Who’s had the most successful post-Game of Thrones career?

Natalie Dormer

I think we can all agree that, as portrayed by Natalie Dormer on TV, Margaery Tyrell more than met the expectations of book-reading fans. Looking back, it seems like Dormer was the only actor who could have ever played Diana Rigg’s granddaughter. Not only do they look very similar, but they radiate intelligence and class.

Dormer plays the cunning, calculating and sensual Margaery Tyrell with ease because, let’s face it: it’s her wheelhouse. Even before she joined the Game of Thrones cast, she knocked a similar role out of the park on Showtime’s hit series The Tudors. One of Dormer’s best gifts as an actor is that no matter what role she’s playing — be it hero or villain — she makes you care about her character, not an easy feat.

Margaery took her curtain call in season 6, but I wouldn’t worry about Dormer. She has an extensive list of film and TV roles in the works. She’s currently working on the film The Professor and the Madman alongside Acadamy Award winners Mel Gibson and Sean Penn. Dormer also has a UK film lined up called In Darkness, which co-stars fellow Thrones alum Ed Skrein (Daario Naharis 1.0). On top of that, she’ll star in an Australian mystery miniseries called Picnic at Hanging Rock. Clearly, Dormer is as ambitious an actress as Margaery was a power player.

Gwendoline Christie

One of the most unexpected stars to come out of Game of Thrones has been Gwendolyn Christie. Her portrayal of the honorable and fierce warrior Brienne of the Tarth has been nothing short of inspiring. Before joining Thrones, Christie was more well-known for modeling career, but when the opportunity came to play one the most fearsome characters on the show, she didn’t disappoint.

Kudos to the casting department for knowing when an actor has something special. Obviously, everyone else saw Christie’s turn as Brienne, because she’s been in high demand in Hollywood ever since. At one point, she was so busy making movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 that she missed most of Game of Thrones season 5. Thankfully, she’ll be back for season 7, but that still has not stopped her from making more movies in her spare time. She’s currently appearing in the Sundance drama series Top of the Lake: China Girl with Nicole Kidman, Holly Hunter, and Elisabeth Moss. Christie is also reprising her role of Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which lands in theaters on December 15, 2017.