Game Of Thrones season 7 cast – full list and guest stars, from Emilia Clarke and Kit Harrington to Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams
GAME of Thrones is arguably the biggest television series of all time - and season 8 is still a ways away.
Who is in the cast and which character do they portray on screen? Beware of spoilers below, here's the lowdown on the Game Of Thrones cast...
Who are the main cast members in Game of Thrones?
Kit Harington (Jon Snow)
Jon Snow was declared the King in the North at the end of season six and if the trailers for season seven are anything to go by, Jon is back to battling against the fearsome White Walkers.
Despite gaining a loyal following since joining Game Of Thrones, Kit Harington is yet to replicate his success elsewhere.
His big screen appearences Pompeii, Seventh Son and Spooks: The Greater Good failed to score either critical or commercial success.
Kit's next project away from Game Of Thrones is Gunpowder, a three-part BBC drama based around the failed 1605 gunpowder plot.
Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark)
Game Of Thrones fans cheered for Sansa Stark as she fed evil ruler Ramsay Bolton to hungry hounds.
Fan theories suggest that Sansa's allegiance with Littlefinger might not last long into the new series.
Away from Game Of Thrones, Sophie has found success as Jean Grey in the X-Men movie franchise.
Sophie Turner made headlines in 2017 after finding love with pop heartthrob Joe Jonas.
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)
Season six saw Arya Stark avenge the deaths of her brother Robb Stark and mother Catelyn.
Fan theories suggest that Arya will reunite with Sansa Stark and Jon Snow in the seventh season, as well as coming up against Littlefinger.
Taking on the role of Arya Stark when aged just 13 years old, Maisie Williams has spent her entire teenage years on the Game Of Thrones set.
Away from Game of Thrones, Maisie guest starred in four episodes of Doctor Who and has recently been cast as Wolfsbane in X-Men spin-off movie, New Mutants, due for release in April 2018.
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister)
Tyrion's allegiance with Daenerys Targaryen has gone from strength to strength since their tense first meeting.
Season six ended with the formidable diplomat heading into battle alongside Daenerys, her dragons and army.
Fans will be hoping to see a reunion between Tyrion and his siblings, Cersei and Jamie Lannister.
Peter's other screen credits include X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Angry Birds Movie.
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister)
Cersei had quite a tough time in seasons five and six after falling to the mercy of the Faith Militant and being imprisoned and stripped of power.
Her naked walk of atonement soon became a keystone in pop culture and has even been spoofed by Family Guy.
Having destroyed her enemies in the season six finale, Cersei looks to be the biggest threat to Westeros.
Lena's previous acting credits include The Brothers Grimm, Dredd and 300: Rise Of An Empire.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister)
Jamie Lannister is one of the more complex characters in Game Of Thrones. His moral conscience becomes more prominent as the story progresses and the character becomes far more compassionate.
At the end of series six, Jamie was shocked to discover Cersei had destroyed the Faith Militant and killed the Tyrells, Grand Maester Pycelle and their uncle Kevan in order to take power and claim the throne.
Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has also starred in Gods Of Egypt and Black Hawk Down.
Nikolaj reportedly earns £2 million for each episode of Game Of Thrones.
Aidan Gillen (Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish)
Perhaps the most scheming character in Game Of Thrones, it's hard to ever truly grasp who Littlefinger is working for.
His recent alliance with Sansa Stark looks didn't last very long and he met his end to the wrath and fury of Ayra Stark.
Aidan recently starred opposite Charlie Hunnam, Jude Law and David Beckham in King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword.
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)
After a few years of faffing about and getting into a few fights, Daenerys Targaryen is finally making use of her dragons and has set sail for Westeros.
Season seven is set to see Daenerys attempt to dethrone Cersei Lannister on the Iron Throne.
Outside of Game Of Thrones and Emilia has launched a successful Hollywood career.
Emilia has recently been cast as the female lead in the upcoming Han Solo origins movie as part of the Star Wars Anthology series.
She's also known for starring as Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys and as Louisa Clark in romance film Me Before You.
Who were season 7's returning supporting cast in Game Of Thrones?
Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy)
Theon Greyjoy was last seen fleeing the Iron Islands and handing over a large fleet of battleships to Daenerys Targaryen and sailing to Westeros to help the Khaleesi dethrone Cersei Lannister.
In return, Daenerys promised to ensure independence for the Iron Islands and to place Theon as ruler.
Alfie Allen - the brother of popstar Lily Allen - has previously starred in action movie John Wick, Casualty 1907, Close To The Enemy and a stage production of Equus.
Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell)
After losing her family in the wildfire explosion at the end of season six, the Tyrell matriarch forged an allegiance with Daenerys Targaryen.
Expect to see Olenna Tyrell seek revenge on Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in season seven.
Actress Diana Rigg, 78, joined Game Of Thrones in its third season. She's best known for her work in 1960s series The Avengers and has also appeared in Doctor Who and Extras.
Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth)
One of the most formidable warriors in all of Westeros, Brienne of Tarth was last seen sailing into the darkness with her trusty squire, Podrick Payne.
At six foot and three inches, Gwendoline's physical stature matched that of George R.R. Martin's description of Brienne of Tarth.
The Game Of Thrones creator had said that Brienne is "unusually tall and muscular for a woman, but not freakishly so."
Gwendoline Christie's most high profile role outside of Game Of Thrones is Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
She's set to return in the sequel, Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December 2018.
Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont)
As one of Daenerys Targaryen's closest advisors, Jorah Mormont play a key part in season seven as his Queen attempts to claim the Iron Throne.
In season six, Daenerys sent Jorah to travel the kingdoms until he finds a cure for greyscale, a dreaded and fatal disease.
Actor Iain Glen, 56, has enjoyed a lengthy career across stage and screen.
His biggest roles include Ripper Street, Downton Abbey, Kick-Ass 2 and The Iron Lady.
Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran Stark)
After becoming a less prominent character in recent seasons of Game Of Thrones, Bran Stark is expected to be a significant player in season seven.
Fans are hoping to see the young Stark reunited with his siblings Jon Snow and Sansa Stark in the north.
Bran is played by 18-year-old actor, Isaac Hempstead Wright who has also appeared in Family Guy and animated adventure, The Boxtrolls.
Rory McCann (The Hound)
A fan favourite, The Hound seemed to cheat death by making a shock return in season six after Arya Stark had previously left him to die having already severely wounded him after throwing him off a cliff.
At the end of season six, The Hound was seen making his way north to battle the White Walkers.
Rory McCann's other screen credits include Hot Fuzz, Clash Of The Titans and more recently, XXX: Return Of Xander Cage.
Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei)
A translator and close advisor to Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen, the end of season six saw Missandei journey to Westeros to fight alongside Daenerys.
Game Of Thrones fans might recognise actress Nathalie Emmanuel from her role as Sasha Valentine in British soap Hollyoaks between 2007 and 2010.
More recently, Nathalie starred opposite Vin Diesel and The Rock in blockbuster motor adventure, Fast And The Furious 8.
Jacob Anderson (Grey Worm)
As the leader of the Unsullied and one of Daenerys Targaryen's most trusted advisors, Grey Worm is set for a dramatic seventh season as his leader makes her bid for the iron throne.
The latest trailer also shows Missandei ripping off Grey Worm's clothing. Audiences have seen the friends grow closer but it remains unclear how Daenerys would feel about two of her closest advisors getting romantic.
Jacob Anderson released his debut album You're A Man Now, Boy, in 2016 under the alias of Raleigh Ritchie. The album charted at 32 and scored mostly positive reviews.
Who are the newcomers and what role do they play?
Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent's role has been teased as being "significant" and the actor has described his role as "A maester, an archmaester. I'm an old professor character."
He's also confirmed that he will star in five of the seven episodes that make up the forthcoming season.
Audiences will recognise Jim Broadbent for his long and varied film career.
The 68-year-old has starred in several Hollywood movie franchises including Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Bridget Jones's Diary and Paddington.
Tom Hopper
British actor Tom Hopper has been cast as Dickon Tarly - brother of Samwell.
The role was recast after Freddie Stroma, who played Dickon in season six, could no longer commit to the filming schedule having been cast in ABC TV series Time After Time.
Tom is best known in the UK for his roles in Doctor Who and Merlin.
The British born actor, 32, found international fame in Black Sails, a swashbuckling historical adventure series based on classic novel, Treasure Island.
He's married to British actress Laura Hopper and together they have one son, Freddie Douglas Hopper.
Ed Sheeran
Not content with dominating the music charts and breaking almost every record in existence, Ed Sheeran joined the battle for power in Westeros.
Ed, 26, had a cameo in a scene with Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) after producers found out she was a superfan of the singer.
