This Game of Thrones actress was almost forced to quit the show

But she was having none of it

Words by Jadie Troy-Pryde

As Game of Thrones season 7 edges ever closer, we're spotting clues about the upcoming storylines in everything from the promotional posters to the extended trailers.

And things are looking intense. There's a brand new baddie who is set to be worse than all those before him (including evil Joffrey Baratheon and psychopathic Ramsay Bolton), and this proves that the White Walkers are definitely on their way - and they're not far.

So with all the drama going on in Westeros, it'd be a shame to have gone on the journey and then just, you know, disappear before all the good stuff starts happening.

But that's very nearly what happened with actress Jessica Henwick, who plays Nymeria Sand in the HBO show.

The 24 year-old has been playing one of the Sand Snakes of Dorne since Game of Thrones season 5, and her appearance on the popular show lead to her being cast as Colleen Wing in Marvel's Iron Fist.

Scheduling conflicts meant that her commitment to the Marvel movie almost made her disappear from Game of Thrones.

Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Jessica said: 'I wasn't able to do it - my schedule clashed. I was filming Iron Fist for six to seven months and they wouldn't give me the time off.

'[Game of Thrones] was so massive for me in terms of my career and building my profile and as an experience in itself, I wanted to return.'

'[A GOT producer] explained, "It's really important that you come back otherwise your character will just disappear." So I spoke to Marvel and I managed to get a release.'

Luckily Jessica got the best of both worlds and was able to return for season 7, hinting that things are about to get very intense.

'It'll pick up right where we left off and get into the nitty gritty very quickly. There is no time wasted this season.'

We can't wait any longer. Is it July 17 yet?