You might think you’d have to be crazy to turn down a part in Game of Thrones. However, these famous names did exactly that. Let’s find out who they are.

Game of Thrones has a phenomenal cast. The show has made the careers of people like Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington and has been graced with appearances by established stars such as Sean Bean, Ian McShane and Ed Sheeran. And, given the popularity of the show, you’d have to be crazy to turn it down, right? You would think so, and yet a significant number of well-known actors have actually rejected roles on the landmark show. Here are some of the biggest.

10. Brian Cox

Given his pedigree playing villainous characters like William Stryker in X-Men 2 and Hannibal Lecter in Manhunter, Brian Cox would seem like an ideal casting choice for Thrones. But while he was approached during the early years of the show, the actor turned it down because he thought they weren’t paying enough.

It’s not known exactly which role Cox was offered, but given his reputation, it probably wasn’t a bit part; it’s not hard to imagine him as a senior figure in the Night’s Watch, for example. And, in fact, Cox says he’s now an avid fan and regrets his decision not to appear in Thrones – especially after having seen friends like Charles Dance and Ian McShane taking roles.

9. Gillian Anderson

Having starred in everything from The X-Files to Hannibal to American Gods, Gillian Anderson is something of a legend in the TV industry, and her strong performances and penchant for period drama would make her an ideal choice for Game of Thrones. And it indeed seems that an offer was on the table at one point.

We don’t know which role she was offered or when – we’re picturing her as Melisandre, the red priestess, though – but Anderson revealed that she said no owing to family commitments. However, she did admit that her eldest daughter wasn’t too happy about the decision.

8. Dominic West

Most famous for The Wire, Dominic West is no stranger to period drama. Most notably, he played the sinister and conniving Theron in 300, in which he appeared alongside Lena Headey – who would later portray Cersei Lannister. West has never officially confirmed which role he was offered on the show, but he was asked to film for six months in Iceland – which, given the timing, suggests that he was being lined up to play Mance Rayder.

West wasn’t comfortable with spending so much time outside of London, though, and turned the role down owing to family commitments. He has since said that if he were offered another part on the show, he would happily accept. And with two seasons left to go, it could still happen.

7. Ray Stevenson

Game of Thrones is full of big, scary, dangerous characters: The Mountain, The Hound, Khal Drogo and, more recently, actual giants like Wun Weg and Mag the Mighty. Accordingly, a lot of big, scary actors get cast, and you don’t get much bigger or scarier than Ray Stevenson.

The Thor and Punisher star met with the Thrones producers before it started shooting and was then offered a four- to six-month role when the show was further along. Stevenson turned it down, though, because he said he’d rather have been a part of it from the beginning.

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6. Charlie Hunnam

Charlie Hunnam recently played King Arthur on the big screen. But while that was an opportunity many actors would have relished, he had also earlier missed out on a chance to appear in Game of Thrones. The actor revealed recently that he’d been offered a cameo on the show but had to say no because of scheduling clashes.

Even a small cameo role on Game of Thrones tends to be a big deal, though. Ian McShane only appeared in a single episode but managed to make his mark, while Withnail & I star Richard E. Grant had an amusing if shortlived part in the sixth season.

5. Perdita Weeks

Perdita Weeks is a seasoned period drama star; she’s appeared in The Tudors, Great Expectations and Penny Dreadful. And with this caliber, it’s perhaps no surprise that she was once in the running for a role in Thrones. However, she ended up saying no.

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Weeks auditioned for the role of Roslin Frey, Edmure Tully’s eventual wife. And while it was a part that would have netted her limited screen time, it was nevertheless a key role in one of the show’s most infamous episodes: the character’s marriage was in fact the Red Wedding itself. Weeks turned the role down because of another commitment – which then got postponed – and while the actress tried to get the part back, she was ultimately unable to.

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4. Jennifer Ehle

Jennifer Ehle first made waves when she played Elizabeth Bennet in the 1995 TV version of Pride and Prejudice – the one with Colin Firth in the translucent shirt, if you need your memory jogging. And although the actress has had plenty to do since then, she too came close to playing a significant role on Thrones.

In the unaired and very different original pilot, Ehle played Catelyn Stark. However, when the show got picked up, she had been hard at work for months and had a young baby to think about. It’s a shame, since Ehle is also a big fan of the books – though Michelle Fairley was a worthy replacement.

3. Tamzin Merchant

Another period drama veteran, Tamzin Merchant played a role in the 2005 film version of Pride & Prejudice as well as portraying Catherine Howard in The Tudors. Like Jennifer Ehle, she had a part in the pilot, but it was an even bigger role than that of Catelyn Stark – and could perhaps have rocketed Merchant to stardom.

Indeed, Merchant’s part was that of the Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen. It’s not fully understood why Merchant left, either, but George R.R. Martin himself has spoken positively of her performance. However, leave she did, to be replaced by Emilia Clarke.

2. Tom Hollander

Tom Hollander is certainly no stranger to nasty characters. His turn as East India Trading Company chairman Cutler Beckett was one of the only good things about the second and third instalments of Pirates of the Caribbean, and he even played King George III in the HBO mini-series John Adams.

Bearing that in mind, you can see what he would have brought to a character like Littlefinger – which was the role that he was offered. He turned it down, however, despite being told by people around him that the show had the potential to explode. In the end, the role went to Aidan Gillen.

1. Jonathan Pryce

Now, before you cry foul, yes, Jonathan Pryce did eventually take on a recurring role in Game of Thrones. But before he ever donned the robes of the mercurial priest, the High Sparrow, he was courted for a different part. In fact, Pryce was offered a role way back when the BBC was set to co-produce the series – before they pulled out and HBO replaced them. We’re picturing him as a very different Tywin Lannister in an alternate-reality version of the show.

Pryce has said that, not being a fan of fantasy himself, all it took was a glance at the characters’ names in the script to turn him off. He joined later, then, partly because he had come to trust the creators more and partly because he had found an affinity for the character he was set to play. And boy are we glad that he did.