7 ‘Game of Thrones’ Facts You Probably Never Knew

Game of Thrones fans are some of the best in the industry, mainly because they’re always so involved. From the books to the show, a large chunk of this fanbase knows everything there is to know about the world of Westeros.

At least, they think they do.

With its enormous cast and various locations, Game of Thrones has plenty of secrets hidden behind the scenes. So many, in fact, that even the biggest fans in the world have a hard time keeping up with them all.

If you think that you’re among the best of the best, and your soul actually resides in Winterfell, check out these seven facts that only die hard Game of Thrones fans would know.

Ramsay Was Almost Jon Snow

Ramsay Bolton is one of the most hated character in the history of Game of Thrones. On the other side of that coin, Jon Snow is easily one of the most beloved.

Well, did you know that Ramsay actor Iwan Rheon was almost cast as Jon Snow?

Back in 2016, Rheon told Interview that he was one of two finalists to play Ned Stark’s bastard. The other was Kit Harington.

It could’ve been so different. I’d be dead now,” he said. “I think they made the right choice; it would’ve been a very different Jon Snow if I played him.”

George R.R. Martin Had a Cameo

Game of Thrones has included a ton of celebrity cameos over the years, including a controversial appearance by Ed Sheeran earlier this season.

However, many fans have always wondered why George R.R. Martin, who created the book series, hasn’t appeared at any point.

Well, he actually has.

Martin had a cameo in the original Game of Thrones pilot, but the episode never aired. The episode was apparently so bad they had to recut the entire thing, and Martin’s cameo was lost in the process.

Sophie Turner Adopted Lady

In the very first episode of Game of Thrones, each of the Stark children was given a direwolf puppy, after a litter was found outside Winterfell. 

Sophie Turner took a liking to the dog who played her wolf, Lady, so she decided to keep it.

Lady sadly died on the show, but she was given a brand new life with Sansa off-screen, so it all worked out.

Jon Snow Had a Butt-Double

A ton of fans loved getting to see Jon Snow get undressed when he was in the cave with Ygritte.

It always sucks to be the bearer of bad news, but that wasn’t actually Kit Harington’s butt that was featured on-screen.

A year or so after the episode, Harington revealed to GQ that there was actually a body double standing in for him during that show.

The actor said that he had broken his ankle and couldn’t do that particular shot, so they had a crew member with black curls get naked in his place.

Arya and Sansa Have Matching Tattoos

Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner may only play sisters on the show, but the two are incredibly close in real life.

In fact, the pair are so tight-knit that they actually got matching tattoos together.

Last year, both actresses got tattoos that said “07.08.09” which was the date that both of them got the call that they had been cast in the show. 

Seven years later, that date still marks the biggest moment in both of their young careers.

The Show Films Fake Scenes

After the Season 5 finale, fans and media around the world were going crazy, trying to figure out if Jon Snow was really dead.

Jimmy Kimmel had Kit Harington on his show before Season 6 premiered and he continuously grilled the actor for spoilers. While Harington didn’t give anything away, he did say that they shot plenty of scenes that were never meant to be on the show.

He said that the producers would set up fake scenarios with characters that had no business being together, and they would film them in front of paparazzi. This would throw the press off so that none of the stories coming from the set could be confirmed as truth.

That just confirms the lengths that Game of Thrones will go to in order to preserve spoilers.

The Most Expensive Death isn’t What You Think

There have been scenes in Game of Thrones where dragons burn someone alive or a giant pops another man’s head, but none of those were the most expensive deaths on the show.

Earlier this year, at South by Southwest, creators Benioff and Weiss said that the most expensive death that has been shot belonged to Meryn Trant.

If you recall, Arya gauged Trant’s eyes out in the Season 5 finale, and that set the show back a few bucks.

Since they couldn’t really poke out an actor’s eyes, that entire scene took a lot of makeup and post work.

Photo Credit: HBO