Early life

Merchant comes from Sussex, England and was educated at Windlesham House School and Brighton College, although she has also lived in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. After twice deferring university places to concentrate on her acting career, she was a student at Homerton College, Cambridge.

Career

Merchant's other credits include Margo Durrell in the 2005 BBC television film My Family and Other Animals. In 2006 she appeared in two more BBC dramas, as Sara Fox, the daughter of Alan Davies and Michelle Gomez, in the comedy The Good Housekeeping Guide, and as Probationer Eastwood in the historical drama Casualty 1906.

In 2007, while studying at the University of Cambridge, she performed in an audio production of Lady Windermere's Fan as Lady Agatha, while in 2008 she appeared in the ensemble drama Radio Cape Cod in which she plays a summer theatre camper.

She appears in the music video for Jamie T's "If You've Got The Money" and in Belle and Sebastian's "Nobody's Empire".

She was cast in the third season (2009) of The Tudors, playing Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She debuted in the part in the third season finale and features heavily in several episodes of the fourth (and final) season.

It was announced on 20 August 2009 that Merchant would star as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels. On 29 April 2010, it was announced that Merchant was no longer part of the series, being replaced in her role as Daenerys by Emilia Clarke.

She has also starred in DCI Banks: 'Playing with Fire' as Miranda. In early 2012 Merchant played the 17-year-old Rosa Bud in the BBC adaptation of Dickens' The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, written by Gwyneth Hughes (Five Days, U Be Dead, Miss Austen Regrets and Blood Strangers).

Personal life

Merchant is a patron of the international development charity Build Africa. In March 2013 she gave a speech at an International Women's Day event at London's Hospital Club.

Merchant has written several poems, including "Where Does Revenge Stop?" and "Ode to a Toilet", for Platforms Magazine.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	Pride & Prejudice	Georgiana Darcy
2008	Radio Cape Cod	Anna
2009	Princess Kaiulani	Alice Davies
2011	Jane Eyre	Mary Rivers
2014	Copenhagen	Sandra
2014	Cupid Carries a Gun		Short film
2015	Let Me Down Easy	Adah	Short film
2015	Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer's Curse	Rhonu	Video
2015	Messenger, TheThe Messenger	Sarah

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2005	My Family and Other Animals	Margot Durrell	TV film
2006	Good Housekeeping Guide, TheThe Good Housekeeping Guide	Sara Fox	TV film
2006	Casualty 1906	Probationer Eastwood	TV film
2008	Bonekickers	Helena	"Army of God"
2009-2010	The Tudors	Catherine Howard	Regular role
2011	Red Faction: Origins	Lyra	TV film
2011	DCI Banks	Miranda Aspern	"Playing with Fire: Parts 1 & 2"
2012	Mystery of Edwin Drood, TheThe Mystery of Edwin Drood	Rosa Bud	TV miniseries
2013	Murder on the Home Front	Molly Cooper	TV film
2014-present	Salem	Anne Hale	Main role

Music videos

Year	Title	Artist
2006	"If You Got the Money"	Jamie T
2007	"Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)"	Groove Armada feat Mutya Buena
2014	"Nobody's Empire"	Belle and Sebastian

Stage

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Hay Fever	Jackie	Queens' College, Cambridge
2008	Dahling You Were Marvellous	Sister 3, Hanger-on	ADC Theatre
2009	Breakfast at Night	Chorus	ADC Theatre
2009	The 24hr Plays	Group 1 Producer	ADC Theatre
2010	Cigarettes and Chocolate	Gemma	ADC Theatre

[ Source: Wikipedia ]