Game of Thrones - Cripples, B****rds and Broken Things - 6:50 pm Wednesday, December 17 on Sky Atlantic

Sean Bean (Actor) .. Lord Eddard `Ned" Stark

Born: April 17, 1959 in Sheffield

Best Known For: Blunt-talking soldier Sharpe.

Early-life: Born Shaun Mark Bean in Sheffield on April 17, 1959, the elder of two children. A fanatical Sheffield United supporter with "100% Blade" tattooed on his shoulder, he left school at 16 with two O-Levels. His first job was working for his father's welding firm, and while he was doing a day-release course at college he stumbled on an acting class. He was later accepted into Rada and made his professional stage debut in 1983 as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury.

Career: Sean worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company before making his TV debut in a 1984 episode of The Bill. Roles in The Fifteen Streets, Stormy Monday and Patriot Games followed before Lady Chatterley and the first Sharpe TV movies made him a household name in 1993. Other work includes A Woman's Guide to Adultery, Bravo Two Zero, GoldenEye, Ronin, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Equilibrium, Troy, National Treasure and HBO TV series Game of Thrones. He is one of Hollywood's most sought-after character actors and always has a number of productions in the pipeline.

Quote: "I don't have any problems with women seeing me as their ideal bit of 'rough'. Why would I?"

Trivia: He has voiced characters in a number of video games.

Mark Addy (Actor) .. King Robert Baratheon

Born: January 14, 1964 in York

Best Known For: The Full Monty.

Early-life: Born Mark Addy Johnson on January 14, 1964, in York. His father is a glazier at York Minster. During his teens, Mark spent three weeks doing work experience backstage at the city's Theatre Royal and loved it so much, he stayed on in a part-time role; it was then that his dreams of becoming an actor began. "I saw how it all worked, and it fascinated me," he claims. But it was Imelda Staunton who eventually pushed him in the right direction. Addy met her while she was working at the theatre and she gave him the address of her old drama school, Rada. He applied, auditioned, and was accepted.

Career: After graduating, Addy returned to act at York's Theatre Royal and also performed at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and Hull Truck Theatre Company. Addy appeared in The Bill, A Very Peculiar Practice, Heartbeat and The Thin Blue Line before landing his big break in 1997's The Full Monty, after being recommended for a role by playwright John Godber. Projects since include Jack Frost, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, A Knight's Tale, The Time Machine and Around the World in 80 Days. He also starred in US sitcom Still Standing and ITV comedy drama Bonkers. Other projects include the Red Riding trilogy, Barney's Version, Robin Hood, Game of Thrones, Trollied and Atlantis, and he continues to be in demand for stage work.

Quote: "We didn't think Full Monty would play outside Yorkshire. We thought that people in London wouldn't be interested. I've met people from Peru who have seen it. It was really popular in Japan."

Trivia: He's been married to Kelly Johnson since 1996 and shares three children with her.

Lena Headey (Actor) .. Queen Cersei Lannister

Born: October 03, 1973 in Hamilton, Bermuda

Best Known For: 300 and Game of Thrones.

Early-life: Lena was born in Hamilton, Bermuda, on October 3, 1973 to British parents Sue and John. Her father, a Yorkshire police cadet, was stationed in Bermuda when she was born. Her family returned to England when she was five. Her first taste of acting came as a student at Shelley College. She made her big-screen debut opposite Jeremy Irons in Waterland (1992).

Career: Headey landed a small role in the Oscar-nominated The Remains of the Day (1993) and a year later, she played Mowgli's love interest in The Jungle Book. In 1997, she starred opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Mrs Dalloway (1997). Her film credits also include Gossip (2000), The Parole Officer (2001), The Brothers Grimm (2005), 300 (2006), St Trinian's (2007), Dredd (2012), The Purge (2013) and 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). In addition to her film work, Headey has also appeared on the small screen in Band of Gold, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Game of Thrones.

Quote: "I don't think you should feel guilty about pleasure."

Trivia: Headey has suffered bouts of clinical depression since the age of 15.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Actor) .. Jaime Lannister

Peter Dinklage (Actor) .. Tyrion Lannister

Born: June 11, 1969 in Morristown, New Jersey

Best Known For: Playing Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Early-life: Peter Hayden Dinklage was born in Morristown, New Jersey, on June 11, 1969 to Diane and John. Peter was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. He made his film debut in Living in Oblivion (1995).

Career: Dinklage's big break came in the 2003 film The Station Agent. In the same year, he starred alongside Will Ferrell in the seasonal favourite Elf (2003). He went on to have recurring roles on TV in Threshold and Nip/Tuck. His other film credits include Penelope (2006), Death at a Funeral (2007), and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). He is best known for playing Tyrion Lannister in the HBO series Game of Thrones, a role he has played since 2011.

Quote: "I was fortunate enough to have an upbringing that made me more accepting of who I am."

Trivia: He voiced Captain Gutt in the Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and Ghost in the video game Destiny.

Kit Harington (Actor) .. Jon Snow

Michelle Fairley (Actor) .. Lady Catelyn Stark

Richard Madden (Actor) .. Robb Stark

Born: June 18, 1986 in Elderslie, Renfrewshire

Best Known For: Playing Robb Stark in HBO drama Game of Thrones, and Prince Kit in Disney's Cinderella (2015).

Early-life: Richard was born in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, on June 18, 1986 to Pat and Richard. At the age of 11, he joined Paisley Arts Centre's youth theatre programme. He made his professional acting debut in the 2000 film adaptation of Iain Banks's Complicity. This was followed by a recurring role in children's comedy series Barmy Aunt Boomerang. He went on to study at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD). In his final year with RSAMD, he was cast as Romeo in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theatre in London.

Career: Madden later gained roles in the BBC series Hope Springs, and the films Chatroom (2010) and Worried About the Boy (2010). Between 2011 and 2013, he played Robb Stark in the HBO drama Game of Thrones. His TV credits also include the Channel 4 series Sirens, and the BBC two-part drama Birdsong. More recently, he starred in the historical miniseries Klondike, and Disney's Cinderella (2015).

Quote: "Doing jobs that are completely different to the last thing I did pushes me as an actor to change as much as I can."

Trivia: Madden has voiced characters in Castlevania video games.

Isaac Hempstead Wright (Actor) .. Bran Stark

Sophie Turner (Actor) .. Sansa Stark

Born: February 21, 1996 in Northampton

Best Known For: Playing Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones.

Early-life: Born on February 21, 1996, in Northampton, Sophie moved to Chesterton, Warwickshire when she was two years old. She has two older brothers and had a twin who died before birth. Since Sophie was three, she has been a member of the Playbox Theatre Company.

Career: Turner's first professional acting role was as Sansa Stark in the fantasy TV series Game of Thrones. She has played the character since 2011. Turner made her feature film debut in Another Me (2013) and also starred in TV film The Thirteenth Tale (2013). She starred in the comedy film Barely Lethal (2015) and played telepathic mutant Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).

Quote: "I don't think that the status of a show, big or small, should affect a person's performance."

Trivia: She is a natural blonde but dyes her hair auburn for her character in Game of Thrones.

Maisie Williams (Actor) .. Arya Stark

Emilia Clarke (Actor) .. Daenerys Targaryen

Born: October 23, 1986 in London

Best Known For: Playing Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.

Early-life: Emilia was born in London on October 23, 1986. She became interested in acting at the age of three after seeing the musical Show Boat. She went on to graduate from Drama Centre London in 2009.

Career: In 2009, she made her TV debut in an episode of Doctors, and a year later, she starred in TV movie Triassic Attack. Her big break came in 2010 when she was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO drama Game of Thrones. In 2013, she received an Emmy nomination for her role in the medieval fantasy series. She made her Broadway debut in 2013, playing Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Quote: "I'm just a girl who loves mascara."

Trivia: Clarke is known for her platinum blonde look on Game of Thrones but she is a natural brunette in real life.

Harry Lloyd (Actor) .. Viserys Targaryen

Jason Momoa (Actor) .. Khal Drogo

Roger Allam (Actor) .. Illyrio Mopatis

Aidan Gillen (Actor) .. Petyr `Littlefinger" Baelish

Born: April 24, 1968 in Dublin

Best Known For: Queer as Folk and Game of Thrones.

Early-life: Born Aidan Murphy in Dublin on April 24, 1968. As a teenager, he began his acting career with the Dublin Youth Theatre. His big break came in 1999 when he landed a lead role in Russell T Davies' Channel 4 drama Queer as Folk and its sequel, for which he received a Bafta nomination.

Career: In 2004, Gillen received a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway performance in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker. This led to a role in acclaimed HBO drama The Wire. In 2011, he began playing Petyr `Littlefinger" Baelish in HBO drama Game of Thrones. His film credits include The Dark Knight Rises (2012), The Good Man (2012), Mister John (2013) and Calvary (2014). In 2011, he began presenting RTE music series Other Voices. Since then, he has appeared in BBC drama Mayday and RTE dramas Love/Hate and Charlie. He also voiced Paul Serene in the video game Quantum Break and its accompanying TV series.

Quote: "In drama you can either pretend everything is OK, or you can show the world as it really is in the hope that it gets better."

Trivia: He has narrated a number of audiobooks, including Roddy Doyle's Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

Conleth Hill (Actor) .. Varys

Born: November 24, 1964 in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

Julian Glover (Actor) .. Grand Maester Pycelle

Born: March 27, 1935 in London

Best Known For: Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back.

Early-life: Julian Wyatt Glover was born in London on March 27, 1935. His father was a radio producer, while his mother mixed in literary circles. The acting bug bit him early, and he began appearing regularly with the National Youth Theatre. On leaving school (classmates included Timothy West and Dave Prowse) he started his professional career, eventually spending time with the Royal Shakespeare Company before making his name on TV and in films.

Career: In 1960, Glover appeared in Androcles and the Lion and The Age of Kings, epic TV productions of classic works. His first movie was Tom Jones in 1963. Later in the decade he featured in numerous films and such classic TV shows as Z Cars, The Avengers, The Saint, Doctor Who and The Champions. Glover has rarely been out of work since. His most memorable parts have come in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, For Your Eyes Only and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. More recently he provided the voice of Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and has appeared in Waking the Dead, Trial and Retribution, and Game of Thrones.

Quote: "Star Wars was not a very big part but I get more fan mail for that than anything else I've ever done. It comes in every day - unbelievable."

Trivia: He was awarded a CBE in 2013.

John Bradley West (Actor) .. Samwell Tarly

Owen Teale (Actor) .. Ser Alliser Thorne

Alfie Allen (Actor) .. Theon Greyjoy

Charles Dance (Actor) .. Tywin Lannister

Born: October 10, 1946 in Redditch, Worcestershire

Best Known For: The Jewel in the Crown.

Early-life: Born Walter Charles Dance on October 10, 1946, in Redditch, Worcestershire. His engineer father died when Dance was four, after which he and his mother moved to Devon. She struggled to make ends meet, working in a café to support them both. After leaving school he enrolled at art college, but claims his heart wasn't in it. He took odd jobs to earn some cash, and spent his spare time doing amateur dramatics, prompting him to take acting lessons.

Career: Dance spent five years with the Royal Shakespeare Company and made his TV debut in miniseries Edward the King in 1975, following it up with appearances in Tales of the Unexpected and Fatal Spring. His first film was 1981 Bond movie For Your Eyes Only, but his big break came in 1984 when he was cast in The Jewel in the Crown. He went on to star in White Mischief, Alien3, The Last Action Hero, Gosford Park, Ali G InDaHouse and First Born. Dance also produced, directed, and wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed film Ladies in Lavender. He was awarded an OBE in 2006. More recent projects include Your Highness, Strike Back, Secret State, Game of Thrones, and Dracula Untold.

Quote: "If someone calls you suave and debonair you only get offered parts in a suit and a collar and tie. It just so happens I wear them reasonably well."

Trivia: Dance had no idea his Dracula Untold character was a resurrected Caligula until after the film was made.

Bryan Cogman (Writer)

Brian Kirk (Director)

Game of Thrones: Cripples, B****rds and Broken Things

6:50 pm - 7:55 pm, Today on Sky Atlantic (342)

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Cripples, B****rds and Broken Things
Season 1, Episode 4

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