It’s confirmed: Kiwi actress Keisha Castle-Hughes has landed a role in Game of Thrones.
At today’s Game of Thrones panel at San Diego Comic-Con, HBO put the casting rumors to rest.
Castle-Hughes, of Whale Rider fame, would be playing Oberyn’s eldest daughter, otherwise known as one of the eight Sand Snakes, Buzzfeed reported.
Obara Sand, a fearsome warrior in her own right, is described as a prickly, hot-tempered woman.
In a video of cast members introducing themselves, 24-year-old Castle-Hughes said she was “super excited” to be part of the show.
Castle-Hughes rose to stardom in 2002 in an Academy Award-nominated performance as hero Paikea in Kiwi film Whale Rider.
She is also known for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), and The Nativity Story (2006).
It has been reported that Castle-Hughes considered giving up acting after a luckless 2013 in Los Angeles. But she headed back to Hollywood earlier this year to give it another crack.
Six other actors were also reported to be joining the fifth season of the American fantasy drama: Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow, Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell, Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell, Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon, and Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan.
The fifth season would be airing mid-2015.
