Game of Thrones: the actors who have made a fortune

Updated
'Game of Thrones' Season 6 Premiere - Los Angeles
'Game of Thrones' Season 6 Premiere - Los Angeles



The long-awaited return of Game of Thrones to our screens brought some familiar faces back to the TV. Some of the stars were little-known before landing vital roles in the fantasy drama, and have become household names thanks to the international popularity of the programme. In some cases, this has proved exceptionally lucrative.

Time Magazine reported back in 2014 that the actors initially signed for six series, and that when signing for the forthcoming seventh, they negotiated large pay rises (although it made clear this was no guarantee their character would survive to star in the next series).

Time claimed that pay on the show depends on the tier that each actor has been assigned to, with the likes of Kit Harrington (Jon Snow), Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) in the top tier and paid the most.

The amount they will be paid for the seventh series has not been revealed, but Deadline claims that the top tier makes $300,000 per episode.

For some of the stars, this is just the latest in a long line of screen successes. Dinklage, for example, has had his fortune estimated at $10 million, so Game of Thrones is just another nice little earner.

Star fortunes

For others the show made them household names, and has taken them into the stratosphere. Kit Harrington, who plays Jon Snow, reportedly bought a £2.15 million property in North London with his earnings from the programme. This is in addition to a flat he already owns - and the start of an interesting property portfolio.

It has opened doors to a lucrative film career too. Harrington, for example, starred in the $100 million epic Pompeii last year, where he bore a striking resemblance to long-haired Jon Snow.

According to The Sun, another one of the stars to have made the most from their increased fame is Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen. She not only made it to the top tier for salary renegotiation, but has also gone from relative unknown to international star.

Her filmography for 2009, for example, includes an appearance in daytime drama Doctors, while for 2015 it includes playing Sarah Connor in Terminator. The newspaper says documents for her company show she has £302,000 in the bank, and owed £642,500 - but that she is waiting for payments of more than £1.7 million.

Lower tier

Maisie Williams (who plays Arya Stark), meanwhile, doesn't make it to the top tier of earners on the programme, but has made a decent sum. She revealed recently that when she signed up she asked her stepdad whether it would make her enough to buy a laptop. He told her it would cover 'a few laptops'.

However, for Williams, her pay packet may prove less significant than the fact it has proved a career springboard. She has landed a number of high profile roles since appearing on the show, and has recently been announced as one of the stars of X-Men: The New Mutants.

Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) similarly doesn't make the top tier, but has seen her career take off as a result of the show. She has appeared in Another Me, Barely Lethal and will star in X-Men Apocalypse later this year.

Maisie Williams Crashed a 'Game of Thrones' Viewing Party for Season 6 Premiere
Maisie Williams Crashed a 'Game of Thrones' Viewing Party for Season 6 Premiere




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