Sean Bean
Role In “Game of Thrones”: Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, and, when the season begins, the newly-appointed Hand of the King. A noble man and good, albeit tough, father, but brash and not great at playing the game.
Yes, But Where Else Do I Know Him From? Bean was pretty much the biggest name in the show when it launched, essentially playing the lead character and fronting much of the ad campaign. A RADA-trained RSC veteran, he first reached stardom in the U.K. thanks to the long-running “Sharpe” series of costume dramas, becoming familiar in the U.S. thanks to villainous roles in “Patriot Games” and “Goldeneye” in particular. Other notable roles include “Ronin,” “Anna Karenina,” “National Treasure,” “North Country,” “Troy,” “The Island,” “Silent Hill,” “The Hitcher,” “Black Death” and “Percy Jackson,” but probably his most widely seen-role is that of the noble but weak Boromir in “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring,” whose treachery, and subsequent heroism, provides the emotional climax to the first film in Peter Jackson‘s Tolkien trilogy. Famously, Bean dies in almost everything he appears in.
Fans Should Check Out: It seems a fair assumption that anyone who’s seen “Game of Thrones” saw “Lord of the Rings” long ago, but it’s worth checking out Bean’s performance again: it’s a reminder of what a fine actor he is, and his death is one of the most moving scenes in the trilogy. But if you want to see Bean’s range, we’d recommend the “Red Riding” trilogy, in which he plays an incredibly evil business developer, or recent TV drama “Accused,” in which he played, with enormous sensitivity, a cross-dressing English teacher, and picked up a BAFTA nomination for his trouble.
Lena Headey
Role In “Game of Thrones”: Cersei Lannister, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, long trapped in a loveless marriage with Robert Baratheon, but secretly having an affair with her brother Jaime. Manipulative and icy, though in part because of the way she’s been treated by those around her since she was small.
Yes, But Where Else Do I Know Her From? Headey got her start while still in her teens, with a major supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in “Waterland,” followed by an appearance in the acclaimed “The Remains Of The Day,” and the female lead in Disney‘s live-action remake of “The Jungle Book.” Various costume dramas followed, before a U.S. breakthrough alongside Kate Hudson in “Gossip,” and a few years later, the female lead in Terry Gilliam‘s “The Brothers Grimm” (Headey was forced on the director by Harvey Weinstein, who wanted to cast Samantha Morton). A couple of years later, she had her most prominent role to date as Queen Gorgo in “300” (which she recently reprised in the sequel), before playing the title role in “The Terminator” TV spin-off “The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” Most recently, she played the villain in comic-book adaptation “Dredd,” and reteamed with Hawke on sleeper horror hit “The Purge.”
Fans Should Check Out: Again, her role in “300” is probably closest to the one in “Game of Thrones” (though the latter is infinitely richer). She’s also very good in Scandinavian indie “Aberdeen” alongside Stellan Skarsgård, does a pretty good job in “Gossip,” and is rather sweet and winning in underrated gay-themed rom-com “Imagine Me & You” opposite Piper Perabo and Matthew Goode.
Aidan Gillen
Role In “Game of Thrones”: Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, the Machiavellian Master of Coin, who’s come up from humble beginnings to become a powerful brothel owner and spymaster. Has long been in love with Catelyn Stark, Eddard’s wife.
Yes, But Where Else Do I Know Him From? “Game of Thrones” marks at least the third seminal TV series to star the Irish actor: after early roles in “Circle of Friends,” “Some Mother’s Son” and “Mojo,” Gillen came to fame as the lead in Russell T. Davies‘ groundbreaking British series “Queer As Folk.” This led to a Hollywood break as the villain in Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson sequel “Shanghai Knights,” before a Tony nomination for a Broadway run of Harold Pinter‘s “The Caretaker” brought him to the attention of the producers of “The Wire,” with the actor playing ambitious politico Tommy Carcetti from the third season onwards. Since then, he’s returned to villainous duties with John Cena actioner “12 Rounds,” Jason Statham film “Blitz” and IRA thriller “Shadow Dancer,” as well as a brief appearance at the beginning of “The Dark Knight Rises.” He also starred in the first season of cult Irish drama “Love/Hate,” and will soon be seen among an all-star Irish cast in “Calvary.”
Fans Should Check Out: Gillen proved a rather divisive figure in the Playlist office, with some staffers fans who believe he’s terrible in “Blitz” and others believing he’s terrible in everything but “Blitz.” We’d point the doubters towards a trio of excellent, little-seen British indies: 2000’s “The Low Down” (which co-stars future “Attack the Block” director Joe Cornish as himself), and 2010’s “Treacle Jr.,” both directed by Radiohead music video veteran Jamie Thraves, and last year’s excellent “Mister John” (trailer below) from Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, an Antonioni-tinged Thailand-set drama with a titanic performance from Gillen.
