Top 10 performances from s1 till present.

[StoneColdJorahMormont]

Who is the top 10 performances since day 1 till present taking into account time they have had on screen, material given, material not given...

For example Dinklage may have ran away with this had his last 2 season not been disappointing due to lack of good material for the man, Lena may have always been high on the list but is she even higher now that she has been getting the best material to work with for the last couple of seasons and knocking it out the park ? Pedro Pascal gave a great performance as Oberyn but with it being so short lived is it right to place him above someone who has been maybe not the greatest performance in each season but very consistent and ever present like John Bradley as Sam?

 

Top 10 for me

1) Alfie Allen - just a rollercoaster of emotions, despite his more subdued performances since escaping the boltons he has always stole scenes whenever he is given good screentime and material.

2) Lena Headey - Like Alfie Allen her performance has been always in the very good to great range and is only beaten by Alfie because his time with the Boltons was some of the best acting I've seen in a Tv show but her final season may put her top if Alfie doesn't get much to work with and she goes full Mad Queen.

3) Peter Dinklage would have been tied for 1st if he had been as scene stealing as he had been in the first 5 seasons, not his fault as his character has turned into nothing more than a background character and Danys conscience. Give the man more drink and self doubt again!!

4) Charles Dance/Dianna Rigg Can't separate them both having been doing this far longer than most on the cast and it showed both stole scenes and both brought a lot of humour even when they were meant to be serious... both badly missed... if they had more central characters would be fighting for the top 3 spots.

5) Jack Gleeson -  I think a lot of people will forget this guy but for the few seasons he was on the show, he was on par with Dinklage and was the reason I enjoyed Lannister scenes over any other ones... as everytime he was on screen I truly hated but also couldn't wait to see or hear what he had in store next... again if he lived longer... he is another I might be placing higher...

6)Iain Glen - Personally the coolest mofo on the show alongside Bronn and His performance puts me in mind of Guinness playing Obi Wan Kenobi... when he is one screen and things are turning to shit his calm and confident acting/persona makes you feel like things will turn out okay... if he had more screentime due to my love for the actor/character he would be higher.

7) Liam Cunningham/Stephen Dillane - can't seperate them I miss those two working together both complimented each other so well and having seen them in other things I know just how good they are.... Stannis should have had more screentime and still be going and only till recently had Davos been getting more screentime but both have stolen scenes when given the material.

8) Jerome Flynn - He is almost a cameo character through popularity been given more screentime and kept alive... if it wasn't for Jerome's performance would his character have survived this long ? in the wrong hands he would not have gotten over so well with the fans..... if he had more of a central role he would be much much higher

9) Conlith hill/Aiden Gillen - This is tough on one list they may have been closer to the top but a part of me can't decide if it's their acting I think is great or it's just that the characters they play are so enjoyable and different from anyone else that I rate them so highly...

10) Sean Bean - without his name and seasoned acting skills the show might never have gotten over so well.... he needs to be in the top 10 despite how short lived he was.

Just missing out... Maisie Williams, Rory McCann, Michelle Fairley

Top 3 characters on the show : Tyrion/Bronn/Ser Jorah in no order.

[A Bong of Ice and Fire]

Have to go with Queen Lena. She's been consistently great. It helps that she has probably the most consistently interesting character on the show, even in this sub-par season.

Jon's and Davy's actors are functional at best, but they look good. Peter Dinklage is very good, but as you said hurt by his character being turned into a joke/idiot the last couple of seasons. 

Charles Dance was pretty much perfect. So was Diana Rigg. 

The Stark girls' actresses are functional, but that's all. Same with Bran's. 

[Jordan La Cabra]

Having read the books, I think my judgement on the actors/actresses' performances have been heavily swayed by how they compare to their character in the book. For that, my list isn't going to just be based on the 'ten best performances'.

1) Conleth Hill as Varys: I think more than any other actor, Hill really nailed his performance as Varys. Everything about him is exactly how I expected Varys to be: the look, the voice, the walk, the mannerisms. Considering he is from a town near me in Northern Ireland, his English accent is also superb.

2) Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister: From the moment he came on screen, you felt his presence as Tywin. His delivery of his lines was probably better than anyone else.

3) Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell: Like Dance, she is just a seasoned pro. When she was in scenes, she made the other actors and actresses raise their game.

4) Sean Bean as Ned Stark: Although it was only one season, his presence in the show is part of the reason people tuned into it. On top of that, he played Ned brilliantly.

5) Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister: It's a shame what has become of Tyrion since the show ran out of book material, but prior to that, Dinklage was brilliant when he was portraying the real Tyrion. It's no fault of his own that his character has weakened.

6) Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister: As much as I hate her character, she plays her so well. The fact I hate her so much, shows just how well she is pulling Cersei off.

7) Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth: He's not at all like that Davos in the books, but as a TV show character he has been excellent. I like that Cunningham has chosen to use a different accent to represent Flea Bottom. It is a shame not many of his cast mates stuck to a different accent.

8) Harry Lloyd as Viserys Targaryen: I thought this was one of the real underrated performances of the show. Lloyd was exactly what I expected Viserys to be like: arrogant, slimy and hateful. He nailed it.

9) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen: She may not be everyone's cup of tea. But I think when you see Clarke in interviews in real life, you realise how far away she is from Daenerys, so it is a true credit to her that she is able to portray someone so completely different to herself so well.

10) Kit Harrington as Jon Snow: Like Clarke, he isn't overly popular, but he has definitely got better as the show has gone on. In particular, he has been brilliant in the two most recent seasons of the show.

Honourable mentions for: Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon, Iain Glenn as Jorah Mormont, Rory McCann as The Hound, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaimie Lannister, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark and Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo.

 

[MinscS2]

9) Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen: She may not be everyone's cup of tea. But I think when you see Clarke in interviews in real life, you realise how far away she is from Daenerys, so it is a true credit to her that she is able to portray someone so completely different to herself so well.

Agreed. I think she get's a lot of hate for no reason, or for the wrong reason.
If I had seen some interviews and irl-spoofs with Emilia before I started watching Game of Thrones, I would laugh and say that there's no way that she would be able to pull of a believable portrayal of Daenerys. Emilia is simply way too happy, carefree, cheerful and mischievous.

Now her portrayal of Daenerys is far from flawless. I've always been a huge Dany fan, but I'll be the first to say that her acting at times left more to be desired, mainly in the first seasons. She's gotten increasingly good however, and now in season 7 she absolutely nails every screen she's in.
There's a reason why she's been nominated for an Emmy 3(?) times, and why she earns $1M per episode.

[Jordan La Cabra]

Just now, MinscS2 said:

 

 

Agreed. I think she get's a lot of hate for no reason, or for the wrong reason.
If I had seen some interviews and irl-spoofs with Emilia before I started watching Game of Thrones, I would laugh and say that there's no way that she would be able to pull of a believable portrayal of Daenerys. Emilia is simply way too happy, carefree, cheerful and mischievous.

Now her portrayal of Daenerys is far from flawless. I've always been a huge Dany fan, but I'll be the first to say that her acting at times left more to be desired, mainly in the first seasons. She's gotten increasingly good however, and now in season 7 she absolutely nails every screen she's in.
There's a reason why she's been nominated for an Emmy 3(?) times, and why she earns $1M per episode.

I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that the actors playing the 'heroes' are always going to be judged the hardest. Think of Harry Potter, even. The likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have always divided opinion in their roles as Harry, Ron and Hermione. We are seeing the same happen on GOT. Clarke and Harrington, and to a lesser extent Dinklage are the three that come under the most scrutiny.

Clarke and Harrington aren't the best actors in the world, but they have done a really good job of their roles, in my opinion. But some people would see that as a crime, simply giving them praise, as the characters of Daenerys and Jon are held on such high esteem. Those two are without doubt the two most difficult roles to take on, due to the sheer expectation that comes with them.

[Khorkalba]

1. Owen Teale as Ser Alliser Thorne
2. Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister
3. Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon
4. Conleth Hill as Varys
5. Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon
6. Carice van Houten as Melisandre
7. Mark Addy as Robert Baratheon
8. Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn
9. Peter Vaughan as Maester Aemon
10. Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark

[The King Of Cooked Steak]

1. Charles Dance
2. Peter Dinklage 
3. Lena Headey 
4. Alfie Allen
5. Jack Gleeson
6. Harry Lloyd
7. Nikolaj Coster Waldau
8. Conleth Hill
9. Michelle Fairley
10. Stephen Dillane

[Ashes Of Westeros]

1. Michele  Fairley as Cat. Her scenes were so emotional and true. Though I didn't like the character much, I couldn't help sympathize her. Her monologue about Jon and "we will kill them all" are among my favorite moments in the show.
2. Lena Heady as Cersei
3. Charles Dance as Tywin. Dance made Tywin much more interesting than in the books.
4. Alfie Allen as Theon. Allie was absolutely brilliant in every scene and all his emotions are as true as possible 
5. Pedro Pascal as Oberen. In the books Oberyn is a part of Tyrion 's arc, but Pedro did a great job making him one of the most remarkable characters.
6. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion, especially in the early seasons 
7. Stephen Dillane as Stannis. Dillane made Stannis really tragic figure in his desperate determination and lovelessness
8. Diana Rigg as Olenna
9. Rory McCann as The Hound. I recommend watch his audition on YouTube, where The Hounds tells a story of his burn. If it won't convince you, I just don't know 
10. Peter Vaughan as maester Aemon. 

I didn't list Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams not because I consider them bad actors but because their acting is very inconsistent. I blame the writing and butchered characters. But they have their moments. Recently I rewatched the scene where Joffrey made Sansa watch Ned's head on the city wall and she almost throw him down. I think Sophie nailed it.

[Woosh]

1. Jack Gleeson as Joffrey - it will be hard to picture him as anyone else, amazing perfomance and he built Joffrey into a very believable hated tv character. Kudos.

2. Peter Dinklage as Tyrion - amazing role played by an amazing actor, the show was built on him.

3. Iwan Rheaon as Ramsey Bolton - Delicious character played to evil perfection, loved every minute of him on the screen. 

4. Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell - A real old school actress, clever, funny and her final scene 'He really was a c*** wasn't he' who will ever forget that. Stole every scene she was in..love her.

5. Charles Dance as Tywin Lannister - Brilliantly played character, believable and utterly dislikable. A very intelligently played role.

6. Alfie Allen as Theon - What a difficult multi layered role, his Ironborn roots, his life as a Stark but not a Stark, and then he nailed a broken pathetic tortured man and we all crossed our legs a little harder that day!

7. Lena Headly as Cersei - You just can't imagine anyone else in this role..she IS Cersei and she built her into an unforgetable character with many difficult scenes. She's a bit lower on my list because I think the last couple of seasons she's become a bit shallow, but that's due to poor writing imo and lack of great material.

The Hound, Littlefinger, Bronn, Brienne, Davos, Stannis..all the actors did thier roles justice and I'll cluster them together. The fight scene with Brienne and the Hound is one of my favorite scenes of the whole series, brutal and super entertaining. Well played!

As for Dany, without being too critical I can't say she nailed the role, I can picture it played differently by a better actress, but she has played a very difficult character and we have ridden the show with her, so kudos to her. Again, I think poor writing and sloppy directing of her character has made her job very hard..huge huge role which should have gone to a very strong actress to do it justice.