we’ve grown attached to the familiar faces we know and love.
But the reality is, several of our beloved characters from the popular HBO series were almost played by different actors, just like the role of Daenerys Targaryen, which Elizabeth Olsen was eying on.
Elizabeth Olsen Auditioned For an Iconic Role in Game of Thrones
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast, Elizabeth Olsen recalled an audition she gave for the role of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke’s breakout role) — a decade ago for the hit series Game of Thrones.
During the chat, the actress explained that she enjoys the nerves that come with audition. She appreciates the creative freedom they offer, which sets her apart from many other actors. But there was one memorable audition that quite didn’t pan out as planned for the Wind River star — which was for GOT. As she recalled:
“I auditioned for Game of Thrones. I auditioned for, like, the assistant to the casting director in a small room in New York with just a camera on me and them reading the script.”
She added that she “was doing the Khaleesi speech when she came out of the fire.” Olsen addressed the experience as “awful” and said she “didn’t get a callback.”
Elizabeth Olsen Teased the Game of Thrones Audition as the Most Awkward
Elizabeth Olsen also said that her audition for the role of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones was one of the most cringeworthy moments of her early acting career. Olsen told Vulture in 2019, recalling reading Khaleesi’s monologue from the end of season 1 for the audition:
“It was the most awkward audition I’d ever had.”
She explained:
“After she just burned. And she’s making this speech to thousands of people about how she’s their queen. They didn’t know if they wanted a British accent or not. So, you did it in both. It was terrible. Anytime someone says, ‘Bad audition story.’ That’s one I remember.”
Despite her sour experience, Olsen became a fan of GOT thanks to one particular character in the series — Kit Harington’s Jon Snow.
Game of Thrones’ eight seasons and its spin-offs can all be watched on HBO Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Vulture
