6 The Lord of the Rings Actors Who Also Appeared in Game of Thrones

Landing a part in a popular fantasy series is a big accomplishment for any actor. But being cast in two of them is a rare and exciting achievement. The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones are massive franchises known for their epic fantasy stories and numerous spin-offs featuring fan-favorite characters.

It would be amazing to play a role in one of these projects! These actors are now beloved by fantasy fans, and it’s fun to imagine what they’ll do next.

Sean Bean Fights for a Noble End in Both Franchises

Sean Bean is an actor who completely transforms into his roles, making it easy to forget who he is as you watch him. He’s appeared in many popular franchises, notably as Ned Stark and . Sadly, his characters didn’t survive in either of those stories, but that’s part of what makes him memorable.

Sean Bean’s performance as Ned Stark in Game of Thrones was outstanding. He perfectly captured Ned’s unwavering sense of honor and integrity as Lord of Winterfell. Bean consistently delivers powerful, emotional performances, and even knowing his character’s limited screen time, he fully committed to the role. In just nine episodes, we deeply felt Ned’s internal struggles and his love for his family. For those who hadn’t read the books, watching the scene of Ned’s beheading was arguably more impactful than anything that happened in the final season of the show.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Boromir is corrupted by the One Ring’s power. However, he dies a heroic death protecting the hobbits from the Uruk-hai, allowing them to escape. Sean Bean’s performance brought both courage and emotional weight to Boromir’s attempts at redemption and his final scenes. The impact of his death is even stronger knowing that the cast and crew were deeply moved while filming it.

Graham McTavish Defends Targaryens and Hobbits

Graham McTavish is a Scottish actor well-known for his work in historical dramas and fantasy series. He’s appeared in films like King Arthur alongside Clive Owen, and has been part of both the film and television versions of The Witcher. He’s also played characters in popular shows like Outlander and Spartacus: House of Ashur, and has had roles in major franchises such as Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings.

Before Game of Thrones, the series House of the Dragon features Sir Harrold Westerling as its titular character. Actor McTavish plays the role of King Viserys I Targaryen’s loyal protector. He previously attempted to join the original Game of Thrones, but couldn’t make it work with his existing schedule. Fortunately, a friend who was the showrunner for House of the Dragon let him know about the spin-off years in advance.

Graham McTavish is widely recognized for playing Dwalin in The Hobbit trilogy. He appeared in all three films as a key member of the group, and Dwalin is a memorable dwarf thanks to his shaved head and many tattoos. McTavish trained intensely for the physically demanding role, sometimes breaking the props while filming fight scenes.

Conan Stevens Makes Quick But Memorable Appearances in Both Fantasies

It’s not unusual for professional wrestlers to become successful actors, and Conan Stevens is a prime example. The Australian wrestler transitioned to acting in the 2005 film Man-Thing and has been playing larger-than-life characters ever since. Often, being very tall leads to roles as villains in fantasy projects, but it’s a way to get involved in those worlds.

In Game of Thrones, audiences had a complicated relationship with Sandor Clegane, but they universally disliked Gregor Clegane. Known as The Mountain, Gregor was a genuinely frightening character, initially brought to life by Conan Stevens in the first season. Though Stevens only appeared in two episodes due to scheduling issues, his portrayal remains a memorable introduction to the character for fans.

Conan Stevens played the character known as both the Keeper of the Dungeons and Bolg in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. While he appeared as Bolg in the first movie and received credit for the final film, the filmmakers originally planned to use makeup and practical effects for his character. Later, they decided to create the character using CGI and brought in a different actor.

Tolkien’s Blood Relative Adds Magic to the Two Universes

It’s hard to avoid making cameos when you’re a descendant of J.R.R. Tolkien! Royd Tolkien, the professor and author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings‘s great-grandson, has made a few small appearances in adaptations of his ancestor’s work – it’s practically a family tradition!

Actor Joe Tolkien briefly appeared in season five of Game of Thrones as a soldier allied with the Starks and the Wildlings. The eighth episode of that season, “Hardhome,” powerfully demonstrated the Night King’s strength, but also revealed that weapons made of Valyrian steel could defeat the White Walkers. While a small role, being part of such a massive television adaptation of a popular book series is a noteworthy achievement.

Royd Tolkien continued his family’s legacy by appearing in both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. In Return of the King, he played Golasgil, a Ranger, and even wore a wig borrowed from Viggo Mortensen because his own hair wasn’t long enough for the role. He also had a small part in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, portraying a Ranger Captain who participates in the burial of the Witch-King.

Chris Reilly Holds a Game of Thrones Record

Scottish actor Chris Reilly began his career appearing in British television dramas. While he’s well-known for his role in the historical series Call the Midwife, he’s also had parts in popular fantasy franchises like Game of Thrones and The Lord of the Rings.

Peter Reilly had an interesting run on Game of Thrones. He’s unique in that he played two separate, scripted characters throughout the series. In season two, he appeared as Tom, a Stark soldier, but his time was short-lived – he was killed by Brienne of Tarth. Just like that, he was gone.

Reilly returns in the fourth season as Morgan Lannister, a soldier fighting for the Lannister army. His character dies in the very first episode, though some fans believe he actually ‘died’ twice. He’s a memorable figure for viewers of the show.

In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, actor Reilly played a Dwarf Lieutenant. While he wasn’t officially credited for his role, he can still be considered part of The Hobbit franchise.

Jed Brophy is a Middle-earth Staple

You might not recognize the name Jed Brophy, but you’ve almost certainly seen his work. He’s been acting since 1991 and is a highly skilled background performer. He’s appeared in popular fantasy shows like Hercules, Xena, Legend of the Seeker, and The Shannara Chronicles, making him a familiar face in the genre.

Brophy made a brief, uncredited appearance as a Wight in Season 8 of Game of Thrones. It wasn’t a significant enough role to be listed in his official film credits.

Brophy is best known for his work in The Lord of the Rings films. He played various roles, including Elves and soldiers of Rohan. He also had a prominent role as one of the Nazgûl in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Nathaniel Pope played several roles in The Two Towers, appearing as both Sharku, the leader of the Orc Warg Riders, and Snaga, an Uruk-hai who complains about the food. He had a prominent role as an Orc in that film. In The Return of the King, he returned as an unnamed Orc involved in an inspection.

And there’s more to Brophy’s work! He appears in all three The Hobbit movies as the dwarf Nori. While Nori wasn’t a major character in the original books, because Brophy had worked with director Peter Jackson for years, the filmmakers gave Nori a more developed role in the films.

Brophy definitely left his impression! He enjoyed returning as an Orc, which suggests playing a monster character is a lot of fun for him. The character of Vrath was created specifically for Brophy, and he played the role for five episodes before the character was killed off.

2026-05-20 00:09