Dark Secrets The Cast Of Game Of Thrones Tried To Hide

There's more than just one Hall of Faces on HBO hit "Game of Thrones" — the massive cast of the equally massive fantasy series is made up of the faces of a number of stars, up-and-comers, and talented creatives so that the cast list is basically its own metaphorical Hall of Faces. But some of the actors who made the show so memorable have hidden secrets, both good and bad, that they tried to keep hidden from fans. 

From Emilia Clarke's scary health battle to Maisie Williams' troubled youth, and even Charles Dance's tabloid-ridden romance history, the drama has certainly strayed from beyond the Westerosi walls — some for better, and some for worse. "The journey that I've been on with Daenerys, it's sharpened me as an actor, and because of the heights she goes to, it's forced me to find them within myself," Clarke shared in a behind-the-scenes video for HBO before the series finale in 2019. "And so anytime anything good or bad happens, you put it into her. So Daenerys is a tapestry of my entire adult life." What types of good and bad did the cast infuse into their roles? Read on to find out.

Kit Harington's role as Jon Snow on "Game of Thrones" cemented him as one of the most iconic pop culture characters of all time. Harington's character arc had him face danger and bodily harm for the majority of eight seasons, but just before filming Season 3, the actor suffered a personal injury that impacted his work. 

After accidentally locking himself out of his apartment, Harington attempted to climb into his own window and eventually fell ... hard. "I was an idiot," he told Entertainment Weekly. "The 'invincibility of youth' and all that. I couldn't even blame it on a film set." Because of the injury, the show's overall production schedule had to be tweaked, and some scenes even employed a body double in place of Harington. The team even had to modify the character's costumes in order to continue with filming. "We cut the back out of his [costume] boot so that he could put it on without having to actually step into it and just bound it to his leg," designer Michele Clapton shared with Entertainment Weekly in a separate interview. "He managed really well, considering the amount of pain he was in." 

"I'm sure [the producers] were cursing my name behind my back," Harington told Entertainment Weekly. "I bought the line producer a nice bottle of whiskey because I felt so guilty."

Despite being a major character on the world's biggest show, actor Lena Headey experienced financial troubles in the midst of the show's popularity. Headey divorced her then-husband Peter Loughran in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. Soon after, news of her financial woes made the rounds, starting with gossip fuelbox TMZ. 

In 2013, the outlet revealed legal documents that depicted Headey's monetary issues as "dire." According to the report, Loughran had petitioned for half of the couple's $46,000 tax return from 2011, but Headey countered that she needed that money for living expenses to help take care of their child. Both of the ex-spouses' petitions were eventually dismissed, but the actor's claim that she "had $5 in her bank account" shocked "Thrones" fans across the internet. 

Some have contested the true nature of her financial status, but Headey herself has never publicly commented on the issue. What she has commented on, however, is the depression she faced as a result of the hardships around the divorce itself. "There's a lot of hurt and sadness and disappointment," she told More Magazine (via Us Weekly). "It's a mourning process, and yet nobody's died ... People who never get anxious always amaze me. The world could be breaking up and they're saying, 'Everything's fine!' Getting older and having kids, you learn how to become less serious about it all."

Before he was the gone-too-soon patriarch of House Stark, Sean Bean was known for other roles in franchises like "The Lord of the Rings." His character on "Thrones," Ned Stark, was the patient and strong leader of the Stark family until his (SPOILER!) shocking death in Season 1. But right after his time on "Thrones" was up, the actor was embroiled in a real-life scandal that was the complete opposite of the Westerosi father figure he portrayed. 

In 2012, the actor was arrested in London on harassment charges against his ex-wife, Georgina Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe reported Bean's behavior to the authorities after he allegedly attacked her, as well as sent her abusive text messages and calls. Bean denied the accusations and maintained that the incident was simply a "domestic row that got out of hand" (per The Standard).

Bean spent the night in jail in central London before being released on bail the next morning. Sutcliffe subsequently dropped the charges afterward. While he has not spoken out directly about the incident, he is not a stranger to such happenings. Bean and Sutcliffe had experienced a similar "row" back in 2008, where the actor was also arrested and released on bail the next day. In that instance, Sutcliffe (who had been married to Bean for just five months at the time) told the press that all was well between the then-happy couple: "Everything is ok. Sean and I are at home together enjoying the sunshine ... There is not a problem between us."

Actor Rory McCann endeared himself to "Game of Thrones" fans as Arya Stark (Maisie Williams)'s gruff but loyal companion, Sandor "The Hound" Clegane. Similar to his rough-and-tumble character, McCann is known to partake in a number of outdoor activities, including climbing. But one of those endeavors turned deadly and almost cost McCann his life: he suffered a 70-foot fall in 1990, sustaining major injuries including a cracked skull, a broken arm, and a broken wrist. 

"I mean, I have a few bumps," the actor joked with Daily Record in 2017. "I'm in plaster nearly every year. I'm a bit like that." In a poignant twist of fate, McCann booked his first major acting role after that incident in the series "The Book Group," in which he played a climber who loses control of his legs after a scary fall. The show lasted two seasons and won multiple BAFTA Awards in the UK.

But both the fictional and real-life injuries McCann has faced haven't stopped him from living an active life. While filming "Thrones," the actor continued to stay "rough and tumble." "​​I've been limping for two or three months to be honest," McCann continued in his interview with Daily Record. "But the main injury was my shoulder over-stretching throwing too many snowballs in between takes in Iceland and I'm not getting any sympathy for that."

Viewers may know Josephine Gillan as the courtesan Marei on "Game of Thrones," but what they may not know is that Gillan drew on personal experience for the role before appearing on the HBO hit series. She had been working as a prostitute and an adult film actor under the name Sophie O'Brien when she saw an ad for a "Thrones" casting call that changed everything. 

In fact, the actor claims that landing a role on "Thrones" saved her from dark circumstances in her life. "'Game Of Thrones' saved me from a life of prostitution, and has made me a much stronger person," she told Daily Mail.

Gillan also detailed her troubled past, which included childhood sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, and a stint in foster care, to the outlet. She saw her casting on "Thrones" as a chance at a new chapter. "I was thrilled [to be hired] because it was an amazing opportunity to do some proper acting. But I had no idea how much it would change my life." By the time she got on set, her previous experiences made her feel natural in front of the camera. "They didn't need to show me how to do anything because that's how I earned my living," she told Daily Mail. As for the reality of the scenes themselves? Gillan had a more coy answer: "People ask me all the time if we are at it for real and I reply, 'Are dragons or zombies real?'"

In addition to Josephine Gillan, aka Marei, a number of actors spent time in the adult entertainment business prior to their time on "Game of Thrones." Sibel Kekilli, who played Tyrion's lover-turned-betrayer Shae on the HBO series, once went by the name Dilara and starred in X-rated films. 

Her past career was exposed by German tabloids, which prompted Kekilli to speak out against how people began treating her. "I've made some decisions in my life, I've gone down a certain path because maybe I did not have any choice ... And it was traumatic ... it's still traumatizing, it's painful," the German-Turkish actor later shared with Variety. " ... But I will say this: If you want to be a free woman, with a free will, if you want to live a life of freedom, you have to make a complete break with your culture ... "

Another actor, Samantha Bentley, had actually won awards in the adult entertainment industry before being cast on the HBO juggernaut. She recalled the audition process for "GOT" to Uproxx, saying "My friend had to film me in the buff reading the lines for the scene and we had to email the video to the casting directors."

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, has been a victim of sexual assault, or is dealing with domestic abuse, help is available. 

• Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services. 
• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
• Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.