Despite being aimed at a US audience and adapted from American author George R. R. Martin's novels, the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones is populated almost entirely with British actors. This has to do with the fact that it not only takes place in a medieval fantasy setting like Lord of the Rings, which frequently features archetypal British characters, but also a plot which draws inspiration from The War of the Roses between the noble houses of York and Lancaster.
Even though Westeros is largely based off of the United Kingdom and its diverse regions, thus ensuring many actors of Scottish, Welsh, and British descent, many non-British actors appear in roles with accents so convincing you'd never know they were in fact American, Danish, or even Chilean. One of the reasons the series continues to be so popular is due to the enormous talent on display from a diverse cast.
ACTUALLY BRITISH: NATHALIE EMMANUEL
The enigmatic and compassionate Missandei, counsel to the Mother of Dragons and lover to Greyworm, was played by the beautiful Nathalie Emmanuel. She was born in Southend-on-Sea Essex, England, and her breakout role came as Sasha Valentine in the teen soap Hollyoaks in the mid '90s.
Her accent in Game of Thrones was developed to approximate what the Naathi dialect would sound like, and resemble something exotic but dissimilar to the Dornish accent as the Queen's Advisor. To hear Emmanuel's real British accent, watch her in action in Furious 7, and listen to her as Deet in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
NOT: PETER DINKLAGE
To the surprise of many, the actor behind Tyrion Lannister's swagger and spunk isn't British, but American. Peter Dinklage was born in Morristown, New Jersey, and had acted in several popular films including Elf and The Station Agent before receiving the breakout role in Game of Thrones.
Dinklage's accent and commitment to the role of Tyrion earned him universal acclaim, as he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series on four separate occasions. Recently, he's had roles in films like Pixels, Thor, and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
ACTUALLY BRITISH: INDIRA VARMA
The Mother of the Sand Snakes may have spoken with the exotic lilt of the Dornish dialect, but actress Indira Varma is British, born in Bath, Somerset, England. She's appeared in numerous British dramas and comedies since the '90s, including Bride & Prejudice, Luther, and The Canterbury Tales. One of her most acclaimed roles was in HBO's other historical epic Rome.
As Ellaria Sand, Varma imbued the sister of Oberyn Martell with Machiavellian cunning, though she wasn't prepared to be outmanipulated in the end. Recently, Varma has appeared chewing the scenery in Carnival Row as Piety Breakspear, and Charlotte in This Way Up.
NOT: NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU
Though Jaime Lannister might have come off as a posh knight in shining armor on the series (at least in the first season), the man behind the most skilled swordsman in Westeros is Danish. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was born in Denmark, and shot to stardom when he appeared in the horror classic Nightwatch in his native country in the '90s.
Jaime's accent for Game of Thrones is what's known as Southern English, a softer "posh" sounding dialect to match his Lannister lineage. Coster-Waldau's Danish accent is quite pronounced when he speaks in interviews, but he's concealed it for dozens of other films, such as Black Hawk Down, Gods of Egypt, and The Other Woman.
ACTUALLY BRITISH: RORY MCCANN
One of the most controversial and enigmatic characters on the series, The Hound may not have resembled a fabled knight but by the end of the series, he exhibited all the hallmarks of one. Though actor Rory McCann is Scottish, being part of the UK technically makes him a British citizen, and viewers appreciated the parts of his brogue he brought the rough and tumble warrior.
Rory McCann was born in Glasgow, and has been known to his fellow Scots in series like The Book Group and Rockface. American audiences first took notice of him in Hot Fuzz, Clash of the Titans, and xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. He recently appeared opposite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Jumanji: The Next Level.
NOT: JASON MOMOA
Prior to playing Khal Drogo, Jason Momoa was relatively unknown. Conan the Barbarian came out in 2011, the same year that Momoa appeared as the Dothraki chieftain, and prior to that the actor had only appeared in genre projects like Stargate: Atlantis and as a recurring role on Baywatch.
Momoa was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, and raised in Norwalk, Iowa, but speaks with a West Coast accent from his many years calling California home. Speaking mainly in Khal Drogo's native tongue in Game of Thrones made it difficult at times to master his lines, but the role gave him international attention, which he's parleyed into a successful career in films like Aquaman and shows like Frontier.
ACTUALLY BRITISH: EMILIA CLARKE
Daenerys, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea and Mother of Dragons, was an alluring amalgamation of House Targaryen's aristocracy and the Dothraki passion, making her an impressive role for Emilia Clarke to take on despite having very few acting credits to her name by the time she joined Game of Thrones in 2011.
Clarke was born in London, where she began acting in plays at the tender age of 3, but had only appeared in a handful of British television series before appearing in the hit HBO series. Her breakout role snowballed into a series of film roles, including as a young Sarah Connor in Terminator Genysis, and most recently as Kate in Last Christmas.
NOT: PILOU ASBAEK
Pilou Asbæk joined the Game of Thrones cast late in the series as Euron Greyjoy, the brother of Balon Greyjoy, whom he murdered to secure the Salt Throne. Despite a convincing British accent, Asbæk is actually Danish, and was born in Copenhagen. In his native country, he's most well known for playing the complicated Kasper Juul on the political series Borgen.
Euron Greyjoy first appeared in Season 6, and by Season 8 had opposed Dany's claim on the Iron Throne and backed Cersei and House Lannister by sailing to King's Landing and pledging his fleet to her defenses. Incidentally, he had a rivalry with Jaime Lannister, played by fellow Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.
ACTUALLY BRITISH: JACOB ANDERSON
Grey Worm, the morally uncompromising commander of the Unsullied was a faithful follower of the Mother of Dragons since she acquired the additional moniker The Breaker of Chains, by freeing him and his men from the Masters of Astapor in Season 3. He was played by Jacob Anderson, a British actor and rapper.
Jacob Anderson performs under the stage name Raleigh Ritchie, releasing hip hop and R & B albums since 2016. He's appeared in a handful of British series, such as Broadchurch and the American-British produced Episodes, and while Game of Thrones gave him universal acting recognition, he continues to pursue a career in music.
NOT: PEDRO PASCAL
Prince Oberyn Martell was played by Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal, who brought gusto to the swordsman's appetite for wine, women, and dueling. Pascal was born in Santiago, Chile, but due to political unrest, his family sought asylum in Denmark before eventually moving to the United States.
Before appearing on Game of Thrones, Pascal had numerous roles in theater, as well as on television in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Good Wife, but his undeniable charisma as the rakish royal made him a household name. In 2015, he was cast as US D.E.A. Javier Pena in Narcos, and as Agent Whiskey in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Currently, he can be seen in the title role of the Disney+ smash hit The Mandalorian.