Natalie Dormer, best-known as Anne Boelyn in the first two seasons of THE TUDORS, has been cast in Season 2 of GAME OF THRONES. She will be playing Margaery Tyrell, the sister of Ser Loras Tyrell and the daughter of the powerful Lord Mace Tyrell, who is supporting Renly Baratheon's attempt to win the Iron Throne.

Interesting news. THRONES shares several minor actors with THE TUDORS (THRONES is filmed in Northern Ireland, TUDORS in the Republic just over the border) but this is the first major name to cross over between the two projects. Whilst most of the characters are being aged up from the books, 29-year-old Dormer is a startling 15 years older than Margaery in the books, which will make her a rather different character.

In particular, Margaery is being described as one of the 'regular cast' in Season 2 and will have a more substantive role than in the novel (where she barely appears, and doesn't start playing a bigger role in events until Book 4). This suggests they are fleshing out the whole Renly-Loras-Margaery-House Tyrell situation in general.