Game of Thrones Shot Itself in the Foot by Rejecting Blade Star Mahershala Ali for a Role
Game of Thrones is undoubtedly one of the most popular TV shows to have ever been made. The series’ popularity means that it also has one of the biggest and most active international fan bases in the world. The show has released eight seasons between 2011 and 2019 and has 73 episodes.
While the show has given the audience one of the finest actors and incredible characters, the maker of the show also has a few regrets about missing out on actors who went on to become huge stars and that seems to be the case with Mahershala Ali.
Game of Thrones casting director regrets turning down Mahershala Ali
Mahershala Ali has established himself as a reputed actor in the industry over the years. Having done a wide variety of TV series and movies, he also has two Oscars to his name. Ali won the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Moonlight and Green Book.
Before going out to become the star he is today, Mahershala Ali auditioned for a role in Game of Thrones for the role of the Qarthian merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos. However, he did not land the role. Speaking about rejecting Ali’s audition, the casting director of the show, Nina Gold had this to say to Vanity:
“Wow, how could I have ever turned down Mahershala Ali?”
HBO’s CEO claims there is plenty of content in store for Game of Thrones fans
Seeing the success that Game of Thrones garnered across the globe, it’s no surprise that the makers of the show are reluctant to let go of the show. It has been reported that HBO is working on several spin-off shows. During a recent interview with TV Line, HBO’s CEO Casey Boleyn revealed that they are continuously working on new scripts and said:
“We always have Game of Thrones scripts in development. We greenlit Dunk and Egg in the spring. I wouldn’t say there is anything else in that world that is close to a green light or anything, but we are always working on different scripts and ideas.”
Assuming from the comments made by Casey Boleyn, the scripts haven’t gone into production just yet. However, it will be interesting to see if and when projects based around Game of Thrones get released.
