Danny Dyer: Game of Thrones turned me down three times

It's packed with British acting talent, but EastEnders star Danny Dyer repeatedly auditioned for a part in the hit series TV Game of Thrones... and failed every time.

"I've been up for it three times, I got three knockbacks," Dyer said during the recording of ITV's Jonathan Ross Show.

Fellow guest Dame Diana Rigg - who plays Lady Olenna Tyrell in the HBO fantasy drama - blamed Dyer's voice.

"I'll put in a word for you as long as you lose the cockney accent."

Dyer told Ross he went for several roles. "One was Pyper. Is it Pyper?"

Pyper is played by London-born Josef Altin, and Dyer said other Londoners had managed to get parts.

"There's a couple of cockneys knocking about. There's a couple of chimney sweeps too. I've seen them."

Game of Thrones is full of British stars, including Maisie Williams

A range of British accents can be heard on the show - including Sean Bean's Yorkshire delivery.

Dyer - who plays Queen Vic landlord Mick Carter in the BBC One soap - has recently spoken about bringing a "cockney" flavour to roles made famous by "posh" actors.

"I think that I could play Sherlock... if I did it my way. Benedict [Cumberbatch] is brilliant and the lines roll off his tongue, but that role is about being highly intelligent rather than posh.

"I think I could do Doctor Who as well.

The star, who grew up in Canning Town, east London, also told Ross he changes his EastEnders' scripts - adding more cockney rhyming slang.

Dyer says he adds extra 'cockney' to his scripts

"I made the job hard for myself really because I thought when I come in it, I want to bring back a bit of the East End. They're good writers there but they're quite middle class people so I'm constantly changing the dialogue and I'm freaking their nut out and they have meetings over the word 'boat race'."

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