Irish actress Michelle Fairley memorably portrayed the role of Catelyn Stark on HBO's Game of Thrones but only because the original actress, Jennifer Ehle, was recast. The TV series, based on the books by George R.R. Martin, was created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. Fairley played Catelyn from the very beginning of the series, but Ehle was first cast in the role and appeared in the infamous unaired pilot. Here's why Ehle decided to step away from Game of Thrones, resulting in a recast.
Catelyn, the matriarch of House Stark, was present for the first three seasons of Game of Thrones. She originally grew up as a member of House Tully before marrying Ned Stark and becoming the mother of five children. Catelyn was protective of her children, vowing to get revenge on the Lannisters for what they did to Bran and how they wouldn't give up Sansa and Arya. Following Ned's execution, Catelyn served as an advisor to Robb when he became the King in the North. She remained involved in House Stark's affairs throughout season 3.
Even though Fairley's portrayal was prominent in the first handful of seasons, her most memorable moment came in the season 3 episode titled "The Rains of Castamere." The episode featured the Red Wedding, an event named for the massacre that occurred when Robb, his wife Talisa, and Catelyn were murdered during the wedding between Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. The murders also included most of Robb's bannerman and were orchestrated by Walder Frey. The real mastermind, however, was Tywin Lannister. Ehle would have remained in the role up to this point if she hadn't left the series due to her own personal reasons.
Why Catelyn Stark Was Recast After The Game Of Thrones Pilot
Ehle worked on the Game of Thrones pilot when it was first filmed in 2009. That episode was poorly received by the network so the only option was a total reshoot. The pilot was mostly redone from scratch and included a director change in addition to multiple casting changes. One of those recastings was Catelyn Stark, since Ehle decided not to return after working on the unaired pilot. Ehle had just given birth to a daughter at the time and felt like it was too soon to return to work so she stepped away from the project. To fill the spot, the series went with Fairley.
Ehle's portrayal of Catelyn was never deemed a reason why the first Game of Thrones pilot failed since it seemed like not many factors of the original vision clicked. It's possible that the actress wasn't a fit, something she recognized and used in deciding to step back to spend time with her family. Stepping away certainly didn't hurt Ehle's career since she continued appearing in shows like A Gifted Man, The Blacklist, and The Looming Tower. She also appeared in big movies like Contagion, Zero Dark Thirty, Detroit, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, and the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy.