According to House of the Dragon star Fabien Frankel, originally they wanted to cast a “Jason Momoa type” in the role of Criston Cole. “That certainly wasn’t me, and I really didn’t think about it again.” But then…
The first season of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon introduced us to a new cast of glory-hungry, bloodthirsty power players. There’s Rhaenyra Targaryen, the heir apparent to the Iron Throne. There’s her half-brother Aegon Targaryen, who seems to have stolen it out from under her. And there’s Criston Cole, the Kingsguard knight who once loved Rhaenyra and then personally placed the crown on her half-brother’s head, officially switching sides.
Criston Cole is one of the more difficult characters we’ve met on House of the Dragon so far, an ambitious romantic with good looks and an explosive temper that crops up at the most inappropriate times. Is he a noble-hearted knight who has been corrupted by the company he keeps, or a creepy incel who can’t go over Rhaenyra’s romantic rejection of him and now makes it everyone else’s problem?
English actor Fabien Frankel plays Criston, but according to an interview he gave to The New York Times, he originally didn’t think he had much chance of getting the part. “I did the audition, and heard nothing back other than that they were looking for a slightly more Jason Momoa type for the part,” he said. “That certainly wasn’t me, and I really didn’t think about it again.”
At this point, Frankel didn’t even know he was auditioning for a Game of Thrones prequel show; when he auditioned, the character was named “Clint.” But he must have done something right, because six months later HBO called him back and offered him the part. “What I still don’t know, and I’m fascinated to know, is whether they couldn’t find their Jason Momoa type, or if they decided to change their casting brief,” he said. “If the opportunity arises to ask them, I will.”
I’ll admit that I don’t really see much of Jason Momoa — who himself got his big break on the original Game of Thrones playing the charismatic Khal Drogo — when I look at Fabien Frankel, particularly when he’s acting on House of the Dragon. Criston Cole is far more glum and dour than I suspect Momoa is capable of being. Maybe he was originally going to be more boisterous but the producers reoriented their approach to the character at some point? I hope Frankel gets to ask his question eventually.
in the meantime, Frankel has filmed House of the Dragon season 2, in which Criston Cole will have a big role to play. He says that being on a big-name show like this hasn’t changed his day-to-day life much. “London’s a good city at keeping you grounded because people tend to be quite private and un-invasive. You hear all these stories of, ‘I couldn’t walk down the street,’ but I don’t have any of that,” he said. “I can count on two hands the amount of times people on the street have taken notice.”
He also hasn’t met anyone who considers him a sex symbol, however much The New York Times insists he’s become one among House of the Dragon fans. “I mean, I suppose it was inevitable for whoever was going to have a romance with Rhaenyra, but I can tell you now that no one in my close circle is swooning.”
We’ll see if Frankel gets recognized more when the second season of House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and Max this summer.
