The fourth season of Game of Thrones kicks off this Sunday, April 6th, and the show — as it does every season — is adding lots of new characters. That is necessary on a show that has killed off nearly 100 characters over three seasons, although new faces often mean more plotlines, which often means less screen time for some of the favorites and a tad more confusion in the opening episodes as we adjust to all the new faces. To help ease you into the fourth season premiere, I’ve done some quick background search on 16 of the new faces set to join the fourth season — in small roles and large — so that you can familiarize yourself ahead of the premiere.
1. Jessica Jensen (unknown role) is a British adult film actress, who has appeared in over 30 (hardcore) adult films since 2011. In fact, she was also named best newcomer. You can follow her on Twitter, and her work is very easy to find (link to page that links to NSFW videos).
2. Samantha Bentley (unknown role) is another prolific British adult films star, having starred in over 40 films. She was named UKAP’s Best Female Performer in 2013, and won AVN’s award for Best Group Sex Scene the same year. Her work can be found here.
3. Sarine Sofair (Lhara) is primarily a British stage actress, though she did appear as a friend of the title character in Keira Knightley’s Anna Karenina. You can follow her on Twitter.
4. Aeryn Walker (Craster’s wife) is an Australian amateur adult film actress. She is really excited about her small role on Game of Thrones. “F**k Yeah!”
5. Joseph Gatt (Thenn Warg) was the Albino in Banshee, the Frost Giant villain, Grundroth, in Thor, and the motion capture performer and likeness for Kratos from the acclaimed video game God Of War. Here’s a terrifying photo of him with a cat on his Twitter. (The woman in the photo with him below is his girlfriend Mercy Malick, who is also an actress).
6. Pedro Pascal (Prince Oberyn Martell, known as the “Red Viper of Dorne”) was in The Adjustment Bureau, recurring in The Good Wife and Lights Out (among many other things) and, apparently, is dating American Horror Story actress Sarah Paulson.
7. Octavia Alexandru (Child of the Forest (Rumored)) is a child model, actress, and dancer. In fact, she was a finalist in the Got to Dance reality show competition. She’s very good.
8. Mark Gatiss (Tycho Nestoris) is many things, most notably a writer on Doctor Who and Sherlock, where he has also played roles (including Mycroft in Sherlock). He’s obviously a very popular British actor, and is married (civilly) to another British actor, Ian Hallard.
9. Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand) is a British actress probably best known for her work in Rome, Luther and most recently, Almost Human on Fox.
10. Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Lord Mace Tyrell (the “Fat Flower”)) is a veteran British actor is recognizable from numerous projects, including Knight’s Tale, Gangs of New York, and The Thief, His Wife, His Cook, and His Lover.
11. Deirdre Monaghan (Morag) is a British actress with extensive stage and television work. Here’s her full CV, with pictures.
12. Daniel Rabin (Lord Blackmont) is a British television actor who has been in, among other shows, Spooks and Eastenders. You can watch his acting reel here.
13. Alisdair Simpson (Ser Donnel Waynwood, the Knight of the Gate) is another British stage and television actor, although his distinctive voice also makes him one of the most recognizable narrators of documentaries in England.
14. Brenock O’Connor (Boy in Hamlet) is a British child actor who has appeared in a couple of British TV series. He’s the lead kid in this PSA for CPR (parodying the role of Vinnie Jones in a similar ad).
15. Lu Corfield (Mole’s Town madam) is best known for her role in the British daytime soap opera Doctors.
16. Rupert Vansittart (Lord Yohn Royce, aka Bronze Yohn) is a British character actor best known for his work in the British miniseries Pride and Prejudice, and as Lord Bottom in Braveheart.
