[TV SPOILERS] Best five actors in the show

[Pinkie Baelish]

1.Peter Dinklage (Tyrion)-Well, duh. Just watch his scene with Shae in Valar Morghulis, or the entirety of Blackwater. The guy can do comedy just as well as poignant, dramatic scenes, and deserves all the accolades he gets.

2.Lena Headey (Cersei)-Although her portrayal of Cersei is different from the books, I prefer her version by miles. Book Cersei is pretty much a pantomime villain. Lena humanizes Cersei to such great effect, that despite your hatred for Cersei, you can't help but feel a little bad for her when she's about to poison Tommen on the Iron Throne in Blackwater. Come to think of it, Blackwater is Headey's masterpiece on the show. That, and her amazing scene with Mark Addy in season 1.

3.Michelle Fairley (Catelyn) -Catelyn gets her fair share of hate from book readers, but I find it hard to display the same amounts of hatred towards the show version of Cat. Michelle's performance is subtle, but extremely powerful. Just look at the scene where she receives Ned's bones. The pain in her eyes is a fantastic bit of acting. Also really loved her scenes with Jaime, especially the second one. I cannot wait to see her burst into tears and laughter at the end of the RW-I'm expecting it to be similar to Walter White's breakdown at the end of Crawl Space.

4.Alfie Allen (Theon)-way, way underrated. He was easily the breakout star of season 2. Yes, better than Maisie, who was also terrific. It took horrendous amounts of torture to make most readers pity Theon. Alfie managed to grab our sympathy in season 2, when Theon was at his worst, which is a testament to his abilities. Like Fairley, he's able to convey so much without saying anything. The deranged look on his face after beheading Ser Rodrik, and the mix of horror and self-realization after displaying the orphans' bodies are just two excellent pieces of acting. Reek is an absolute gem of a character, and I can't wait to see him take on the role.

5.Charles Dance (Tywin) -Flawless, flawless casting. Yes, he seems much more likable than book Tywin, but that's to do with the writing, not the acting. His scene with Jaime in season 1 was a thing of beauty. Dance pretty much summed up the essence of Tywin in that one monologue. And much like Tywin, he pretty much dominates every scene he's in, which is a very good thing.

Runners up: Maisie Williams-the best of the child actors on the show(I don't count Gleeson, because he's 20.) Her scenes with Dance were great, and I absolutely loved the way she got choked up when she mentioned her father. I see bright prospects for her in the future. Fun fact: My high school English teacher used to have her as a student!

Nikolaj Caster-Waldau: The thing I like so much about NCW's portrayal is that he isn't playing Jaime, he IS Jaime on screen. If you see interviews of him, he has read the books, and he truly does understand Jaime. He perfectly showcases both Jaime's arrogance and resentment at being labelled a Kingslayer. And the great thing is, apart from the Alton killing scene, pretty much every other invented Jaime scene would not be out of place in the books, and that's largely due to NCW's performance.

[Khal Pono]

You're not going to find a lot of agreement for that opinion.

The only bad actor was that kid Arya killed in S1. That scene was terrible. Actually I take that back, Dontos was also terrible.

I agree that Alfie was superb in Season 2, with his many-layered performance; he brought so much humanity to his deeply flawed character and made us sympathize with a character committing despicable acts and making disasterous choices.

As for Dontos, I don't think it's fair to call him terrible, since he wasn't really given much to do by the writing team. I'm not mad at the writers for diminishing his role--they can only fit so much into ten hours, but I deeply missed the pantslessness of Dontos as described early in book 2. I thought, since this is HBO, we are definitely going to see a knight in full armor minus the pants. Oh well.

[bear_from_the_maidenfair]

So hard! But, after giving it a little though:

1. Charles Dance. Tywin barely registered with me in the books, but CD has such an imposing presence that Tywin has fast become one of my favorite characters. From his first scene carving the stag (and getting some jabs in at his son) to his cat and mouse games with Arya, every scene with him is perfection.

2. Alfie Allen. He's shown more range than arguably anyone else on the show - from his cheeky, slightly smarmy side early in the series; to his insecure, angry and frustrated side when he's being torn apart by his dad and sister in the Iron Islands; to his faux bravado when he takes over to Winterfell; to his desperation when he realizes he's gone too far to turn back. Hmmm... maybe he should be number one on my list.

3. Peter Dinklage. Anyone playing Tyrion has a lot of good material to work with, but Peter Dinklage just brings so much wit and joie de vivre to the role. I think he's the closest thing to an anchor the show has and, more than any other actor, I really can't imagine the show without him.

4. Conleth Hill. Perfectly captures Varys. Can't help but love his character even though I know I can't trust him.

5. Maisie Williams. Like Conleth Hill, she just does an amazing job of bringing Arya to life. She's had a lot of cute, spunky moments, but also some quieter moments (e.g., with Tywin) that convinced me she's the real deal.

Runners-up: Nikolaj Coster Waldau, Lena Headey, Stephen Dillane, Jack Gleeson, Sean Bean

I think I am the only one that doesnt care for Emilia Clark. She seems clumsy and bland to me...

I don't mind Emilia's acting (although I really dislike the character and her story arcs), but I wouldn't rank her anywhere near the top. I didn't realize until I tried putting together a list how many powerhouse performances there are on this show!

[Pinkie Baelish]

Emilia Clarke is solid but unspectacular, like Kit Harington. But she isn't good enough to make mediocre or average writing seem passable. Her whole "WUHR MAH DRAGUHNS I WILL TAKE WHAT IS MINE" shtick in season 2 was a bit cringeworthy, to say the least. Let's hope she tones it down a bit in season 3.

[Khal Pono]

I'll offer my list of the top 5 GoT actors whose performances I believe are under-appreciated. I love Maisie, Alfie, Charles, NCW and Peter as much as the next guy, but so much has already been said about their greatness, that I will omit them to make things interesting.

5) Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin. I love the way Sumpter embodies wisdom, experience and grandfatherly warmth and concern. The chemistry between him and Bran is wonderful to watch; you can definitely feel the love he has for those kids, and it's just heartbreaking when he has to leave them, dying unter the heart tree at the end of Season 2.

4) Kate Dickie as Lysa Arryn. I think she hit it out of the park in Season 1 depicting Lysa as a shrill, pompous, humorless and paranoid lunatic. She does justice to one of the books' most over-the-top characters, and I'm looking forward to her return in future seasons.

3) Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy. Despite stiff competition in a tale full of cruel fathers (Tywin Lannister, Randyll Tarly, Craster, etc.), Malahide is positively frightening as the grim patriarch of the Greyjoy clan. The way he delivers his lines chills, demeans and emasculates. WHAT ARE OUR WORDS? and IRON OR GOLD? Dude make me glad he's not my dad. I hope he has a scene or three in upcoming seasons.

2) Jerome Flynn as Bronn. Flynn draws out every bit of Bronn's most memorable aspects from the books: wily practicality; dark, sardonic humor; umistakable competence as a warrior and administrative assistant. But he also adds his own, unique sort of wry sheepishness to the role that cracks me up whenever he's onscreen. One of my favorite scenes in Season 2 occurs as Bronn appears from nowhere while Tyrion is giving Janos Slynt his comeuppance. Tyrion says to Janos, "You will take [this abuse] from me unless you'd rather take it from my friend here"; the look on Bronn's face at this moment is priceless! Somewhere between "awww shucks" and "I will slit your throat in half a heartbeat and sleep soundly thereafter"

1) Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister. This guy provides a staggering level of comic relief in many different colors--from inept and bumbling in Season 1 to vain and insufferable early in Season 2 to groveling and fearful later on. Then, in the Blackwater episode, we even see shades of courage and integrity as he begs Cersei to send Joffrey back into the field to rally the demoralized troops(though, as usual, his efforts are completely ineffectual). Hooray for Eugene! I can't wait to see how he handles his upcoming story arc.

Honorable mention: Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar. Bringing the magical, mysterious and inscrutable character of Jaqen to life could easily have resulted in a campy and overwrought performance. But Wlaschiha exudes effortless cool and mesmerizing charisma. He even manages to make those ridiculous "a man sees, a man hears, a man knows" speech patterns sound natural.

[Pinkie Baelish]

The guy that played Salladhor Saan deserves a mention. He looks nothing like the book version, but boy, did he nail his one scene.

"The one true god is what's between a woman's legs." :bowdown:

[BlackTalon]

I just want to add one as most of the others have been mentioned thousands of times now:

Stephen Dillane

While it seemed like he was miscast at first due to his look, he became Stannis to the point where he changed my mental image of what Stannis looks like. It boils down to great acting, and I cherish every single scene he is in.

Oh yes ... when the photos first appeared I could not see him as Stannis at all (back then I thought Liam Cunningham would make a great Stannis) but he has done a fantastic job, he totally is Stannis.

[ghost23]

The guy that played Salladhor Saan deserves a mention. He looks nothing like the book version, but boy, did he nail his one scene.

"The one true god is what's between a woman's legs." :bowdown:

"I'm not going to rape the queen, I'm going to fuck her!"

Great line from Salladhor. Hope they can find room for him in the future, otherwise it just makes that whole scene sort of pointless since he's unseen during Blackwater.

[indignant mushroom]

• Charles Dance
  
• Michelle Fairley
  
• Sean Bean
  
• Conleth Hill
  
• Peter Dinklage
  

Runners up:

• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
  
• Gwendoline Christie
  
• Lena Headey
  
• Jerome Flynn
  
• Ian Glen
  
• Stephen Dillane
  
• Rory McCann
  

As far as the "worst" actors go....That needs a thread of its own.

[K26dp]

It would be a lot easier making a "worst" list. Especially considering the size of the cast, this is probably the best casted television series ever.

My top 5 right now would be:

1. Charles Dance

2. Peter Dinklage

3. Maise Williams

4. Alfie Allen

5. Nikolaj Caster-Waldau

[King of the Road]

1. Iain Glen

2. Charles Dance

3. Peter Dinklage

4. Conleth Hill

5. Aiden Gillen

Runners Up: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Rory McCann, Maisie Williams, Alfie Allen and Lena Headey.

[John W]

It's hard to pick one single actor because they're all so great but I will say that the performance that just keeps getting better with repeated viewings is Conleth Hill's.

[Shadow on the Wall]

1. Conleth Hill

Absolutely incredible actor. He highlights the mystery and cunning of Varys perfectly. His scenes with Tyrion are both deep and hilarious.

2. Peter Dinklage

Aside from minor accent issues he delivers his lines unbelievably well. And whilst, yes, his script is an absolute gift, I'm certain most others would have failed to create the desired effect. The only thing that remains to be seen is the darkness in Tyrion's character. Hopefully that will come through in season 3.

3. Maisie Williams

Perfect Arya in every way. Really has me rooting for her.

4. Alfie Allen

Turned what was a fairly boring arc in the books (imo) into a deep and powerful journey filled with pathos. His interactions with Maester Luwin elevated this arc into something truly special.

5. Lena Headey

Seems to be going from strength to strength with her character. Absolutely nailed Cersei in Blackwater and I can't wait to see her portrayal of her in future seasons.

Runners up:

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Charles Dance, Jack Gleeson

By God choosing that was hard. The above actors are amazing but so too are many of the unmentioned (e.g. Rose Leslie, Iain Glen...the list goes on). I really think that the cast have been excellently chosen, on the whole.

[Chuck88]

Alfie Allen and Charles Dance are miles ahead of anyone else. And that's saying something.

3. Nikolaj Coster Waldau

4. Michelle Fairley

5. Maisie Williams

Sophie Turner, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Iain Glen, Aiden Gillen, Julian Glover, Conleith Hill or even Harry Lloyd could have easily made the list.

I have very high hopes for Kristopher Hivju as well following that Wildlings video

Edit: Donald Freakin' Sumpter as well. He was perfect in that role

[Waylin Stark]

I'm posting more than 5, and in no particular order.

Charles Dance

Lena Headey

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Alfie Allen

Jack Gleeson

John Bradley

Maise Williams

Iain Glen

Aidan Gillen

Mark Addy

Sean Bean

And of course, Peter Dinklage.

These are the best. The others are also very talented, but these 12 just seem to stand out.

[Darkstar For King]

In no particular order:

Alfie Allen

Sean Bean

Charles Dance

Harry Lloyd

Peter Dinklage

Runners up: Conleth Hill, Lena Headey, Michelle Fairley and Maisie Williams

[Nictarion]

Peter Dinklage

Harry Lloyd

Sean Bean

Charles Dance

Jack Gleeson (he said he's quitting acting after GOT, what a shame, he is so good.)

[Frost_Nocturne]

Season 1

1. Mark Addy (very believable as the older Robert; unmatched drunken bluster and the perfect ruddy voice. Unlike some I never felt as though he couldn't once have been a great warrior as well. Displayed a deep range of humor, rage, regret, and grief,)

2. Sean Bean

3. Conleth Hill (so underrated. To me he embodies his character from the book better than any other actor, and his voice seems effortlessly and naturally melodic, like he's actually singing songs he first heard from his little birds.)

4. Harry Lloyd

5. Maisie Williams

Honorable Mentions: Peter Dinklage, Charles Dance, Iain Glen, Jack Gleeson

Season 2

1. Alfie Allen (displayed an incredible range of powerful emotions while remaining believable; made the audience pity Theon as a tragic character before his real suffering had even begun. He was the pivotal character in two of the seasons greatest scenes, namely his interaction with his father in ep. 3 and the taking of WF / Rodrik's beheading)

2. Conleth Hill

3. Peter Dinklage (like Theon, this was his season to shine and he stole every scene he was in, with the exception of his brilliant conversations with Varys. I'm of the opinion that his affected accent often makes him sound as if he's trying to sound intellectual, which fits Tyrion's character)

4. Maisie Williams

5. Charles Dance

Honorable Mentions: Jack Gleeson, Patrick Malahide (hope he gets more screentime in S3), Tom Wlaschiha (did justice to one of my favorite characters in the series with a subtle and suitably mysterious presence, while remaining believable and dangerous)

[brighidg]

I can't choose just five so I'll do what the Emmys do:

Top 5 Actors

1.) Alfie Allen

2.) Charles Dance

3.) Jack Gleason

4.) Conleth Hill

5.) Sean Bean

Top 5 Actresses

1.) Michelle Fairley

2.) Rose Leslie

3.) Maisie Williams

4.) Sophie Turner

5.) Lena Headey

[locke and key]

Have to say even though I'm not a big fan of the character I thought Stephen Dillane absolutely nailed stannis baratheon

I'm also a big fan of Michelle fairley's cat, rory Mcann's Hound, conleth Hill's varys and Charles dance's tywin