Brian Cox declined this crucial role in "Game of Thrones"
One universally acknowledged aspect of the renowned fantasy series is the ensemble's power, even though opinions regarding the legacy of Game of Thrones remain divided in light of the contentious ending of the eighth and final season.
Although the writing of the program declined significantly in its later seasons, the outstanding cast was not to blame as they all remained true to their characters until the very end.
While several youthful talents, such as Kit Haringon, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, and Richard Madden, used Game of Thrones as their breakthrough project, the show also included a number of industry veterans, whose background gave them more credibility when portraying older roles.
It should go without saying that Game of Thrones was one of the most ambitious television shows ever, and not just because of the enormous sums of money required to realize the legendary action scenes and enormous dragons.
The ambitious worldbuilding of George R.R. Martin's cherished source material had to be transformed into an engaging drama series with a fully developed fictitious past by showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Given the numerous allusions to Westeros' past in the first season, one of the most crucial components of the adaptation to get right was the dynamic between King Robert Baratheon and Lord Eddard Stark.
Their allusions to the demise of the Mad King and Robert's Rebellion were crucial in illuminating how Westeros had evolved.
Given that Ned and Robert would both perish before the end of the first season, so establishing the central conflict for the whole run of the program, the television series had to take an intriguing risk.
In spite of their brief on-screen roles, Mark Addy and Sean Bean, as Robert and Ned, respectively, gave outstanding performances. Bean's acting skills worked well with Ned's chivalrous demeanor and qualities as a father figure, while Addy faced a far more difficult assignment in his role as Robert.