Behind the Scenes of "Game of Thrones": Dramas, Curiosities, Secrets

Think you know everything about Westeros? Well, the Night King thought the same—until he met Arya Stark. We dug through the archives of the Citadel and found facts about the most epic TV series of all time that will make you look at "Game of Thrones" in a completely different way. Brace yourself—it’s going to be painful (and very interesting).

Daenerys with violet eyes, a secret pilot episode, and George Martin’s turtles—we’ve gathered facts about the saga that conquered the world and will change the way you see it.

1. A Failed Start

The very first episode of "Game of Thrones" never reached a wide audience. According to the creators, the rough cut of the pilot was frankly a failure. Even basic things were unclear—like the fact that Jaime and Cersei were siblings. The episode had to be almost entirely reshot, and the actress playing Daenerys had to be replaced.

2. The Unmade Mother of Dragons

Originally, Tamzin Merchant was cast as Daenerys. However, after filming the pilot, it became clear that something was off. She was replaced by Emilia Clarke, who wore a blonde wig over her natural dark blonde hair. It’s now hard to imagine anyone else as Khaleesi, isn’t it?

3. A Pet for Keeps

The dog who played Lady, Sansa Stark’s direwolf in season one, was taken home by Sophie Turner herself. The actress admitted she had dreamed of having such a pet since childhood and immediately bonded with Zunni during the first days of filming. A real Stark with a real direwolf.

4. Overcoming Against All Odds

Joseph Mawle, who played Benjen Stark, suffers from dyslexia. Due to difficulties with reading and writing, and partial hearing loss, he had to read scripts from his assistants’ lips to memorize lines. True dedication to the craft.

Insider fact: did you know the now-common pronunciation of “Khaleesi” is incorrect? Linguist David Peterson, who created the Dothraki language, says the stress should be on the first syllable—“KHÁ-leesi.” All these years, we’ve been saying it wrong.

5. You Can Learn It—Free Lesson

Anyone can master the specific language from "Game of Thrones." A few years ago, David Peterson developed a conversational Dothraki course, now available to anyone interested. The language has around 3,000 words and is based on Swahili, Turkish, Estonian, and Russian. Rumor has it most words are derivatives of “kill” and “love.” Very fitting.

6. Street-Football with a Fake Head

To shake off unpleasant thoughts before filming a scene where his character’s head is cut off, Sean Bean used a prop head resembling his own and played football with it. Other crew members joined in. Extra emotions were released, and the scene succeeded. That’s how Starks prepare for death.

7. Names from TV

As the series’ popularity grew, so did the popularity of its characters’ names. Hundreds of children around the world have already been named after the saga’s heroes. Top five: Sansa, Brienne, Tyrion, Arya, and (oh, the irony!) Khaleesi. Imagine 20 years from now, Khaleesi Ivanova and Tyrion Petrov showing up at job interviews.

8. Trick Scripts

Due to the massive hype surrounding the project, "Game of Thrones" writers occasionally sent actors misleading scripts, sometimes depicting their characters’ deaths. Officially a joke, it also helped prevent premature leaks of the plot. Clever, very clever.

9. Monty Python Lives!

The series frequently references "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." For example, a Myrish soldier tells Daenerys in Valyrian that he “blows his nose in her direction” and calls her mother a hamster. These sophisticated insults originate from English phrases created by the famous comedy troupe.

10. Dragons—Are They Geese?

The prototypes for Daenerys’ dragons were inspired by various animals. Special effects experts admit that in scenes where Emilia Clarke’s character cares for her pets, their behavior was modeled after cats, their flight inspired by bats, and their movements on land mirrored geese. Yes, the deadliest creatures in Westeros were inspired by geese. Now you know.

Stat of the day: by the time season seven aired, the show recorded over 150,000 deaths, including minor characters and animals. Westeros holds the record for total carnage.

11. True Shame

Cersei’s punishment was inspired by real events. In medieval Britain, women who misbehaved were forced to walk naked in public to break their pride. For example, King Edward IV’s unfaithful mistress suffered such a fate. George Martin didn’t invent anything new—he just knew history well.

12. The John Snow Ultimatum

One of the series’ writers almost risked his own marriage over Jon Snow’s death. Actress Amanda Peet threatened her husband, who was working on "Game of Thrones," that if he “killed” Jon, their family life would end. Today, the couple is still married. Jon Snow reconciles everyone—even in real life.

13. Harvard Rules

Since 2014, Harvard University has offered a course on "Game of Thrones," exploring the links between myths, medieval legends, and the world’s most popular TV show. A fan’s dream: to get credit in “Valyrian for Beginners.”

14. Master of Disguises

Stuntman Ian White played the most roles in "Game of Thrones." He began as a White Walker, later played Gregor Clegane alongside two other actors, continued as an unnamed giant, and appeared in season five as Wun Wun, the wildlings’ ally. A true many-faced threat of the North.

15. Unlimited Budget

From the start, HBO spared no expense. For example, the Battle of Blackwater Bay cost over $8 million to film, and each episode of season six cost $10 million. This doesn’t include antifungal shampoo for actors playing wildlings.

16. The Million-Dollar Question

George Martin granted producers the adaptation rights only after they correctly answered: “Who is Jon Snow’s real mother?” The correct answer opened the doors to Westeros. And we’re still debating it.

17. Death of Kings—A Tradition

Each season claims at least one king’s life (Robert Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Mance Rayder, Balon Greyjoy, Tommen Baratheon). The most dangerous profession in Westeros isn’t the Night’s Watch, but the Iron Throne.

18. Jack Gleeson—Professional Villain

Jack Gleeson, who played Joffrey, appeared in Nolan’s “Batman Begins” as a sweet little boy. Later, after gaining fame in "Game of Thrones," he received a congratulatory note from George Martin: “Congratulations, everyone truly hates you.” The highest praise.

19. Violet Eyes We Never Saw

Originally, Daenerys was meant to have violet eyes. Emilia Clarke even wore colored lenses, but the creators decided the bright color would hinder her emotional performance. They were happy with the natural look.

20. Books Are Not for Everyone

Most actors didn’t read George Martin’s books. They preferred performing from scripts without consulting the source material, possibly to avoid confusion from plot differences.

21. Inspiration from a Terrarium

Martin admitted that his pet turtles inspired “A Song of Ice and Fire.” He loved imagining stories about their adventures, lives, and deaths. That’s where the saga’s roots lie—in a turtle shell.

22. Open Ending

George Martin hasn’t finished the saga he’s devoted 25 years to. He allowed the writers of the final season to create their own ending. So the show’s finale is the version of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, which explains a lot.

So there you have it. Behind the scenes of the loudest saga of our time, there were even more dramas, curiosities, and crazy facts than in the series itself.

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