Why Game of Thrones Recast Catelyn Stark (& Why You Never Noticed)

One key ingredient that made Game of Thrones such a success was its superior cast. Many of these actors were largely unknown and became overnight stars after the show’s instant success. Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, and Sophie Turner went on to play lead roles in popular franchises like Terminator and the MCU. Actors like Sean Bean, Charles Dance, and Peter Dinklage had been established actors before the start of the show.

While there were fans for every House in Westeros, perhaps the most beloved were the members of House Stark, the honorable family who ruled the North. The actors who played each member of the Starks became synonymous with their characters. Sean Bean will forever be Ned Stark and Michelle Fairley stated that Catelyn Stark is her most recognizable role. Yet, Michelle Fairley almost didn’t get to play Catelyn as there was another set to play the Stark matriarch before her.

Game of Thrones Had a Rocky Start & The Pilot Episode Was to Blame

The Game of Thrones Original Pilot Had a Massive Problem

When Dan Weiss and David Benioff’s project Game of Thrones was greenlit by HBO, they shot the pilot episode in October and November 2009 for roughly $10 million. After screening it for friends and fellow screenwriter Craig Mazin, they received shocking feedback. Mazin only had two words, which he wrote in capital letters on a note: Massive Problem. The limited audience had trouble understanding the character relationships and the story completely confused them.

Many of these issues were rooted in the script, which underwent a significant rewrite to make the story and the character’s relationships more concise. The reshoot, however, didn’t just involve a revised script, it also involved the recast of several roles, most importantly Daenerys and Catelyn. Tamzin Merchant, who originally played Daenerys in the infamous pilot, was recast with Emilia Clarke. The producers felt that Merchant’s take on the character didn’t quite work, and neither did the chemistry with her co-star, Jason Momoa.

Emilia Clarke, a complete newcomer, looked slightly different from the book version of Daenerys, but won the filmmakers over with her charm and a “Funky Chicken” dance. Jennifer Ehle, who originally portrayed Catelyn, was also recast with Michelle Fairley. Ehle’s reasons for leaving weren’t her performance but a personal decision by the actress.

Ehle loved George R. R. Martin’s books, but she had a seven-month-old infant at home and felt that she needed to be with her baby girl to bond. Ehle didn’t feel emotionally ready to go back to work, leading to her choice to leave the show. Michelle Fairley was cast after the producers saw her impressive stage performance as Lady Macbeth. While Fairley wasn’t a star before Game of Thrones, the actress had steadily worked on stage and television since her debut in 1987.

Catelyn Stark in the Original Pilot Was Completely Different

Catelyn Stark Encouraged Ned to go to King’s Landing, Unlike Michelle Fairley’s Version

The original pilot featured Catelyn Stark as a woman seeking power, which is slightly more book accurate. She wants Ned to go to King’s Landing because it will advance Sansa’s chances of marrying the future king and becoming queen. When Maester Luwin delivers Lysa’s letter, which claims that her husband, Jon Arryn, was murdered by the Lannisters, Catelyn urges Ned to go to King’s Landing because of the political implications. Many believe that the showrunners changed that to make her more sympathetic. Additionally, the scene where Cat brushes Sansa’s hair, and they discuss Sansa’s role as the queen doesn’t exist in the original pilot, just as it doesn’t exist in George’s book.

Surprisingly little from the original pilot made it to the air. The scenes that survived are noticeably filmed on actual film rather than digital, with the crypt scene with Robert and Ned being one of the most obvious examples. Sharp-eyed viewers might also notice that Tyrion’s hair is much blonder in his brothel scene, and young Sophie Turner looks noticeably younger in her brief interaction with Cersei compared to her other scenes in Game of Thrones Season 1. Even though the pilot that aired on HBO left out many elements from the books, it set Game of Thrones on its path to becoming the most successful TV show of all time.