🚨 WESTEROS DESTINY SHOCKER: An Actor in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms AUDITIONED to Play THE Iconic Bastard of Winterfell in Game of Thrones! 😱🐉❄️

Teen years flashback: A young hopeful gets scouted in his school gym for the brooding, honorable role that launched a million fan theories… but he didn’t get it. Fast-forward over a decade, and now he’s stepping into Westeros AGAIN—this time as a full-on Targaryen prince with silver hair, prophetic nightmares, and all the family madness!

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HBO’s expanding Game of Thrones universe continues to deliver surprises, both on screen and behind the scenes. The latest casting twist comes from one of the actors in the hit spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, who has revealed he once auditioned for the central role of Jon Snow in the original series more than a decade ago. The disclosure, shared in an exclusive interview with Radio Times, has ignited fan discussions about fate, near-misses, and the long shadow cast by the Iron Throne across multiple shows.

The actor, who portrays Prince Daeron Targaryen—nicknamed “Daeron the Drunken”—in the prequel series set during the “Dunk and Egg” era, recounted his teenage brush with Westeros stardom. At around 17 or 18 years old, during the open casting push for the original Game of Thrones around 2010, HBO scouts visited schools across the UK in search of young talent for the ensemble cast. “I actually auditioned for the original Game of Thrones when I was either 17 or 18 in school—they came round all the schools to audition people,” he explained. “It was for Jon Snow. I think they went to every school and auditioned every teenager!”

Jon Snow, the brooding bastard son of Ned Stark who later discovers his true heritage as Aegon Targaryen, became one of television’s most enduring characters. Portrayed by Kit Harington, the role spanned eight seasons, earned multiple award nominations, and anchored countless plotlines involving the Night’s Watch, White Walkers, and the fight for the Iron Throne. Harington, then a relative unknown, beat out competition—including several actors who later joined the show in other capacities—to secure the part.

The spinoff actor didn’t win the role, but the full-circle moment is striking: He now plays a legitimate Targaryen prince in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, adapted from George R.R. Martin’s “Tales of Dunk and Egg” novellas. Set roughly 90 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the series follows Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey), a hedge knight, and his squire Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell), who is secretly the future King Aegon V Targaryen. Daeron appears as one of Egg’s older brothers, a tormented figure plagued by prophetic dreams, heavy drinking, and the burdens of Targaryen lineage.

In recent episodes, Daeron confides in Dunk about his visions, including disturbing images of dead dragons and the hedge knight’s impending doom ahead of the Trial of Seven. The character serves as a bridge between the grounded, chivalric world of Dunk and Egg and the volatile Targaryen dynasty, highlighting themes of madness, incest, and inherited curses that echo through the franchise. The actor has described his role as “tortured,” noting how it illustrates the brutal reality of growing up in such a powerful yet dysfunctional family.

The revelation has sent shockwaves through fan communities on social media, Reddit, and X. Many highlight the poetic irony: The performer nearly embodied a secret Targaryen (Jon Snow, revealed as Aegon Targaryen) and now portrays an overt one (Daeron Targaryen). Comments flood in with phrases like “destined for dragon blood” and “the casting gods have a sense of humor.” Others speculate on alternate realities—what if the school audition had gone differently? Would the tone of Jon Snow’s arc have shifted? How might that have altered the show’s massive cultural impact?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has earned praise for its more intimate, adventure-focused storytelling compared to the political machinations of House of the Dragon or the later seasons of the original series. Yet it retains the Targaryen darkness, with volatile family members like Prince Aerion “Brightflame” (Finn Bennett) and the ambitious Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell) adding tension. Daeron’s prophetic abilities tie into longstanding franchise motifs, from the “Prince That Was Promised” prophecies to warnings passed down generations, including those Maester Aemon (Egg’s brother) shares with Jon Snow in the main series.

The original Game of Thrones casting process was famously rigorous and wide-reaching, with thousands of hopefuls vying for roles. Open calls targeted unknowns to capture authentic performances, and several eventual cast members auditioned for multiple parts. For instance, Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) came close to Jon Snow before landing his iconic villain role, while others like Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) and Joe Dempsie (Gendry) also tried out for the part. The process underscores HBO’s commitment to fresh faces for such a sprawling epic.

This latest connection adds another layer to the franchise’s interconnected mythology. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has drawn strong audiences since its premiere, capitalizing on nostalgia and the enduring appeal of Martin’s world. Production on a second season is underway, promising deeper dives into Targaryen family intrigue, tournaments, and the consequences of royal decisions.

For the actor involved, the experience feels like scripted serendipity. After missing out on Jon Snow, landing Daeron offers a chance to explore Targaryen complexity from a different perspective—less the stoic hero, more the haunted dreamer burdened by foresight and family legacy. In interviews, he has reflected on the humor of the situation, suggesting the Westeros wheel turns in unexpected ways.

Fans continue to dissect the implications. Could this near-miss hint at a certain “type” for Targaryen-adjacent roles—brooding, introspective, silver-haired? Or is it simply a reminder that Hollywood’s biggest breaks often come after initial rejections? The disclosure has even prompted calls for HBO to release any surviving audition footage, though such tapes rarely surface.

As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms builds toward its climactic Trial of Seven, the story of this casting twist reminds viewers that Westeros lore extends beyond the screen. Prophecies, bloodlines, and destinies intertwine across centuries—and sometimes, across decades of real-world casting decisions. Whether coincidence or cosmic design, the connection reinforces why the Game of Thrones universe remains so captivating: Even the behind-the-scenes stories feel like they belong in the annals of the Seven Kingdoms.