Michiel Huisman replaced Ed Skrein as Daario Naharis in season 4 of Game of Thrones. Here's why the character was recast in the hit HBO series.
Actor Michiel Huisman took over the role of Daario Naharis from Ed Skrein in Game of Thrones season 4 — but what was the real reason behind the recast? The character of Daario Naharis debuted in the Game of Thrones season 3 episode "Second Sons," and would grow into a more substantial role during season 4. Ed Skrein portrayed the Game of Thrones character for three episodes until the momentous season 3 finale. The character Daario Naharis was recast with Michiel Huisman for Game of Thrones season 4 and beyond. Surprisingly, Daario Naharis wasn't the only character Game of Thrones recast for season 4, as Tommen Baratheon and The Mountain also saw actor switches at this time.
Once Daario Naharis' actor switch occurred in the Game of Thrones season 4 premiere, Michiel Huisman played a prominent character in the HBO series as one of Daenerys Targaryen's key allies, before eventually also becoming her lover. Game of Thrones' highly-skilled fighter and commander of the Second Sons disobeyed his leaders and pledged his allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen as his queen. Alongside Grey Worm and Jorah Mormont, Michiel Huisman's Daario succeeded in conquering the city of Yunkai and Meereen. Still, he was left behind when Daenerys took her army west to Westeros. And so, Michiel Huisman as the Second Sons commander wasn't seen again after the Game of Thrones season 6 finale — but why was the Daario Naharis recast in the first place?
After Ed Skrein's short-lived stint on the HBO series ended, many viewers questioned Game of Thrones' Daario Naharis actor change decision. Early reports indicated that the English actor left Game of Thrones ahead of season 4 to star in The Transporter Refueled instead, but Ed Skrein was adamant that this wasn't exactly the case. During Game of Thrones' Daario Naharis recast, the actor revealed the truth about why he left the series, thus leading Michiel Huisman to take over. In an interview with EW, Skrein explained that Daario Naharis' actor change came as a result of "political" reasons after being questioned whether he left because of the fourth Transporter movie.
"That’s what been reported in the press but it was a lot more political than that. My plan was to stay with Game of Thrones for the long haul. That was always my plan. I would have loved to. It was a wonderful experience, but politics led to us parting ways. And from there I just said, “Okay, look forward, be positive. Keep calm and carry on.” That’s my mentality when things go well, so I stay grounded and not get to overwhelmed by the hype, and it’s my mentality when the plans change."
Why Game of Thrones Recast Daario Naharis
According to Ed Skrein, his original plan was to play Daario Naharis on Game of Thrones for the long-term — or at least until Daario's final Game of Thrones appearance in season 6. It certainly seems like Skrein leaving the series was not entirely his decision. It's prevalent in this industry to use the term "parting ways" to describe a situation when two parties can't reach a resolution, which seems to be the apt description for Game of Thrones recasting Daario Naharis. Whether creative decisions or contract disputes, the team behind Game of Thrones felt like the best option was to change Daario's actor from Ed Skrein to Michiel Huisman, no matter how different they look.
Considering how Huisman's portrayal as Daario differs considerably compared to Hellboy's Ed Skrein, it indicates that Game of Thrones' recast efforts moved fast. The abrupt actor change for Daario Naharis threw fans for a loop considering the change of appearance. The long-haired and fresh face of Ed Skrein quickly turned to Michiel Huisman's short hair and bearded, brooding face as Daenerys' romantic interest in Game of Thrones season 4. It's important to note that the situation didn't derail Ed Skrein's career. The once-Daario Naharis actor appeared as Ajax in Deadpool and had roles in films such as If Beale Street Could Talk and Alita: Battle Angel. Skrein also notably portrayed the villain in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and starred in Roland Emmerich's Midway, proving Game of Thrones' Daario recast was just a bump in the road.
Other Game Of Thrones Recastings
Daario Naharis' recasting didn't make sense in the grand scheme of Game of Thrones. Throughout its eight-season run, there were plenty of other characters that got shiny new actors to fill the roles. Among these are Myrcella and Tommen Baratheon, Leaf, Dickon Tarly, and Rickard Karstark. The Mountain was notably recast twice in Game of Thrones, though this decision made sense. He's been played by Conan Stevens, Ian Whyte, and finally Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson until the end of the show. The figure basically had zero dialogue, and only acted as the muscle to live up to his namesake. In addition, most of the time, he sported a helmet or a mask, so obscuring his face made the multiple recasts relatively unnoticeable.
Another Game of Thrones actor switch that made sense was the Night King. Both Richard Brake and Vladimír Furdík played the titular villain. The Night King also had very little, if anything, to say, and he was covered in heavy prosthetics. Therefore, the change wasn't observable for most of the audience. Myrcella and Tommen's recasting also made more sense than that of Daario's in Game of Thrones. Cersei's children had bit parts as kids, rarely speaking. As the series went on, their characters were upgraded to supporting roles. Therefore, they needed to replace the child actors with those who were more suitable.
Although Daario Naharis was supposedly still in Meereen come Game of Thrones' controversial final season, many were disappointed not to see Michiel Huisman return to Daenerys' army before the series finale. Storywise, the reason to leave Huisman's Daario Naharis back in Meereen was likely because Daenerys would have a new, series-changing love interest in Game of Thrones season 7. After Tyrion advised Daenerys to end her romance with Michiel Huisman's Daario in the season 6 finale, she would soon fall in love with the secret Targaryen heir Jon Snow upon allying with him. While Daenerys managed to take King's Landing without the help of Daario Naharis, he was better off staying in Meereen, where he didn't have to see his Game of Thrones queen destroy a city and end up stuck by Jon Snow's pointy end – more than once.
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