‘Game of Thrones’ Casting Director Regrets Passing Up Mahershala Ali for a Role

But Mahershala Ali admits his ‘Game of Thrones’ audition was not his best.

Mahershala Ali accetps the Virtuosos Award presented by UGG
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Mahershala Ali accetps the Virtuosos Award presented by UGG

Mahershala Ali accetps the Virtuosos Award presented by UGG

Talk about not knowing what you have until it’s gone.

Game of Thrones casting director Nina Gold turned down Mahershala Ali for a role in the hit HBO fantasy series in its second season, and now she regrets that decision. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Gold remembers the actor’s audition for Qarthian merchant Xaro Xhoan Daxos and admits, “Wow, how could I have ever turned down Mahershala Ali?” (Speaking of Nonso Anozie, who eventually got the part, Gold says he’s “bloody great.”)

Ali has actually shared details of this Game of Thrones audition in the past. In January, the Moonlight actor went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to recount his botched audition for the HBO show, admitting it “was one of the worst auditions of my life.”

He had auditioned for the same casting director before, he says, and hadn’t done his best. This time, he really wanted to make sure he got the part, so he prepared his ass off. “I had my lines memorized, had this whole thing worked out with this chair, working with doing all of these power move and stands and what not,” he said. But there were no chairs in the audition room and his audition came out “stiff.”

Judging from his stellar performances in projects since then, including his hypnotizing performance as Cottonmouth in Luke Cage and his Oscar-winning role in Moonlight, Ali is probably not too hung up on his missed opportunity. It’s probably the Game of Thrones crew, and Nina Gold in particular, who are kicking themselves now.

While GoT casting directors may have missed out on Ali, they did cast Ed Sheeran for a small role in season 7, which premieres on Sunday, July 16.

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