Fabien Frankel has been cast in HBO’s upcoming epic fantasy series, House of the Dragon. He will play the role of Ser Criston Cole.
While relatively new on the acting scene, Frankel has previously starred alongside Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke in the recent movie, Last Christmas. In addition to this, he also starred in the co-production between BBC One and Netflix, The Serpent, according to Variety.
Frankel will join fellow cast members Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, and Sonoya Mizuno in House of the Dragon.
George R. R. Martin breaks the news via his blog
The news first came via author George R. R. Martin’s official blog.
Martin regularly updates fans about upcoming projects relating to both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. Sometimes this comes ahead of HBO’s wishes and, other times, it is because of their request.
As Fansided points out, it has been a long time since Martin has made a casting announcement for HBO. However, it is possible, with House of the Dragon being a new production for HBO, they might have resorted to their older tactics when it comes to making announcements on House of the Dragon.
Who is Ser Criston Cole?
Having written the A Song of Ice and Fire series on which Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon is based, the author also gave further details about the character.
“He is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven,” Martin wrote.
“He has no claim to lands or titles, all he has is his honor and his skill with sword and lance. He is a challenger, a champion, cheered by the commons, beloved of the ladies. He is a lover (or is he?), a seducer (or is he?), a betrayer (or is he?), a breaker of hearts, and a maker of kings … Welcome to Westeros, Fabien. And do keep that sword sharp.”
Martin didn’t mention it, but Cole is also a member of King Viserys I Targaryen’s Kingsguard. While having been born outside of nobility, he manages to reach the level of Lord Commander in the book series.
Along with this, he also managed to convince Viserys’ son, Aegon, to claim the Seven Kingdoms’ rule after his father died. This action then led to a civil war between Aegon II and his elder sister, Rhaenyra, who had expected to rule in his place.
Season 1 of House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO at a later date.