20 Game Of Thrones Characters Who Look Completely Different In Real Life

In the fantasy world, the appearance of the characters is somewhat different from the modern real world. Wigs, prosthetics, colored contact lenses and more were used to transform HBO’s Game of Thrones actors and actresses into their on-screen counterparts. Here is a list of twenty actors and actresses who look very different in real life to how they appear on the silver screen.

20 – Varies

Conleth Hill – the Irish actor who plays the Spider, Varys – unlike most of the actors on HBO’s Game of Thrones, he doesn’t wear facial prosthetics or a wig, but he does sport a bald head. Hill has thick gray hair and a mustache, while Varys is bald and clean-shaven.

19 – Dog

Scottish actor Rory McCann plays The Hound – one of Westeros’ most dangerous warriors – wearing a shoulder-length wig, facial wig and special effects makeup in HBO’s Game of Thrones. The Hound’s on-screen appearance contrasts sharply with McCann’s bald head, thin beard, and unburned face.

18 – Septa Unella

British actress Hannah Waddingham, who plays Septa Unella – the woman who leads Cersei Lannister, naked, through the streets of Kings Landing while screaming ‘shame’ –
Starkly compared his on-screen character to HBO’s Game of Thrones. Waddingham has well-styled honey blonde hair, a made-up face and is dressed well in form-fitting clothes, while her on-screen counterpart hides her hair under her headdress, is plain-faced and wears loose, conservative gray clothes.

17 – Leaf (Children of the Forest)

Kae Alexander, the Japanese actress who plays Leaf – the leader of the Children of the Forest – wears yellow contact lenses, full body prosthetics and a greyish green wig in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Alexander underwent a process lasting between nine and ten hours to be transformed into a Leaf. Her off-screen appearance is a stark contrast to Leaf’s as she has long black hair, tanned skin, and wide dark eyes.

16 – Moon

Welsh actor Ian Whyte, who plays Wun Wun – a wild giant – wears a huge foam bodysuit and silicone rubber prosthetic make-up on his head in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Whyte – although very tall off-screen at seven feet, eleven inches – is slim, has short dark brown hair and a slim face.

15 – Oh my

Although British actress Natalie Tena, who plays Osha – the wild woman who cares for and protects Bran and Rickon Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones – doesn’t wear facial prosthetics or even a wig, she looks very different from her on-screen character. Tena often has a great hairstyle, a made-up face, and a fun style of clothing, while Osha has wild hair, a dirty face, and ragged clothes.

14 – Yara Greyjoy

Unlike the actresses who play other queens in Westeros, Gemma Whelan – the British actress who plays Yara Greyjoy, who is believed to be the rightful Queen of the Iron Islands – doesn’t wear a wig in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Whelan has light make-up, neatly styled hair, and feminine-cut clothes, while Yara has a plain face, wind-blown hair, and masculine-style clothes.

13 – Abandoned Child

Faye Marsay – the British actress who plays Waif, a servant of the Faceless Man – has bobbed hair in a braided style, has a plain and sometimes dirty face, and wears loose, plain colored clothes. Marsay wears her hair neatly back, her face is neatly styled, and wears modern, fitted clothes that suit her body.

12 – Night King

Richard Brake – the Welsh actor who played the Night King (In Season 5 before he was recast), leader and creator of the undead army that has now entered Westeros – has a full lead and colorful contact in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Brake has medium length, honey blonde hair, fair skin, and a stern face, while his on-screen counterpart has icy blue skin, haunting electric blue eyes, and ice horns on his bald head.

11 – Opposites

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen – the Danish actress who plays Karsi, a wild woman who fights with Jon Snow in the Battle of Hardhome – dyes her hair and has a plain, dirty face in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Hjort Sørensen has elegantly styled honey blonde hair, a well-made face and wears stylish clothes that suit his tall but slimy frame unlike his on-screen counterpart who has ragged black hair and wears animal fur.

10 – Jaqen H’ghar

Tom Wlaschiha – the German actor who plays Jaqen H’ghar, the Faceless Man who trains Arya Stark – wears an inappropriate wig and plain clothes in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Wlaschiha has short blonde hair and wears close-fitting and very stylish clothes unlike her on-screen counterpart who has shoulder-length red hair with silvery white streaks and wears clothes that are poorly made and look almost tattered.

09 – Brienne Of Tarth

Gwendoline Christie – the British actress who plays Brienne of Tarth, one of Westeros’ greatest warriors – wears her hair in an unkempt, messy style, has a plain face and wears the intricately designed armor that Jaime Lannister created for her on-screen character in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Christie styled her short blonde hair elegantly, had great makeup on, and wore sophisticated, form-fitting clothes that suited her tall figure.

08 – Hodor

Kristian Nairn – the Irish actor who plays Hodor, the hulking, simple-minded servant of House Stark who cares for and protects Bran Stark – has a beard and his hair is cut very short, a pale blonde. Nairn has long hair that is often tied in a ponytail, has tattoos, and wears simple casual clothes. He also sported a tattoo of the star’s face that was removed through makeup on set.

07 – Pyat Pree

Ian Hanmore – the Scottish actor who plays Pyat Pree, a wizard from Qarth and one of the Thirteen – wears dark blue make-up in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Hanmore has bright white hair, despite being mostly bald, and has a plain face whereas his on-screen counterpart has deep-set eyes with heavy black bags and blue lips.

06 – Shireen Baratheon

Kerry Ingram – the British actress who plays Shireen Baratheon, the Deer Princess – wore facial prosthetics and dyed her hair darker in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Ingram has honey blonde hair and wears makeup that makes her look older while Shireen has grayscale covering half her face and has limp dark brown hair.

05 – Gilly

Hannah Murray – the British actress who plays Gilly, Sam Tarly’s wild girlfriend – like her fellow wild women actresses, has a dirty, bare face and wild, unkempt hair that she dyed for HBO’s Game of Thrones. Murray had light hair styled in neat waves, elegant make-up and wore tight clothing while her on-screen counterpart wore animal furs and plain dresses.

04 – Viserys Targaryen

Just like Emilia Clarke, the British actress who plays her on-screen sister, British actor Harry Lloyd donned a lace front wig for his brief stint on HBO’s Game of Thrones as Viserys Targaryen, the exiled heir to the Iron Throne. Lloyd undergoes a two-hour process every morning to transform into the unhinged prince whose shoulder length, silvery curls, and pale eyebrows are a stark contrast to his short, black hair, and dark eyebrows.

03 – Robert Baratheon

Mark Addy – the British actor who plays Robert Baratheon, the Deer King – wears a wig and wispy beard in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Addy has very short, clean-shaven hair, and his body is slightly slimmer than his on-screen counterpart.

02 – Euron Greyjoy

Pilou Asabaek – the Danish actor who plays Euron Greyjoy, captain of the Silence and king of the Iron Islands – wears facial prosthetics, a beard and black-lined eyes in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Asabaek has a slightly bearded face and no scar under his left eye.

01 – Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke, the British actress who plays the ‘Queen of Dragons’ – Daenerys Targaryen – wears a waist-length lace front wig in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Clarke’s off-screen appearance – consisting of shoulder-length hair, dark brown hair, and dark eyebrows – contrasts with the Mother of Dragons’ silvery hair and pale eyebrows