Why Game Of Thrones Recast Daario Naharis In Season 4

The Daario Naharis actor change was Game of Thrones‘ most dramatic recasting, with Michiel Huisman taking over the role from Ed Skrein in season 4. Daario Naharis is a character who first originated in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice & Fire novels, and later made his live-action debut in the third season of the HBO show.

In total, Daario appeared in four of Game of Thrones‘ eight total seasons, pledging his allegiance to Daenerys Targaryen shortly after their first encounter. While Daario remains by Daenerys’ side for several conquests, their romantic relationship didn’t last after he agreed to stay behind in Meereen to keep the peace.

As for actor appearances, Skrein portrayed the Game of Thrones character for three episodes until Huisman took over the role in Game of Thrones season 4, resulting in some audience confusion. Years after Game of Thrones’ ending, questions about the recasting of Daario Naharis on Game of Thrones remain, as well as what happened to both actors since portraying the character.

Why Game Of Thrones Recast Daario Naharis

Given how short-lived Ed Skrein’s time on Game of Thrones was, there was a lot of interest in what went on behind the scenes that led to him leaving the show. Early reports indicated that the English actor left Game of Thrones ahead of season 4 to star in The Transporter Refueled instead, but Skrein was adamant that this wasn’t exactly the case.

After the role of Daario Naharis was recast, Skrein revealed the truth about why he was replaced by Michiel Huisman, in his eyes at least. In an interview (via EW), Skrein explained that the change came as a result of “political” reasons rather than simply his role in 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.”

Skrein didn’t elaborate on what he meant by “politics.” Unfortunately, since nobody at HBO or on the Game of Thrones creative team commented either, the nature of these alleged “political” motivations remains a mystery.

Ed Skrein Wanted To Play Daario Naharis For Longer

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 scenes in Game of Thrones season 6. It certainly seems like Skrein’s 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 this scenario.

Whether creative decisions or contract disputes, the team behind Game of Thrones felt like the best option was to change actors. Considering how Huisman’s portrayal of Daario differs considerably compared to Skrein’s, it indicates that Game of Thrones‘ recast efforts moved fast.

It was a dramatic change of appearance for the character, as the long-haired and fresh face of Skrein quickly turned to Michiel Huisman’s short hair and bearded, brooding face as Daenerys’ romantic interest in Game of Thrones season 4.

How Daario’s Recast Changed The Character In Game Of Thrones

Part of what makes this recasting so drastic was that, with the shift in actors came a shift in characterization. Unlike many other Game of Thrones recasts, the different versions of Daario were night and day. Skrein’s version was arrogant and romantic, though with a sense of danger to him that could have made him a more even match for Daenerys.

Michiel Huisman’s version was still charming and had his moments of arrogance, but it was clear that he was devoted to Daenerys. Skrein had a rogue-like persona, where, even if he did love Daenerys, he could never fully feel trusted. Huisman’s was much more modest and played second fiddle to his queen.

This character, at least in the TV adaptation, is essentially an attachment to Daenerys. Whether the character works or not is about whether the dynamic with Daenerys works, and while Skrein’s character might have had slightly more compelling chemistry, Huisman’s actually fits the character more strongly.

Which Daario Was Closer To The Book Version?

Interestingly, neither version of Daario Naharis in HBO’s Game of Thrones matches the character much, at least in terms of their appearance. Daario in George R.R. Martin’s novels was described as having curly hair dyed blue that reached down to his shoulders and a painted gold beard.

Clearly, this image of Daario Naharis never rang true to either Ed Skrein or Michiel Huisman. While Skrein seemed to have had the right length of hair at least, he was also clean-shaven. Huisman’s version of the character may at least have had a beard, but it wasn’t the gold and blue three-pronged trident of the books.

While HBO changing the appearances of various Game of Thrones characters is nothing new, it is interesting that Daario Naharis strayed as far as he did from the look of his on-page counterpart, especially when his description is so distinctive.

In terms of Daario’s personality, however, Skrein’s version is much more accurate to the books than Huisman’s. Daario Naharis in the novels is incredibly cocky and arrogant, traits that Skrein’s version of the character portrays much more prominently.

It’s unclear exactly why these sides of his personality were dialed down when Huisman took over, but it may have been to make the character a more palatable love interest for Daenerys.

Daario Naharis Wasn’t The Only Game Of Thrones Recast

Throughout its eight-season run, there were plenty of other Game of Thrones characters that saw new actors replacing older ones:

Among these notable recastings 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 was played by Conan Stevens, Ian Whyte, and finally Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson until the end of the show. Given the character’s lack of dialogue and quick appearances, it wasn’t as noticeable when Björnsson finally took the role permanently in season 4.

Another Game of Thrones actor switch that made sense was the Night King. Both Richard Brake and Vladimír Furdík played the chilling villain. However, since The Night King had no dialogue and was covered in heavy prosthetics, the change wasn’t noticeable to most viewers.

Tommen’s and Myrcella Baratheon’s recasting also made more sense than that of Daario’s in Game of Thrones. As the series went on, their characters were upgraded to supporting roles, but before that, they were basically extras and never in the spotlight.

Although Daario Naharis was supposedly still in Meereen during Game of Thrones‘ controversial final season, many were disappointed not to see Michiel Huisman return to Daenerys’ army before the series finale. In terms of the story, 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.

House of the Dragon has also recast several characters, though that was always to be expected in some capacity, considering the show’s extensive time jumps. However, there have also been several unexpected recasting needs that aren’t related to character ages.

What Ed Skrein Has Done Since Being Recast On Game Of Thrones

While the Daario Naharis recasting was dramatic, both actors have had fairly active careers since leaving Game of Thrones. Ed Skrein’s departure did indeed coincide with him taking the starring role in The Transporter: Refueled. However, the movie was a critical and financial disappointment that stopped any plans to continue the franchise.

Skrein bounced back with a memorable villain role as Francis in Deadpool, followed by more villain roles in Attila: Battle Angel and in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning If Beale Street Could Talk. After portraying Lieutenant Dick Best in Midway, Skrein went on to have a core role as Admiral Atticus Noble in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies. More recently, the actor appeared in Jurassic World Rebirth.

On the TV side, Skrein had a supporting role in All the Light We Cannot See, which debuted on Netflix in 2023. He also appears in Prime Video’s action series, Ride or Die, a show also starring Octavia Spencer, Hannah Waddingham, and Bill Nighy. Skrein was also cast in God of War, Prime Video’s upcoming show adaptation of the hit video game franchise.

What Michiel Huisman Has Done Since Game Of Thrones Ended

Michiel Huisman had already started to build a respectable movie career while on Game of Thrones, with the drama The Age of Adaline and the underrated horror movie The Invitation. In a fun twist of fate, both Skrein and Huisman appeared together in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon films.

After Game of Thrones ended, Huisman jumped aboard another popular series with Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House and later appeared in the first season of The Flight Attendant. In late 2025, Huisman appeared in Netflix’s western, The Abandons, which starred fellow Game of Thrones vet, Lena Headey.

Which Daario Naharis Was The Best?

It can be difficult to compare the two versions of Daario Naharis to determine which is better. Despite them serving the same role in the story as an ally and love interest to Daenerys, Ed Skrein and Michiel Huisman seem to be playing two different characters, both in terms of their look and their performances.

However, when it comes to which version was better suited for Game of Thrones, Huisman comes out as the clear winner. In all fairness to Skrein, he had a much shorter time to establish his take on Daario before he was recast. Overall, his Daario simply came off as too cliché and as a one-dimensional character.

Skrein’s Daario was the handsome and smooth-talking warrior who walked into every scene with a slight smirk, as if he were the coolest man in the world. It seems like this take on the character was concerned only with presenting someone Daenerys would be attracted to and nothing more.

Husiman’s take on Daario was certainly arrogant as well, but while he was not the deepest character on Game of Thrones, he brought an energy that worked better for the character. He had a carefree and laid-back approach to being a warrior, as if he truly didn’t care if today was the day he would die.

He allowed himself to be more humble around Daenerys, giving her the power in their scenes together. He had a sense of humor, yet was still intimidating as a warrior. Husiman helped to create a character who was missed once Daario was written off in Game of Thrones.

Release Date

2011 – 2019-00-00

Showrunner

David Benioff, D.B. Weiss

Directors

David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff