The Controversial Truth Behind Daario Naharis Recasting in Game of Thrones Season 4
It looks like Ed Skrein did not leave the show on his own accord.
Game of Thrones was one of the most popular shows of the last decade, with famous actors from all over the world literally lining up to play the characters created by George R. R. Martin.
When Ed Skrein joined the series in Season 3 as Daario Naharis, his fans were more than excited to see the up-and-coming performer take up the role that would surely turn him into a big star.
Sadly, Skrein's time on the hit fantasy show was cut short, as the actor was only able to play the important character for three episodes before being replaced by Michiel Huisman prior to the Season 4 premiere. At the time, people were sure it was Skrein's own decision to leave the project, as he wanted to refocus on the promising action movie The Transporter Refueled. However, it turns out that wasn't really the star's choice, after all.
According to the actor himself, he immensely enjoyed working on Game of Thrones and was willing to stay with the series until the very end. Despite his involvement with another project, Skrein was able to continue to play Daario, but it looks like the show's producers didn't want him to.
'That's what's 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,' Skrein said.
While the nature of this policy has not been revealed by an actor, it appears that there was some internal conflict that prevented Skrein from staying with the show longer. One possible explanation is that the producers were not happy with Skrein signing on to star in a big blockbuster while his tenure on the show was not over, or perhaps he was demanding a paycheck that was considered far too large for him at the time.
In any case, Michiel Huisman proved to be a great actor for the role of Daario, turning the character into a truly beloved presence and making many of the show's fans forget that he was originally played by Skrein.
Source: EW.