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Game of Thrones cast: From Jamie Dornan to Elisabeth Olsen, stars who tried to play your favorite GoT characters

Elizabeth Olsen has revealed she auditioned to play Daenerys Targaryen, ultimately losing out on the role to Emilia Clarke.

Olsen told Vulture about her audition, which happened about a decade ago. "When I first started working, I just auditioned for everything, because I like auditioning. And I auditioned for Khaleesi. I forgot that,” she said, calling it "the most awkward audition I’d ever had." She even auditioned with both a British accent and an American accent, just in case.

At the time, she had no idea how successful the show would be, but now she's just as GoT obsessed as the rest of the world.

"I’m just so deep in Game of Thrones that all I can think about is Kit Harington," she said. Unfortunately, she never got to be his onscreen aunt/lover.

Olsen isn't the only star who almost appeared on Game of Thrones. Here's a few of the other A-listers who almost had a shot at the Iron Throne.

Nicholas Hoult

(TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)
(TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images)

Nicholas Hoult famously auditioned to play Jon Snow. "I remember [the audition] because I was filming Clash of the Titans at the time, so I had long hair extensions. They gave me a ponytail and also a very patchy fake tan. So I remember being like, ‘This is probably not what they’re hoping for,’ and it obviously wasn’t," he told Page Six.

He would have joined a few of his former Skins stars, Joe Demspie and Hannah Murray, if he had been cast.

Danny Dyer

(GMB)
(GMB)

Imagine of Thrones world with Danny Dyer - maybe it could have had a Love Island vibe, leaving Sansa with a sponsored content deal and a summertime fling.

Unfortunately, the Thrones: Love Island edition did not come to fruition, no matter how hard Dyer tried. He wanted to play Night's Watch member Pypar, better known as Pyp.

"I've been up for it three times, I got three knockbacks," the EastEnders actor said of the audition process.

Gillian Anderson

(Dave Benett)
(Dave Benett)

The X Files star told The Daily Mail that she turned down roles on two hit shows, Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. “My 18-year-old cannot believe that I would turn down Game Of Thrones or Downton — things she loves to watch,” she said. Some fans believe she was in talks to play Cersei Lannister, so perhaps she needed more time to perfect her wine-sipping skills.

She's currently starring on the Netflix show Sex Education, so don't feel too bad for her.

Jamie Dornan

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Jamie Dornan could have provided the 50 Shades of Grey and Game of Thrones crossover content that literally no-one craves.

"I got some feedback that they thought I was too young for some of the old parts and too old for some of the young parts. I thought fair enough. Then the show came out and it was a load of guys who looked just like me! So I was like, ‘Oh right...’ They just didn’t like me obviously. I would have loved to have been in it," he said. Instead, he became Christian Grey.

Sam Heughan

(PA)
(PA)

"I’d always get so close! I’d be like, 'Guys, just give me a sword!' [Laughs.] Everyone was going in for those parts," he told Vulture.

He might not have made it anywhere near the Iron Throne but fans love him as the romance novel character come to life, Jamie Fraser.

Lily Allen

(Erika Goldring/FilmMagic)
(Erika Goldring/FilmMagic)

The singer said that she was originally offered the part of Yara Grejoy to act alongside her real-life brother, Alfie Allen. Her brother said the rumor was not true - which is lucky for viewers, as they would have had to see the siblings get a little too close for comfort on horseback.