HBO's secrecy policy almost cost Gemma Whelan her role in 'Game of Thrones' as Yara Greyjoy

Actress Gemma Whelan says she almost lost her Game of Thrones role because she shared the news online.

The 36-year-old actress, who was roped in to play Yara Greyjoy in the HBO drama series, says she had no idea about the secrecy surrounding the show and updated the news on her online CV.

"The first lesson I learnt was when I first got the job. No-one told me to keep quiet about it. I just thought it was normal to pop it on my Spotlight entry, so I wrote on my CV, 'This summer Gemma will be playing Yara Greyjoy in Game of Thrones. And the Internet went nuts.

"One of the lovely, lovely producers on Thrones called me into his office and said, 'This is very serious. We almost can't employ you because of this'," Whelan says.

However, producers still went ahead with her casting, which she says has done wonders to her career.