Tamzin Merchant – Daenerys Targaryen in A Game of Thrones

A lot of people love House Stark, or love Jon Snow, but I am a Targaryen loyalist–so filling our on-screen ranks is what gets me excited! Lots of casting news has hit in the last 12 hours (mostly from THR) for HBO’s A Game of Thrones (The first was that of Jaime Lannister), and now we have a Tudors and Pride and Prejudice vet taking on the role of the Stormborn.

I think the key for the Dany cast was young. Merchant has that look, but if you watch that episode of Showtime’s Tudors (as Katherine Howard–we only get a glimpse, but I dare say it’s a good one) she definitely is able to step it up in the rather sexual world that Martin brings to the table. My only possible issue is that I’ve always pictured Dany and those of her blood in general as rather exotic, and I’m not if Merchant strikes me as that from what (admittedly little) what I’ve seen. Still, the sensibility behind the casting has been ace thus far, and this is no different.

Previously we’ve had casting announcements of of Sean Bean (Ned Stark) and Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) Harry Lloyd (Viserys) Jack Gleeson (Joffrey) Mark Addy (Robert), and Jennifer Ehle as Catelyn Stark to go along with aforementioned Jaime Lannister being filled by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

A Game of Thrones is based on the novel by George R.R. Martin, the first book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series.