Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Role in “Game of Thrones”: Accomplished warrior and incest-haver Jaime “Kingslayer” Lannister, whose character-building arc has proven one of the most satisfying of the show, and has seen him become a more complete man. Even if he is now incomplete.
Yes, But Where Else Do I Know Him From? Of all the many actors who owe a debt to “Game of Thrones,” Coster-Waldau may be at the top of the list, as without the gift of this role (in which, to be fair, he is superb) he’d likely be consigned to continue the streak of forgettable supporting turns in major pictures that take advantage of his square jaw, but not his way with a quip or an eyeroll. So after an early lead in the original “Nightwatch,” there followed a fair mix of TV and films in his native Denmark (truly, after Viggo and Mads, the land than just keeps on giving), as well as a small role in play adaptation “Bent” about homosexual persecution in a concentration camp. But the early ’00s was really when Coster-Waldau went international, getting in two episodes of the “Lock Stock…” TV show, as well as bit parts in “Enigma” and “Black Hawk Down” before landing a fair sized role as a rival tennis champ in “Wimbledon.” Then back to smaller duties in stuff like “Firewall” and “Kingdom of Heaven,” but the actor had kept his hand in Danish productions all the while and in 2011 that paid off, with his lead role in international hit “Headhunters” coming the same year he was cast in ‘Thrones.’ Since then he’s hunked up horror film “Mama,” played a resistance fighter-type in Tom Cruise vehicle “Oblivion” and taken a thankless role in Juliette Binoche vehicle “A Thousand Times Good Night.”
Fans Should Check Out: ‘Thrones’ is the best part he’s been given so far, though in a couple of weeks already you can check him out on man-candy duties once more in “The Other Woman” or you could hunt down his first bid for U.S. TV dominance in the short-lived supernatural detective show “New Amsterdam.
Natalie Dormer
Role in “Game of Thrones”: Margaery Tyrell, soon to be King Joffrey’s bride, but perhaps the one woman in Westeros calculating enough to survive such an alliance, especially when her gran’s got her back.
Yes, But Where Else Do I Know Her From? Dormer’s Margaery is only the latest in a line of sly and sexy paramours she’s played even at this relatively early stage in her career: she first brought some raunch to the usually tragic role of Anne Boleyn in “The Tudors,” went on to a recurring part in legal drama “Silk,” had a tiny part in “Captain America: The First Avenger,” a role, for her sins, in “W.E.,” and a leading role in shortlived BBC supernatural thriller series “The Fades.” Since ‘Thrones,’ we’ve seen her in tiny parts in “Rush” and “The Counselor,” but more memorably as perhaps the foxiest incarnation of Moriarty yet in Sherlock Holmes-in-New-York series “Elementary,” in which she is again, a sly, sexy paramour. Coming soon, though, is Lone Scherfig‘s “Posh” and the character of Cressida in the final two ‘Hunger Games‘ movies.
Fans Should Check Out: Margaery’s closest antecedent is Dormer’s Anne Boleyn in “The Tudors,” but arguably more enjoyable is her turn in the silly but kind of popcorn-munchingly engrossing “Elementary,” which is excellent entertainment of the “while I’m folding laundry” variety.
Jerome Flynn
Role In “Game Of Thrones”: Bronn, the lowly sword-for-hire who becomes Tyrion’s champion, friend and right-hand man. A big fan of drinking, killing and shagging.
Yes, But Where Else Do I Know Him From: Flynn has undoubtedly the most colorful background of any “Game of Thrones” actor. He broke through in then-popular British TV drama “Soldier Soldier,” and with co-star Robson Greene, unexpectedly became singing sensations with the help of Simon Cowell with easy-listening double act Robson and Jerome, racking up three number one U.K. singles, including a cover of “Unchained Melody” that was the biggest selling hit of 1995, and two number one albums. More TV work followed until, due to his friendship with “Law & Order” and “Batman Begins” actor Linus Roache, Flynn essentially gave up his career to become involved with a religious sect run by guru Andrew Cohen. Little was heard of him for the next decade, but he returned to acting for “Game of Thrones,” immediately reviving his career. He can also be seen at present in Victorian detective drama “Ripper Street,” co-starring Matthew MacFadyen. He’s also the half-brother of up-and-coming musician/actor Johnny Flynn, star of Anne Hathaway Sundance picture “Song One,” and Olivier Assayas‘ imminent “Clouds Of Sils Maria.”
Fans Should Check Out: Flynn’s pretty good as football legend Bobby Charlton in the otherwise underwhelming biopic “Best,” but since his renaissance, his best role other than Bronn has definitely been in the pretty good “Ripper Street,” in which he plays good-hearted bruiser Sergeant Drake. Flynn picked up a BAFTA nomination for the performance yesterday, and though the BBC cancelled it after the second series, it’s been picked up for a third by Amazon.
