Tamzin Merchant, born on March 4, 1987, in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England, is a British actress and writer. She spent her childhood in Dubai before returning to England. Merchant was educated at Windlesham House School and Brighton College. She initially planned to study English at Homerton College, Cambridge, but deferred her entry to pursue acting.
Merchant began her professional acting career in the early 2000s, appearing in television productions. Her early roles included appearances in the BBC television film The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001) and Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (2001).
Merchant gained wider recognition for her role as Georgiana Darcy in the 2005 film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Other notable roles include:
She was originally cast as Daenerys Targaryen in the unaired pilot episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones. However, she was later replaced by Emilia Clarke.