The Original Daenerys Actress on Game of Thrones Discusses Being Replaced by Emilia Clarke After Filming the Pilot

The actress who was initially recruited to play Daenerys Targaryen in the Game of Thrones pilot has spoken out about being replaced, not Emilia Clarke.

The actress who played the role in the show's pilot was replaced when the show was picked up by HBO. Tamzin spoke out later in the year about the fact that Emilia had been taking over the role of Raven and how she felt about losing the role. This became one of the most iconic characters in television history.

Here's what Tamzin Merchant had to say...

"It was a great lesson filming that pilot," Tamzin told Entertainment Weekly. I made the decision to back out of the contract process because I felt uneasy about the situation. I was persuaded to do it by some persuasive people, and then I found myself naked and afraid in Morocco riding a horse that was clearly more excited to be there than I was.

"It was a lesson that if my guts are telling me a story isn't something they're excited to tell, I shouldn't try to get excited just because others are telling me I should be excited," Tamsin continued. I don't have any formal training as an actor, I rely on my instincts. For me, Game of Thrones was never as exciting or compelling as the stories and characters in other books or TV shows.I think it's a testament to Emilia Clarke's skill as an actor that she was able to bring that iconic character to life - she obviously had a lot of fun telling that story, and she was fantastic in the role.

She was happy to see how well the show was doing, but it wasn't something that was in her heart to share.

"It was kind of crazy to go to an audition on a bus with Emilia Clarke's face on it," she said. "For example: 'Oh, my mode of transportation is quite interesting today!' I felt like I could watch it develop and it was fantastic for the film industry in Northern Ireland and Croatia and that was really great."

HBO executive Michael Lombardo spoke about replacing Tamzin.All of us knew that Daenerys’ journey was important. Her scene with Jason [Momoa] didn't work. "

Tamzin played the role of Katherine Howard in The Tudors, Anne Hale in the Salem series, and most recently Imogen Spurnrose in Carnival Street.