Fans have been left shocked after finding out that Jack Gleeson looks unrecognizable ten years after playing the boy-king, Joffrey Baratheon, in the series.
Now, it’s been over 3 years since that opinion-dividing finale…
And it’s safe to say that fans are feeling the effects of that Game of Thrones-shaped hole in their lives.
Game of Thrones officially closed its doors in May 2019.
The popular fantasy series had a successful decade-long run, wrapping up after 8 seasons.
The show started out by introducing us to the 9 Great Houses in Westeros; Stark, Greyjoy, Arryn, Baratheon, Tully, Lannister, Martell, Tyrell, and Targaryen.
Following the death of Robert Baratheon, the show depicts a deadly game of control over the 7 Kingdoms of Westeros that ensues.
Fans immediately fell in love with the story and the complex characters.
After 10 long years (a pretty huge commitment) many of us had grown attached to the long list of characters.
But despite the popularity, the ending left many feeling disappointed…
Many fans complained that the events that unfolded in the final series were rushed, as well as criticisms surrounding the deaths and survivals of certain major characters, as well as the eventual ruler of Westeros.
So much so, the finale received the lowest ratings in the show’s history…
Picking up a dire overall rating of 4.2 out of 10 — compared to other episodes in the final series, which have earned respectable 8s and 9s.
Fans were left feeling sold short by the finale, which isn’t entirely surprising…
After all, having had the show in our lives for a decade, it’s not exactly ambitious to think that fans would get a little more than they actually got when it aired for a final time.
Since the show ended, some of our favorite characters have gone on to do great things…
So let’s take a look…
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau…
The actor who played the controversial Lannister brother, Jaime, has been busy since the show.
He co-created a starred in Netflix survival drama Against the Ice, which got rave reviews.
And aside from this, he’s had a few smaller roles, too.
The Silencing and The Day We Died were both fairly low key releases.
Nikolaj also embraced his romantic lead potential in A Taste of Hunger.
Jason Momoa…
Momoa was barely even in Game of Thrones, but he remains one of the show’s most popular characters!
If you need us to jog your memory, he played Khal Drogo, the husband of Daenerys, way back in season 1.
And although he didn’t last too long in the GoT universe Momoa has been smashing it ever since.
Aquaman, anyone?
The number of incredible projects Momoa has worked on has been truly magnificent — he’s even launched his own media company.
Nathalie Emmanuel…
The actress, who played Missandei towards the end of the show, quickly became a fan favorite.
She’s had a whole heap of roles since GoT — some of which you may have missed.
Emmanuel was in the rebooted of Four Weddings and a Funeral, comedy-drama Holly Slept Over, Netflix’s The Dark Crystal, and action-comedy Die Hart.
Isaac Hempstead Wright…
Bran Stark’s trajectory in the final episode of the show was the source of much controversy – but was has the actor been doing since the finale?
Well, he’s been working the screens!
He will soon be starring in the sci-fi movie Voyagers. Plus, look out for him in the crime thriller, The Blue Mauritius, too!
Emilia Clarke…
Not everyone was happy with Mother of Dragon Daenerys when the show came to a close…
She was the romantic lead in rom-com Last Christmas alongside Henry Golding.
Plus, she’s been flexing her vocal talents with a spot of voice acting in The Amazing Maurice.
Peter Dinklage…
The actor who played Tyrion jumped straight from Westeros into the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
Alongside Avengers: Infinity War, Dinklage has enjoyed a whole host of starring roles.
He has appeared in Netflix’s I Care A Lot and has been cast in movies including The Dwarf, The Wild Bunch, American Dreamer, and Brothers.
Gwendoline Christie…
Playing Brienne of Tarth in the series, Christie has taken on fewer roles but has still received rave reviews for her work.
She took to the stage in Britain for a role in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Christie was also in the remake of David Copperfield, which was beloved by audiences and critics alike.
Kit Harington…
Harington, who played the infamous Jon Snow, has appeared in Eternals, with his on-screen brother Richard Madden.
John Bradley…
Samwell Tarley was a fan fave character, and since the show, he’s been cast in rom-com Marry Me, and sci-fi action flick Moonfall.
Alfie Allen…
The actor who portrayed Theon Greyjoy has enjoyed a whole host of different acting projects since the show finished.
Allen starred in movie adaptation of Caitlin Moran’s novel How to Build A Girl, plus Taika Waititi’s Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit.
He’s also pegged to star in Netflix thriller Night Teeth, Nightwalkers, and La Cha Cha.
Sophie Turner…
There’s no denying she smashed it as Sansa Stark, but since the show’s end, Turner seems to have switched her focus a little.
She’s married Joe Jonas and the pair now share 2 babies!
But more recently, Turner has come back to the screen in a great turn in HBO’s The Staircase.
Maisie Williams…
Sansa’s little sister turned full-blown assassin, Arya Stark, was an integral part of the Game of Thrones finale.
Following the show, Williams made the deliberate decision to take some time off from acting, having worked on the show from the age of twelve until twenty.
But she has recently made a return to the big leagues, with a role in Danny Boyle’s Sex Pistols biopic.
And finally, Jack Gleeson…
Gleeson was best recognized as the ‘baby-faced king’ Joffrey Baratheon until the end of 2014.
But if you saw him now, you wouldn’t even recognize the star even if he told you he’s Jack Gleeson.
The Game of Thrones actor now rocks a mustache and hair length that reaches down to his shoulders, the Daily Mail reports.
Following his role in the hit series, Gleeson said he wanted to retire from acting because he didn’t like it as much as he used to.
Back in 2014, the actor told Entertainment Weekly: “The answer isn’t interesting or long-winded. I’ve been acting since age eight.”
“I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to.
“And now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun,” he said.
“I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do,” said Gleeson.
After taking a long break from acting, the twenty-nine-year-old returned to his acting career in 2020.
He played a role in a six-part comedy, Out of Her Mind, written by Sara Pascoe.
Although Joffrey Baratheon (happily) perished fairly early on in the series, Gleeson has shed some far happier news lately — he just got married!
Congratulations to Jack Gleeson!