Some who doesn't know the full story of the casting might be surprised to know that Emilia Clarke was not the first choice to play as Daenerys Targaryen in "Game of Thrones." It would have been difficult to imagine another actress playing it now, but let's take a look at the girl who was first set for the role of the Targaryen princess.

Back when the HBO series "Game of Thrones" was just staring, Tamzin Merchant had originally been the cast to play as Daenerys Targaryen. But the actress left the project for unknown reasons and so the production had to recast. That is when the noblewoman's role was given to the lucky Emilia Clarke.

Prior to "Game of Thrones," Emilia is considered a newcomer to U.S. television. Her IMDb page only tells a little about the British actress. Her film and television resume only consists of a casting in the TV series "Doctors" and a role in a TV movie called "Triassic Attack."

Tamzin Merchant however, has a long list of credentials even before she was offered the role of Daenerys. The British actress was born in UK but spent most of her time growing up in Dubai. Her first big break came when she starred in the film "Pride and Prejudice" alongside Keira Knightley. She then appeared in a lot of TV movies before landing a role in another medieval series "The Tudors" and the movie "Jane Eyre." She is currently a cast of TV series "The Mystery of Edwin Drood."

Click through the gallery and see Tamzin Merchant, the first choice to play Daenerys against Emilia Clarke.

Also read:

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen: Her Hottest Looks on 'Game of Thrones' [PHOTOS]

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