'Game of Thrones' Actress Gemma Whelan Explains Why She Almost Had to Turn Down Yara Greyjoy Role

Gemma Whelan was the perfect fit for the role of Yara Greyjoy on Game of Thrones, but apparently, the part almost went to someone else.

The actress detailed the story while speaking with Metro.co.uk, explaining how she came close to passing on the part. According to the actress, she was holding out for another role in the long-running British TV show Doc Martin. "Even in times when I thought that was 'my' role, and I wanted it so badly, if I got it, I wouldn't have been able to do Game of Thrones," she said, reflecting on the audition process for the ITV show.

"So, it sort of goes to show [things work out]," Whelan added. "It was Doc Martin for the receptionist, which my lovely friend Jess Ransom got, who's brilliant. I just really stuffed up the third audition."

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Things certainly worked out, because Whelan went on to put on a perfectly badass performance in GoT, and it's hard to imagine the series without her. Looking back, the actress is definitely happy with the way it all went down.

"I felt 'Oh my God, that was the one that got away'… and then I got Game of Thrones. If I had got that [Doc Martin role] it would have been very difficult if not impossible to make that work. Things work out so it's just trusting it," Whelan concluded. Our thoughts exactly.