Keisha Castle-Hughes says Thrones made her fall in love with acting again

Keisha Castle-Hughes has made her debut in Game of Thrones - and she says it has reignited her passion for acting.

Keisha Castle-Hughes says starring on hit HBO show Game of Thrones has reignited her passion for acting.

The Oscar nominated 25-year-old made her Thrones debut last night as Obara Sand, a deadly, spear-wielding warrior seeking vengeance against the Lannister family for the death of her father.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Castle-Hughes said being cast on the cult hit has also revived her passion for acting which had subsided, especially after becoming a mother at 17.

Castle-Hughes was only 13 when she was nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award in 2003 which was taken out by Charlize Theron for Monster.

Back then she wasn't even sure if acting was for her.

"When I was nominated for an Oscar, I didn't know whether or not to be an actor. It was something that I just did," she said.

"Now I know that I want to be an actor. I have realised that I am intrinsically designed to do this, and nothing else satisfies the hunger that I have."

She also said it wasn't luck but ingenuity which landed her a role on Thrones.

Castle-Hughes is a fan of the books the show is based on and knew, because of the story arc, the producers would be needing some ethnic looking characters - especially since Prince Oberyn Martell from Dorne (played by Chilean actor Pedro Pascal) had an impact in season four and fathered several daughters.

"I started to do some investigating and asked my manager to keep an eye out for any Game of Thrones casting calls, and sure enough, there was one for Oberyn's daughters, known as the Sand Snakes," Castle-Hughes told Vanity Fair.

"I was immediately drawn to Obara. She's the oldest of all the Sand Snakes, and I am the oldest of five siblings, so I understood that dynamic very well."

- AAP