Game of Thrones was one of the biggest TV shows the world has ever seen, so it’s not surprising that some of its main stars – including Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Lene Headey and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – are among some of the world’s highest paid actors. Let’s face it: We wouldn’t know names like Maisie Williams and Gwendoline Christie if it wasn’t for their iconic roles on Game of Thrones.
As we approach the highly anticipated prequel House of the Dragon, let’s take a look back at how each actor’s paycheque has changed over the years. While we don’t know who will end up ruling the Seven Kingdoms, we do know which of its characters have made serious bank while portraying our favourite Westerosi people.
Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister): $1.2 million per episode
As one of Game of Thrones lead characters, it’s not surprising that Peter Dinklage earned one of the largest salaries on the show. Dinklage is the only cast member to have won an Emmy for his role in the show, having taken home three separate accolades for playing the youngest Lannister. He now has an estimated net worth of over $15 million, which is also thanks to his roles in films like Avengers: Infinity War, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Angry Birds Movie.
Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen): $1.2 million per episode
Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen (aka Khaleesi, aka the Mother of Dragons, aka the Breaker of Chains), was one of the five lead cast members on Game of Thrones who negotiated a pay rise for its seventh and eighth season. Clarke’s estimated net worth is around $13 mullion, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jamie Lannister): $1.2 million per episode
Coster-Waldau, who portrayed Jamie Lannister on GoT, was also one of the actors paid a whopping $720,000 per episode. In addition to his Game of Thrones salary, much of Coster-Waldau’s net worth comes from roles in films like 2017’s Shot Caller and 3 Things, as well as L’Oréal Paris’s men’s products.
Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister): $1.2 million per episode.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Headey was paid $1.2 million per episode for her performance as Queen Cersei. Fox News did some further digging on her salary and discovered that Headey appeared in a total of 25 minutes in season eight, meaning she earnt a whopping $69,000 per minute, she was on screen.
Kit Harrington (Jon Snow): $1.2 million per episode.
Harrington, who played the King of the North, was one of the GoT characters who appears in most scenes. The actor now has an estimated net worth of over $12 million.
Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark): $253,000 per episode.
According to Indiewire, our beloved Sansa earns $253,000 per episode of Game of Thrones. Turner told Harper’s Bazaar US earlier in 2019 that she didn’t mind getting paid less than some of the other GoT characters because she had a smaller role. “Kit got more money than me, but he had a bigger storyline,” she said. “And for the last series, he had something crazy like 70-night shoots, and I didn’t have that many. I was like, ‘You know what…you keep that money.’” Turner also stars in the X-Men franchise.
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark): $253,000 per episode.
According to Indiewire, Maisie earned a whopping $253,000 per episode of Game of Thrones. Along with Game of Thrones, Williams has also starred in Doctor Who, as well as 20th Century Fox’s 2019 X-Men film, The New Mutants, which accounts for her $6 million net worth. Williams also has her own social media app, Daisie, with film producer, Dom Santree. The two also have a producing company called Daisy Chain Productions.
See Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner on marie claire Australia’s June 2019 cover below:
WATCH: ‘Game of Thrones’ Finale Episode Trailer.
