WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR "GAME OF THRONES."
So you’ve grown attached to an actor on "Game of Thrones" and their character has just died. What are you going to do now? The character may have been an ass (Joffrey Baratheon), but it’s still sad to see them go. Jack Gleeson’s portrayal of Joffrey Baratheon was so amazing that I was actually sad to see his face turn an alarming shade of purple and lose all sign of life.
Here are some shows and movies where you can enjoy their acting without worrying that their mortality will be made an example of (unless that actor is Sean Bean).
1. Viserys Targaryen (Harry Lloyd) - "The Theory of Everything"
Although the gold crown–so graciously given to him by the Khal–did coordinate quite well with his platinum locks, he ditches the look for darker hair when he becomes Stephen Hawking’s good friend in "The Theory of Everything."
2. Benjen Stark (Joseph Mawle) - "Ripper Street"
After talk of his return stopped for a few seasons, then cruelly and unforgivably was used as bait to lure Jon Snow to his death, I think it’s safe to say that Benjen’s disappearance is pretty final. He trades in his long hair for long greasy hair as the sleazy-looking nemesis of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid in BBC’s crime drama "Ripper Street."
3. Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) - "Still Standing"
After being a successful, if somewhat comical, father and husband on the ABC Family TV show "Still Standing," Mark Addy thought he could take on Cersei as a wife and Joffrey as a son. Boy, was he wrong.
4. Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) - "The Lord of the Rings"
Sean Bean simply does not live through a role. He didn’t last long in Westeros and Middle Earth didn’t treat him so well either. (Is that even considered a spoiler? Anyone still vulnerable to "The Lord of the Rings" spoilers needs to get their priorities straight ASAP.) Before he wielded the powerful sword Ice, he held the horn of Gondor as Boromir in "The Lord of the Rings."
5. Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin) - "The Hour"
Before becoming the ill-fated wife of Robb Stark, (a classic blunder: never marry into the Stark family when death is on the line) Oona Chaplin was Marnie Madden on the BBC’s journalism-centric TV show "The Hour." She also has a wonderfully funny cameo as John Watson’s girlfriend in BBC’s "Sherlock."
6. Robb Stark (Richard Madden) - "Cinderella"
Although he was in a tie for my favorite of Ned Stark’s elder boys, he definitely takes top prize as Cinderella’s Prince Charming. (We’re going to have to disregard the fact that Chris Pine has a very good portrayal of Prince Charming in "Into the Woods" because if we included that, then we’d have to have them duke it out for top spot because there is obviously no clear winner there.)
7. Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) - "24: Live Another Day"
I’ve gotten quite sad because of how many times I’ve had to type out the name "Stark" in the last hour. But hey, at least Arya and Sansa are still alive for now. Anyway, from what I’ve seen, Michelle Fairley has been typecast as a sort of antagonist (likely because of her low raspy voice). One of her more recent roles was a woman causing problems for Jack Bauer on "24: Live Another Day." How dare she. She was also a rather disagreeable editor in "Philomena."
8. Ygritte (Rose Leslie) - "Downton Abbey"
Before "Game of Thrones," Rose Leslie had a very different role--one that didn’t require as much nudity. When her character left "Downton Abbey" to pursue her dream of being a secretary, she was really pursuing every girl’s dream of being the love of Jon Snow’s life. Good for you, Rose Leslie.
9. Jojen Reed (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) - "Love Actually"
Before befriending Bran Stark, (oh yeah, he's still alive too) Thomas Brodie-Sangster found love with the help of his father, played by Liam Neeson, in "Love Actually." Although he was much younger in "Love Actually," he looks much the same.
10. The Hound (Rory McCann)- "Hot Fuzz"
Several years before he grew up to be a big hound, and became a pro fighter with his words and a sword, he was just a little puppy who could only say “yarp.” Yes, Rory McCann was Michael Armstrong in "Hot Fuzz." There’s also a great scene where you can see Rory McCann fight Simon Pegg and lose. It's quite a sight.
11. Tywin Lannister (Charles Dance)- "The Imitation Game"
I’m not entirely sure that Charles Dance has ever been cast as a friendly or agreeable character. He is an insufferable man in "The Imitation Game," standing in the way of Alan Turing’s success more than once. He also has a brief cameo as a father in "Starter for 10," and if I remember correctly, he walks into his kitchen without any clothes on. The Lannisters would not approve.
12. Jon Snow (Kit Harrington)- "Pompeii"
Now, let’s be real, a single movie or show will not fill the void left by his (probable and not entirely final) death on "Game of Thrones," so you’re better off just searching his name on IMDb and watching everything that he has ever been in. But I’ll give you a few suggestions anyway. "Pompeii" is your best option if you’re looking to see him in action again. "7 Days in Hell" is different action. Kit Harrington has such a serious and somber image in "Game of Thrones" but "7 Days in Hell" is, indubitably, an unexpected role for him.

































