Though most tend to think of Hollywood when it comes tobig-budget movies and television series, there are plenty of successful productions based outside of LA and the United States of America. TheHarry Pottermovies were all filmed primarily in the UK, for example, as too were large portions of HBO’s hugely successfulGame of Thronesseries.
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As a result of this, a lot of the actors who appeared in these two franchises ended up being British, with many actors landing roles in both productions. Another iconic television series renowned for its use of British actors is the sci-fi classicDoctor Who, which also shares cast members with the two aforementioned franchises. There are even a handful of actors who appeared in all three.
Honorable Mentions
Though they may not have appeared in all three of the popular franchises, there are a couple of actors who came incredibly close. The closest of these was perhapsSimon Fisher-Becker, who, after appearing as Dorium Maldovar inDoctor Whoand in the firstHarry Pottermovie asthe Fat Friar, was cast as the High Septon of the Faith inGame of Thrones. Unfortunately, however, Fisher-Becker was ultimately replaced by David Verrey.
When it comes to other actors who have appeared in two of the three productions there are plenty of big names, includingDavid TennantandMatt Smith. Both actors famously played the titular Timelord inDoctor Whoat one point or another, with Tennant also playingthe role of Barty Crouch Junior inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fireand Smith going on to star as Daemon Targaryen in theGame of Thronesspin-off seriesHouse of the Dragon.
1David Bradley
David Bradley is probably the most notable actor to have appeared inDoctor Who,Game of Thrones, andHarry Potterdue to the prominence of the characters that he played in each series. He of course starred as the irritable caretaker Argus Filch in theHarry Pottermovies and shockedGame of Thronesviewers with his performances asthe back and front-stabbing Walder Frey.
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The Yorkshire-born actor has had numerous roles inDoctor Who, the most significant of which being that of the First Doctor. This initially started out with him playingthe original First Doctor William Hartnellin a docudrama before eventually starring as the doctor himself in the “The Doctor Falls” and “Twice Upon a Time” storylines. He also had a few smaller roles in the main series and appeared in several of theDoctor Whospin-offs.
2Spencer Wilding
Even the most hardcoreHarry Potter,Game of Thrones, andDoctor Whofans probably won’t recognize Spencer Wilding. This is because the Welsh actor is a special creature performer, meaning that his face is often obscured or hidden behind CGI or practical effects whenever he appears on-screen.
Wilding featured in three of theHarry Pottermovies, appearing as a werewolf, a Hagrid double, and one of the Knights of Hogwarts during the series' closing moments. He also played a White Walker in the very first episode ofGame of Thrones, as well as numerousaliens and creatures in the modern era ofDoctor Who.
3Nicholas Blane
Nicholas Blane is anotherBritish actorwho appeared inGame of Thrones,Doctor Who, andHarry Potter, though his appearance in the latter was incredibly brief. He played a bearded ministry official named Bob inHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenixand can be seen holding a box containing a fire-breathing chicken in an elevator on the day of Harry’s disciplinary hearing.
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Blane’s role inGame of Throneswas a little more substantial, with the Leicester-born actor cast as the Spice King, who Daenerys and her people encounter during their time in Qarth. He later played Millington inDoctor Who, though only appeared in a single episode, with the public servant murdered by Prentis not long after being introduced inthe Series 13 episode Survivors of the Flux.
4Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent has appeared in countless classics, so it should perhaps come as no surprise to learn that he has appeared inGame of Thrones,Doctor Who, andHarry Potterduring his illustrious career. In the latter, he playedpotions teacher Horrace Slughorn, who Dumbledore tricks into returning to Hogwarts so that Harry can learn more about Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
A decade or so later, Broadbent was cast as Archmaester Ebrose in season seven ofGame of Thrones. It wasn’t really a major role, but it was through his character’s encounters with Sam that Jorah was ultimately cured of his Greyscale. Prior to that, Broadbent had played the Shy Doctor in a special Comic Relief parody sketch titledDoctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death.
5Julian Glover
Julian Glover is perhaps best recognized for his performances as Grand Maester Pycelle inGame of Thrones.Pycelle was a recurring characterthroughout the first six seasons of the HBO series, before eventually being murdered by Qyburn’s little birds on the day of Cersei’s trial. This death is particularly memorable due to Ramin Djawadi’s Light of the Seven: an orchestral piano piece that plays throughout the scene.
Strictly speaking, Glover does not appear in theHarry Pottermovies, though viewers do hear his voice duringHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He plays Aragog, the giant Acromantula brought into the castle grounds by Hagrid many years prior to the events of the movie. He also appeared in several classicDoctor Whoepisodes, first as Richard the Lionheart in The Crusade and then later as theiconicDoctor WhovillainScaroth in 1979’s City of Death.
