Game of Thrones Secrets, TV Show Facts Revealed

“Her scenes with Jason just didn’t work,” Lombardo explained to Hibberd. Co-executive producer Bryan Cogman thought Merchant “did a really good job,” but, in hindsight, “it’s obvious Emilia Clarke was born to play that part.”
It at least sounds as though there were no hard feelings on Merchant’s end.
“Shooting that pilot was a really great lesson,” the Tudors star told Entertainment Weekly in 2021. “It was an affirmation about listening to my instincts and following them, because I tried to back out of that situation and, during the contract process, I did back out. I was talked back into it by some persuasive people. Then I found myself naked and afraid in Morocco and riding a horse that was clearly much more excited to be there than I was.”
And, Merchant continued, “I think it’s a testament to Emilia Clarke for making that role iconic—she was obviously excited to tell that story, and she was epic and excellent. But for me, it wasn’t in my heart to tell it.”