In a fantasy world, the appearance of characters is rather different to that of the modern, real world. Wigs, prosthetics, coloured contacts and more are used to transform the actors and actresses of HBO’s Game of Thrones into their onscreen counterparts. Here is a list of twenty actors and actresses who look completely different in real life to how their look on the silverscreen.

20 – Varys

Conleth Hill – the Irish actor who portrays the Spider, Varys – unlike a lot of actors on HBO’s Game of Thrones does not wear any facial prosthetics or a wig, but he does however don a bald head. Hill has thick grey hair and a moustache, whereas Varys is bald headed and clean shaven.

19 – The Hound

The Scottish actor Rory McCann who portrays The Hound – one of the most dangerous fighters in Westeros – wears a shoulder length wig, facial hair prosthetics and special effects facial make up in HBO’s Game of Thrones. The Hound’s onscreen appearance creates a stark contrast to McCann’s balding head, light stubble and unburnt face.

18 – Septa Unella

The English actress, Hannah Waddingham, who portrays Septa Unella – the woman who marched Cersei Lannister, naked, through the streets of Kings Landing while crying out ‘shame’ –
Starkly contrasts her onscreen character on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Waddingham had well styled, honey blonde hair, a made up face and is well dressed in figure fitting clothing whereas her on screen counterpart has her hair hidden beneath her headdress, is plain faced and wears loose fitting, conservative grey clothing.

17 – Leaf (Children of the Forest)

Kae Alexander, the Japanese actress who portrayed Leaf – the leader of the Children of the Forest – wore yellow contacts, full body prosthetics and a greyish green wig on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Alexander endured a process that latest between nine and ten hours to be transformed into Leaf. Her off screen appearance contrasts sharply with that of Leaf’s because she has long, black hair, tanned skin and wide dark eyes.

16 – Wun Wun

Welsh actor Ian Whyte, who portrayed Wun Wun – the wildling giant – wore a large foam body suit and silicone rubber prosthetic makeup on his head on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Whyte – while being extremely tall off screen at the height of seven foot, eleven inches – is slenderly built, has short dark brown hair and a slim face.

15 – Osha

Although the English actress, Natalie Tena, who portrays Osha – the wildling woman who cares and protects Bran and Rickon Stark on HBO’s Game of Thrones – does not wear any facial prosthetics or even a wig, she does look entirely different from her on screen character. Tena often has well styled hair, a made-up face and a fun style of clothing whereas Osha has wild hair, a dirty face and ragged clothes.

14 – Yara Greyjoy

Unlike the actresses who portray the other queens in Westeros, Gemma Whelan – the English actress who portrays Yara Greyjoy, the believed to be rightful Queen of the Iron Islands – does not wear a wig on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Whelan has a lightly made up face, neatly styled hair and femininely cut clothing whereas Yara has a plain face, windswept hair and masculine style clothing

13 – The Waif

Faye Marsay – the English actress who portrays the Waif, an acolyte of the Faceless Man – wears her bobbed hair in a braided style, has a plain and sometimes dirty face, and wears loose fitting, plain coloured clothing. Marsay wears her hair sleeked back stylishly, her face well made up and wears modern, fitted clothing that suits her frame.

12 – The Night King

Richard Brake – the Welsh actor who portrays the Night King (In Season 5 before he was recast), the leader and creator of the undead army that has now entered Westeros – dons full bodied prospects and coloured contacts on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Brake has medium length, honey blonde hair, fair skin and a well defined face whereas his onscreen counterpart has icy, blue skin, hauntingly electric blue eyes and ice horns upon his bald head.

11 – Karsi

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen – the Danish actress who portrayed Karsi, a wildling woman who fought with Jon Snow at the Battle of Hardhome – dyed her hair and had a plain, dirty looking face on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Hjort Sørensen has honey blonde hair that is styled elegantly, a well made-up face and wears stylish clothes that suit her tall but slime frame unlike her on screen counterpart who has ragged, dark hair and wears animal pelts.

10 – Jaqen H’ghar

Tom Wlaschiha – the German actor who portrays Jaqen H’ghar, a Faceless Man who trains Arya Stark – wears a wig and unfitting, plain clothing on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Wlaschiha has short, blonde hair and wears fitted, very stylish clothing unlike his on-screen counterpart whom has shoulder length red hair with silvery white strips and wears poorly made, almost ragged looking clothes.

09 – Brienne Of Tarth

Gwendoline Christie – the English actress who portrays Brienne of Tarth, one of the greatest warrior in Westeros – wears her hair in an unkempt, messy style, has a plain face and dons the intricately designed armour that Jaime Lannister had made for her on screen character on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Christie styles her short blonde hair elegantly, has a well made-up face and wears sophisticated and well-fitting clothes that suit her tall frame.

08 – Hodor

Kristian Nairn – the Irish actor who portrays Hodor, the largely built, simpleminded servant of House Stark who cares for and protects Bran Stark – dons a beard and has his hair cut significantly short, a dyed pale blonde. Nairn has longer hair that’s often spiked up, has tattoos and wears simple, casual clothing. He also dons a facial star tattoo that was removed via makeup on set.

07 – Pyat Pree

Ian Hanmore – the Scottish actor who portrayed Pyat Pree, a warlock from Qarth and one of the Thirteen – wore dark blue facial makeup on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Hanmore has some light white hair, though is mostly bald, and dons a plain face whereas his on screen counterpart has sunken in eyes with thick black bags and blue lips.

06 – Shireen Baratheon

Kerry Ingram – the English actress who portrayed Shireen Baratheon, the Stag Princess – wore facial prosthetics and dyed her hair darker on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Ingram has honey blonde hair and wears a made-up face that makes her look older whereas Shireen has Greyscale covering one half of her face and has limp, dark brown hair.

05 – Gilly

Hannah Murray – the English actress who portrays Gilly, the wildling lover of Sam Tarly – like her fellow wildling women actresses dons a dirty, plain face and wild, unkempt hair that she dyed for HBO’s Game of Thrones. Murray has lighter hair that is styled in neat waves, an elegantly made up face and wears tightly fitted clothing whereas her onscreen counterpart wears animal pelts and then plain dresses.

04 – Viserys Targaryen

Much like Emilia Clarke, the English actress who portrays his on-screen sister, English actor Harry Lloyd wore a lace front wig for his short stint on HBO’s Game of Thrones as Viserys Targaryen, the exiled heir to the Iron Throne. Lloyd endured a two hour process every morning in order to transform into the unhinged prince whose shoulder length, silvery curls and pale eyebrows were the complete opposite to his own short styled, black hair and dark eyebrows.

03 – Robert Baratheon

Mark Addy – the English actor who portrayed Robert Baratheon, the Stag King – wore a wig and donned a wiry beard on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Addy has extremely short hair and is clean shaven, and is slightly slimmer in build that his onscreen counterpart.

02 – Euron Greyjoy

Pilou Asabaek – the Danish actor who portrays Euron Greyjoy, the captain of the Silence and king of the Iron Islands – wears facial prosthetics, a beard and black lined eyes on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Asabaek has a face lightly lined with stubble and does not have a scar beneath his left eye.

01 – Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke, the English actress who portrays the ‘Dragon Queen’ – Daenerys Targaryen – wears a waist length, lace front wig on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Clarke’s off-screen appearance – which consists of shoulder length, dark brown hair and dark brows – contrasts with the silvery hair and pale eyebrows of the Mother of Dragons