Gearing Up for GoT

So let me be the first to admit I haven't read these books, though I keep saying I will.  I guess I have fallen so in love with the show that I'm almost afraid to read to books.  And at this point I wouldn't read past A Clash of Kings for fear of ruining the show for myself.  That being said I have no idea who the characters are or if they are well cast BUT I am pretty excited about the new actors involved.

First Clive Russel who plays the crazy Captain Tanner in the Sherlock Holmes movies.  Oh come on you know him!  Crazy guy, smokes a pipe, is really really mean to Watson.... yes that's the one!  Next is Nathalie Emmanuel who I had to look up on IMDB.  Apparently she is in a episode of Misfits which everybody keeps telling me I need to watch.  Not to much known there, other than the fact that she is quite pretty.

Then BAM!  Mackenzie Crook!  Oh now I know you all had a bit of a nerd-gasm.  Pirates of the Caribbean meets GoT.  You can NOT hate that.  And don't forget his FABULOUS performance as Gareth Keenan on the original Office.  You internet-ers wouldn't even have your "FALSE" Dwight meme if it wasn't for Crook's performance as Gareth.

Next young Kerry Ingram.  This is only her second role ever, but it she is having some streak seeing as she was just in Les Miserables, so yey for her!

Then BAM AGAIN!  Thomas Brodie-Sangster, the little boy who made us all "awww" as he ran through an airport to profess his love in Love Actually, the bratty son who is the ringleader of his brothers and sisters in Nanny McFee, the student who helps change the Time Lord back to his Doctor-y self in Dr. Who (co-starring in both Family of Blood episodes with Harry Lloyd aka Viserys Targaryen) AND apparently the voice of the oft mum Ferb in Phineas and Feb.  Oooooh this is too good!

ELLIE KENDRICK!  I nearly rolled off my couch!  Why you ask?  Because I ADORE Being Human.  Kendrick played the adorably nerdy she-wolf Allison in the episode "Puppy Love" which was one of my favorite episodes last season.  The sweet hearted, completly innocent and always confused looking werewolf Tom falls head over heals for Allison.  Oh Gosh it was just all too adorable.  I can't stand it!

Richard Dormer I don't know much about, so back to IMDB.  It seems he has been in loads of things I've seen and he absolutely has the GoT look, I'm excited to get to know him better through this role.  This is the same for Paul Kane who was apparently also in an episode of Being Human, but I'm having trouble picturing him.

Diana Rigg is bringing in the big guns this season.  Her career has spanned from 1959 to now.  54 years.  Phew!  Most notably she played Emma Peel in the 60s TV series the Avengers, which they tried and failed to make into a movie in 1998.  She is also a classical phenomenon playing roles in everything from Midsummer Nights Dream to Hedda Gabler to King Lear to Snow White.  She proves to bring a beautiful performance to the character of Olenna Tyrell "The Queen of Swords".

Again, I know nothing about the characters these actors are playing but judging by what I know and have researched they are all brilliant performers as GoT would take nothing less.  The countdown to season 3 begins!