HBO's "Game of Thrones" continues to add to its Season 2 cast.

Irish actor Michael McElhatton ("Masterpiece Mystery," "Fifty Dead Men Walking") is joining the show as Roose Bolton, one of the Stark family's most feared and notorious bannermen. The Boltons are known for skinning their enemies and having a tense relationship with the Starks.

Also signing aboard the series is Robert Pugh ("Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," "Robin Hood") as Craster, a wildling who lives north of the great ice wall and often assists the Night's Watch with their patrols. Hannah Murray (the U.K.'s "Skins") will play one of his wife-daughters, Gilly.

Other recent additions to the Season 2 cast are:

-- German actor Tom Wlaschiha ("Enemy at the Gates") as the deadly assassin Jaqen H’gar, who is one of the criminals being transported along with Arya to the great ice wall.

-- Nonso Anozie, a British theatre actor, will play Xaro Xhoan Daxos, who is a Qartheen merchant-prince that offers to help Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

-- Gemma Whelan ("The Wolfman," "Gulliver's Travels") as Yara, the sister of Theon Greyjoy. Known as Asha in the novels, the character was renamed by producers to apparently avoid confusion with the wildling character Osha (Natalia Tena).

-- Stephen Dillane ("John Adams") as Stannis Baratheon, the hard-nosed younger brother of the late King Robert.

-- Carice van Houten ("Valkyrie," "Repo Men") as Melisandre, a sorceress tied to a mysterious religion from across the Narrow Sea.

-- Liam Cunningham ("Camelot," "Outcasts") as Davos Seaworth, whose smuggling background earned him the nickname “The Onion Knight.”

-- Gwendoline Christie as Brienne, a warrior in service of Stannis' brother Renley (Gethin Anthony).

-- Natalie Dormer ("The Tudors") signed aboard the series as Margaery Tyrell.

"Game of Thrones" chronicles a treacherous clash among royal families to secure ultimate power of Westeros, a vast kingdom facing peril at every corner. HBO has renewed the series for a second season, which is based on Martin's second novel "A Clash of Kings." Filming began in late July.

Season 1 of "Game of Thrones" received 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series. Winners will be revealed Sept. 18 on Fox.

In addition, the series is up for a number of awards in the 2011 Airlock Alpha Portal Awards this year, including Best Actor/Television for Bean and Best Actress/Television for Headey. Also nominated are Peter Dinklage for Best Supporting Actor/Television, the episode "Winter Is Coming" for Best Episode/Television, and the show itself for Best Series/Television.

The series also stars Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke, Michelle Fairley, Maisie Williams, Sophie Turner, Kit Harington.