Trivia: Standing four feet five inches tall, actor Peter Dinklage has had a prolific career both on-stage and in film. After graduating from college in Vermont, he studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London and the Welsh School of Music and Drama in Wales. He worked in several productions off-Broadway and wrote his own play entitled Frog. He made his film debut in Tom DiCillo's 1995 independent comedy Living in Oblivion as the dwarf in the dream sequence. He then appeared in Safe Men, Bullet, Never Again, and Just a Kiss before returning to independent comedies. In 2001 he had a substantial role in Michel Gondry's Human Nature, written by Charlie Kaufman. In 2002, he played Binky, the sidekick to the clown Bananas played by Steve Buscemi in Alexandre Rockwell's 13 Moons. His first starring film role was in Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent as Finbar McBride, a lonely misfit who shacks up in an abandoned railway depot. Also starring Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale, the film won festival acclaim at Sundance. In 2003, Dinklage can be seen in both the Lincoln Center production of Toulouse Lautrec and the Jon Favreau holiday comedy Elf starring Will Ferrell. After a supporting role in The Baxter found Dinklage appearing in one of the year's most off-beat romantic comedies, and the sci fi television series Threshold afforded him the opportunity to appear alongside Star Trek: The Next Generation star Brent Spiner, Dinklage would next share the screen with the most popular canine in film and television history in the 2006 family-oriented adventure Lassie. In 2005, Dinklage took on a starring role in Threshold, a short-lived science fiction series from CBS, and joined the cast of filmmaker Michael Showalter's comedy The Baxter, in which he played a wedding planner. The following year the actor would make waves in Ryan Murphy's highly sexed drama Nip/Tuck. After appearing in a variety of television roles (including a stint playing himself on HBO's popular series entourage) Dinklage once again teamed with HBO to join the cast of Game of Thrones. This proved a fateful decision on his part, as the adaptation of George R. R. Martin's popular series of novels would become wildly successful, in no small part due to Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, the "imp" whose political savvy and brilliant mind allow him to thrive in a world that is less than kind to those it perceives as physically limited. The role led to an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film in 2012.

Trivia: One of the latest in an illustrious line of British actresses to graduate from the English Rose School of Acting into the realm of full-bodied contemporary roles, Lena Headey first came to the attention of audiences in 1992, when she played the younger version of Jeremy Irons' wife in Waterland. Hailing from Yorkshire (though she was born in Bermuda in 1973), Headey originally intended to be a hairdresser. Fate intervened, however, when her performance in a one-off show in the company of six school friends at the National Theatre caught the interest of a casting agent, who contacted her drama teacher and subsequently cast Headey in Waterland.Headey's turn as a sexually adventurous schoolgirl in the film led to her being cast as a sexually adventurous maid in Merchant Ivory's The Remains of the Day in 1993. More period adventure followed that same year in The Summer House, in which Headey played a quiet young lass being forced into a 1950s marriage with an insufferable mama's boy. After another stint as a corseted virgin in The Jungle Book (1994), Headey finally got to take part in the latter half of the 20th century in the BBC miniseries Loved Up (1995), in which she played an Ecstasy-saturated raver. That same year, she took part in another BBC mini, Band of Gold, in which she further distanced herself from her period past by portraying a lesbian prostitute. Over the next several years, Headey would appear in several projects like Posession, The Brothers Grimm, and The Red Baron, as well as TV series like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Game of Thrones.The actress returned to period drama in Marleen Gorris' adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway (1997), which cast her as the younger version of the title character's best friend. More contemporary work subsequently came her way in Antonia Bird's Face (also 1997), a crime thriller in which she played the social worker girlfriend of Robert Carlyle's political idealist-turned-gangster. She also starred in the romantic fantasy The Man with Rain in His Shoes (1998) as one of the love interests (along with Penelope Cruz) of an out-of-work Scottish actor (Douglas Henshall).After supporting turns in the lavish made-for-TV Merlin (1998) and Onegin (1999), the latter of which featured her as Liv Tyler's sister, Headey crossed over into the realm of Hollywood teen-oriented offerings with Gossip (2000), a college-set drama that cast her as one of three students who start a nasty rumor about two of their classmates (Kate Hudson and Joshua Jackson). Although the film was a bomb, Headey's career looked bright with a number of projects on the horizon. Included amongst them was Aberdeen (2000), a road movie set in Norway and Scotland that also starred Ian Hart, Charlotte Rampling, and Stellan Skarsgård.

Trivia: The embodiment of the line "when Irish eyes are smiling, they're up to something bad," Aidan Gillen oozed ruthless charisma and wicked sex appeal in his role as the sexually prolific Stuart Alan Jones in the 1999 British TV series Queer As Folk. Bringing wry humor and understatement to a potentially over-the-top role, Gillen earned a reputation as one of the U.K.'s most compulsively watchable new performers.Born in Dublin, Gillen got his professional start in the late '80s, appearing in minor film roles. He worked steadily through the 1990s, in film and on television, popping up in such diverse offerings as Circle of Friends (1995), Some Mother's Son (1996), and Jez Butterworth's Mojo (1997). His major breakthrough role was inarguably that of Queer As Folk's Stuart, an arrogant, vain, and thoroughly sexy PR executive who strips countless men of both their clothing and resistance. The success of the controversial miniseries ensured that it -- and its talented actors -- would be back for a second go-round, which followed in 2000. That same year, Gillen found accompanying acclaim on the big screen, in Jamie Thraves' acclaimed directorial debut The Low Down, in which he starred as an amiable but frustrated commercial artist whose life changes when he meets a radiant, ambitious woman. He appeared in both My Kingdom and Lorna Doone, as well as the action comedy Shanghai Knights before joining the cast of the revered HBO series The Wire in that show's third season. When his time on that program came to a close he was in the action film 12 Rounds, and then was cast in the series Identity.

Trivia: Descended from a viscount who served as Britain's Secretary of War at the turn of the 19th century, and is a nephew of a baronet; the family is listed in Burke's Peerage. Originally planned to be a journalist before deciding on acting. Starred in the World War I stage drama War Horse in London immediately after graduating from drama school. Made his TV debut in Game of Thrones. Named the face of Jimmy Choo in 2015. Played the title role in Doctor Faustus at the Duke of York Theatre in the West End in 2016.

Trivia: The daughter of a theatrical sound engineer, began acting at age 3 after attending a stage production of Show Boat that her father worked on. Appeared in secondary-school productions of West Side Story and Twelfth Night. Made British-TV debut in a 2009 episode of the BBC soap opera Doctors; made U.S. TV debut in the 2010 SyFy movie Triassic Attack.

Trivia: Got her first acting job in HBO's Game of Thrones as Arya Stark. Studied dance at the Susan Hill School of Dancing and Bath Dance College. Credits her dancing experience for her ability to sword fight. Is naturally right-handed, but attempts to do things left-handed in the series because it is mentioned in the George R.R. Martin books that her character is left-handed. Won two 2012 Portal Awards (for best Supporting Actress/TV and Best Young Actor).

Trivia: After a number of roles in his native Denmark, actor Nikolaj Waldau began appearing in U.S. films in the early 2000s with bit parts in Black Hawk Down and Wimbledon, to name a few. In 2007, he landed the lead role on Fox's New Amsterdam, a supernatural cop show from director Lasse Hallström.

Trivia: Parents operated a tavern in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. Got her start in drama with the Ulster Youth Theatre. Made London stage debut in 1986. Played the killer in the Inspector Morse puzzler The Way Through the Woods, which aired on PBS's Mystery! in 1997. Made Broadway debut in The Weir in 1999. Earned a 2008 supporting-actress nomination for an Olivier (the British equivalent of the Tony Awards) for her role as Emilia in Othello. Played Hermione Granger's mother in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows (Parts 1 and 2).

Trivia: A handsome supporting player whose occasional leap into the lead has resulted in some interestingly varied performances, actor Iain Glen has appeared in everything from low-budget indies to high-profile Hollywood blockbusters -- frequently holding his own opposite such screen heavies as Harvey Keitel (The Young Americans) and Billy Connolly (Gabriel & Me). A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, who studied at Edinburgh Academy and the University of Aberdeen before honing his craft at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the talented Shakespearian actor would go on to impress audiences in such stage works as Macbeth and Henry V. In 1985, the ascending stage talent made a successful transition to the screen with a small role in an episode of the popular U.K. mystery series Taggart, and after making the leap to the big screen with a supporting role in the 1987 feature Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Glen returned to television the next year for a role in the series The Fear. In the years that followed, Glen's big-screen career gained notable momentum thanks to solid performances in Gorillas in the Mist (1988) and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1990), with his early years coming to a peak when he took home a Best Actor award from the Berlin International Film Festival for his turn as a convicted killer in the 1990 film Silent Scream. That same year, Glen also received accolades for his portrayal of real-life explorer Lt. John Hanning Speke in Mountains of the Moon, though the remainder of the decade would find him sticking mainly to U.K. television (occasionally taking the lead, as in 1992's Frankie's House). Following an endearing turn as a sports reporter whose one-night fling leads him to come to terms with his tragic past in Glasgow Kiss, Glen received notable international exposure with a high-profile role opposite Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Though Glen's shattering performance as a father suffering terminal lung cancer in the drama Gabriel & Me (screenwriter Lee Hall's follow-up to Billy Elliot) ultimately failed to gel with audiences, Glen's horrific turn as a seemingly possessed father in Darkness offered the talented actor at his manic best. By this point, Glen seemed to be growing increasingly comfortable alternating between more independent-minded features and more large-scale productions, taking the role of noted psychiatrist Carl Jung in the 2003 romantic drama The Soul Keeper before taking a more epic turn as an anthropologist who hunts and captures pygmies in order to study them and prove a link between man and ape in 2005's Man to Man. He appeared in Ridley Scott's epic Kingdom of Heaven, as well as Resident Evil: Extinction. In 2008 he had a major part in a retelling of The Diary of Anne Frank for the BBC, and followed that up with a part in the Michael Caine vehicle Harry Brown. In 2011 he acted in the Oscar winning biopic The Iron Lady.

Trivia: Had a small role, with sister Lily Allen, in Oscar-nominated Elizabeth (1998), on which their mother, Alison Owen, was a producer. Is the subject of "Alfie," a song on Lily's debut album, Alright, Still (2006). Claims to be one of the first children in the United Kingdom to be given Ritalin after being diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD). In 2008, succeeded Daniel Radcliffe in the role of troubled teen Alan Strang of Peter Shaffer's Equus for a revival tour of the 1973 play.

Trivia: Began acting at age 7. Appeared in Batman Begins in 2005. Cast in HBO's Game of Thrones as evil king Joffrey Baratheon. Says his inspiration for his Game of Thrones role was Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator. Was named an academic scholar at Trinity College in 2012. Involved in puppet-theater production in Dublin.

Trivia: Joined a youth drama group at age 11 and was soon cast in a film (as a rape victim in the 2000 drama Complicity); and appeared in a children's TV series (My Barmy Aunt Boomerang) at age 13. Was bullied in secondary school because of his childhood acting experience. Starred in a Globe Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet in London and on a UK tour while still a student at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Has also appeared on stage with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Costarred in Hope Springs, a 2009 BBC comedy-drama series about women ex-cons; and Sirens, a 2011 BBC comedy series about paramedics. Won the 2009 Scottish Style Award for Most Stylish Male and was named one of Scotland's "most eligible men" by the Scotsman newspaper in 2010.

Trivia: Had no interest in acting until he joined a drama club to get out of playing soccer on cold Saturday mornings during the winter. Began acting in commercials. Studied acting at the Kent Youth Theatre in Canterbury, England. Screen debut was in the 2011 horror flick The Awakening. Big break came when he was cast as Bran Stark on Game of Thrones. Plays piano and drums.

Trivia: Worked as a lumberjack and bridge painter prior to acting. First gained notice by appearing in a Scottish breakfast-cereal commercial. Won a Scottish BAFTA Award for his role in the 2002 TV series The Book Group. Is an avid outdoorsman and experienced mountaineer; got to put his climbing skills to good use in the TV series Rockface. Plays the piano.

Trivia: Tall, sandy-haired British actor Charles Dance trained for a career in graphic design at Plymouth College of Art and Leicester College of Art. Dance developed a taste for the theatre by listening to the reminiscences of two elderly actors who ran a pub in his Dover neighborhood. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at the age of 29, and made his first film, the James Bond picture For Your Eyes Only, six years later. Dance's widest professional exposure came in 1984 when he appeared in "The Jewel in the Crown," a 14-part British TV production seen in the U.S. on Masterpiece Theatre. Charles Dance's best-remembered performances have been as D.W. Griffith in Good Morning Babylon (1987); the role of Meryl Streep's husband in Plenty (1985); the title part in the 1990 TV adaptation of Phantom of the Opera; and the displaced "imaginary" villain in Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Last Action Hero (1993).

Trivia: Born in Chile, Pascal and his family fled the country in the 1970s as political refugees during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. Spent time in Denmark, Texas and Southern California, before moving to New York City at age 18 to pursue theatre. Was a competitive swimmer as a child, qualifying for the state championships in Texas at age 11. The stage veteran received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award and Garland Award for his role in the International City Theatre production of Orphans. Directed original productions for the Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre and as a member of Off-Broadway's renowned LAByrinth Theatre Company. Before filming Series 1 of Narcos, he and his co-star Boyd Holbrook spent a week in Virginia, during which they were able to train at Quantico and met the real-life undercover DEA agents they portray on the Netflix series. Appeared with Heidi Klum in a video set to Sia's "Fire Meet Gasoline" filmed for the model's Intimates Lingerie collection.

Trivia: Is a middle child, has an older sister and a younger sister.Was raised in Essex and London.Studied drama and dance at Colin's Performing Arts School in England.Played a minor role, then Michael and finally Billy Elliot in the theater production of Billy Elliot the Musical.Found out he was going to play a king in Game of Thrones during his wardrobe fitting because he didn't read the script before.Adopted a Received Pronunciation accent for his role in Game of Thrones.

Trivia: Hails from the same hometown as Kate Winslet and Kenneth Branagh. Studied ballet, jazz and modern dance at 3 years old. Former member of the London Fencing Academy. Honed her acting skills in British theater. Made her big-screen debut in 2005's Casanova. Enjoys playing poker; came in second place at the 2008 PartyPoker.com Women's World Open in London.

Trivia: Changed his name from Terrence to Finn to avoid confusion with the Monty Python actor. Made his TV debut in a spinoff of the UK soap opera Hollyoaks, called Hollyoaks Later. Originally auditioned for the role of Jon Snow on Game of Thrones, but was cast as Loras Tyrell instead. Assisted with a 2015 Oxfam fundraiser to support Syrian refugees by singing Christmas carols. A vocal supporter of social causes, including gay rights, and racial and gender equality.

Trivia: Father was Indian, mother Swiss and part Italian. Once considered becoming a mime. As she told WhatsOnStage.com, she displayed acting chops as a child: She had a bunk bed with curtains, and used to "tell stories and convince people I was someone else." Trained at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. On stage, has appeared in works by Shakespeare, Harold Pinter, David Hare, Anton Chekhov, Noel Coward and Thornton Wilder. Her musical tastes sometimes tend more toward pop and rock, though, including Wilco and Michael Jackson. Her 1996 film debut was as the star of Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, which was banned in India and Pakistan. In 2005 and 2007, played a young wife, Niobe, in the HBO series Rome. In 2010, took on the role of billionaire Ilsa Pucci in the Fox action series Human Target.

Trivia: Began performing as a child, putting on impromptu scenes for family by cobbling together costumes and props from around the house. Had to request a day off from drama school rehearsals in order to travel to London for an audition on the HBO television series Game of Thrones. Is an avid music fan and an amateur drummer.

Trivia: Her father, Sebastian, is the 14th Laird of Warthill and the Aberdeenshire Chieftain of Clan Leslie. Grew up in Lickleyhead Castle, the family's 15th century ancestral seat; her family also owns the 12th century Warthill Castle in Aberdeenshire. Won a Scottish BAFTA award for New Talent for her professional acting debut in the TV movie New Town (2009). Appeared in Bedlam at the Globe Theatre in 2010. Had to take an archery course after she was cast as Ygritte in Game of Thrones in 2012.

Trivia: As his grandmother and parents were both actors, his school gave him the lead role in Hamlet when he was 16 without an audition. Began acting at Oslo's National Theatre when he was 19. Appeared in Vera Henriksen's play The Sword in 2011. Shaved his trademark beard for a role in M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth (2013).

Trivia: Her parents both worked at Bristol University, her father as a professor and her mother as a research technician. Was a member of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company. Auditioned for Skins to gain experience and was given the role of Cassie for two series. Made her stage debut in the West End play That Face in 2008. Had a small part in the film Bruges in 2008, but her scene was cut from the final version of the film. Won a Bafta Award in 2009 for her performance in Skins. Has played the role of Gilly in Game of Thrones since 2012. Played the lead in the play Martine at the Finborough Theatre in 2014, earning an Off West End Award nomination for Best Female Performance. Won the Best Actress in a Narrative Feature Film Award at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2015 for her role in Bridgend.

Trivia: Began acting in school drama productions at the age of 17. First discovered at a National Eisteddfod of Wales (a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance). Can speak Welsh fluently. Plays the piano, guitar and bass guitar. Is dyslexic. Was the lead singer in The Convictions before deciding to pursue a career in acting. Won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 2010 Olivier Awards for his role as Moritz Stiefel in the rock-musical Spring Awakening. Has released three solo EPs in 2010, 2011 and 2013 respectively. His first album, Dinard, was released in April 2015, the title of which refers to the French town where he met his girlfriend Zoe Grisedale.

Trivia: A veteran of the theater in Scotland, Ireland, Broadway, and London's West End, actor Conleth Hill began supplementing his impressive stage career with on-screen acting in the late '80s. He started by making minor appearances on British television, eventually working his way up to more substantial parts, like his recurring role of Jared on the comedy series The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle in 2007. In 2009, Hill was cast as Brockman in the Woody Allen comedy Whatever Works, opposite Larry David.

Trivia: Attended Terenure College, where he began acting in the school's theater program. Returned to Ireland after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art to begin his career as a theatre actor before moving into television and film. Was part of the original cast of the play The Seafarer when it premiered on the West End in 2006; when the play transferred to Broadway, his role was recast with Sean Mahon. Appeared in the play The Night Alive at the Donmar Warehouse in 2013, opposite Ciarán Hines and Jim Norton. Joined Game of Thrones during the show's second season, as the recurring character Roose Bolton; was promoted to a series regular for season six.