Posts Tagged ‘George R.R. Martin’

The Casting Challenge Behind House of the Dragon’s 10-Year Time Jump

September 30, 2022

Offered the job on House of the Dragon before she knew how many life stages and child actors the casting would require, James began with the older performers. “We cast the elder generation, Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, first,” Condal notes. “The challenge was in finding two young actors who not only had an ability that measured up to Olivia and Emma’s considerable talents, but who also looked like them.”

“You cast Emma, who is in my mind one of the most extraordinary actors of their generation; that was a slow process, as you can imagine,” James elaborates. “Once you get them cast, you say, ‘Can you send me pictures of Emma when they were younger?’ That informs and steers you.” Fortunately, James had a young actor in mind.“I’d already seen Milly in Upright, and I met her when she was in London when she was about 18,” James continues. “The luck is that when you cast Emma, I suddenly went, ‘Oh my God, Milly is a doppelgänger.’”

Similar synchronicity took place with the casting of Alicent, though other factors were at play. “We were blessed that Emily has an almost identical profile and demeanor” to Cooke, James says. “There was a bit of worry at one point because Emily had to have a scene where she’s in bed with Paddy, who’s 47, and she’s 18. She had just turned 16, I think, when we cast her; I thought, Oh God, should we be casting so young? And we said, ‘Yes, because that’s the point. That is the cruelty of the story: These two really charming best friends are royally fucked over by their fathers and everyone around them.’”

I spoke to House of the Dragon co-creator/co-showrunner Ryan Condal and casting director Kate Rhodes James about the challenge of double (and triple) casting the show’s characters for Vulture. This was a really fun and informative piece to put together, and I hope you enjoy it!

The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 160!

September 29, 2022

We’re back, baby! Stefan Sasse and I return for the latest (still can’t believe I’m saying this) weekly episode of the Boiled Leather Audio Hour, this time focusing on House of the Dragon episode six. Available here or wherever you get your podcasts!

House of the Dragon’s Matthew Needham Is Playing Larys As a Hero

September 26, 2022

In terms of Larys’s position in society, he’s got two strikes against him from birth. First, he’s the second son, so he’s at a loss there. Then there’s his disability, from which his nickname “the Clubfoot” is derived. Obviously you don’t want to raise the implication that because he has a physical disability, there’s something morally wrong with him — but at the same time, that’s how some of the characters in this world see it. How do you approach that?
It’s his superpower. It’s worked really well in his favor. The fact that he has a clubfoot and people don’t deem him as a threat, or don’t think he can fend for himself … I mean, Harwin is very protective of him. He’s able to use it to his advantage. He’s not an evil disabled person or anything like that. He’s used the prejudice of the world against itself.

It’s reminiscent of how Tyrion knew his dwarfism would lead people to underestimate him in the original Game of Thrones.
That’s George R.R. Martin’s obsession, right? “Cripples, bastards, and broken things.” That’s who he loves: People who have a disadvantage in this very macho world. It’s the people who use their mind — and the more feminine aspects of their personality, I think — to decimate the world. It’s extraordinary.

I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s Matthew Needham about his character, Larys Strong, for Vulture.

House of the Dragon Character Guide post-Episode 6 Update!

September 26, 2022

I’ve once again updated my House of the Dragon character guide for Vulture, this time divided into three helpful sections: people in this episode, people in previous episodes, and people who died (valar morghulis). Enjoy!

“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Six: “The Princess and the Queen”

September 26, 2022

FEAR NOT, PEOPLE of Westeros: The line of succession is strong.

True, we’ve said goodbye to Milly Alcock as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Emily Carey as Queen Alicent Hightower, two key peformances that helped make House of the Dragon a massive hit. But even after a 10-year time jump, the introduction of a whole new generation of Targaryen heirs, and the replacement of Alcock and Carey with older actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke respectively, this prequel series has somehow not missed a beat. Indeed, this is the show’s best episode yet. Even a maester would tell you this is a minor miracle.

I reviewed last night’s episode of House of the Dragon, which was essentially a new series premiere, for Rolling Stone.

The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 159!

September 22, 2022

That’s right, it’s the latest episode of the WEEKLY Boiled Leather Audio Hour podcast, in which Stefan Sasse and I discuss episode five of House of the Dragon—available here or wherever you get your podcast!

House of the Dragon’s Theo Nate Could Ride a Dragon All Day

September 20, 2022

You got to do some real serious fantasy stuff during your time on the show. I mean, you rode a dragon into battle.
Oh, mate, I loved it. It was one of the best things I’ve done. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to Ibiza or Magaluf or somewhere like that, but you have these bulls in the bars you can jump on and ride them, like a rodeo-type thing. It’s a bit like one of them: You jump on and it’s been programmed for a minute long, and it’s got all the dips and twists and turns, and you strap in. And they have a giant leaf blower and a guy just blows wind in your face. I can’t lie: I thought it was amazing. I’d do that all day.

What’s it like to walk into a production on this scale?
It’s a weird one. I was — still am — a massive Game of Thrones fan. I say that all the time but then I realize I weren’t as big a fan as I thought, because the fans of the books are just so, so, so much more clued up. [Laughs.]

When you’re on the outside, it’s massive. But on the inside, I didn’t realize the scale of it. When you’re shooting scenes, it just felt like the job. My agent still says to me, “You don’t realize how big this show is, do you?” And I’m like, “No.”

I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s Theo Nate, aka Laenor Velaryon, for Vulture.

‘House of the Dragon’ Stars Say Goodbye to HBO’s Biggest Hit

September 19, 2022

Do you feel there was a sublimated romantic or sexual tension between Rhaenyra and Alicent?

CAREY As a queer person myself, I read an undertone in the script that I knew could be played. That being said, I don’t think Ryan Condal [a creator and showrunner] sat there writing a Sapphic drama. If you want to see it, you can. If you want to pretend it’s not there, you can also do that.

The thing is, these girls don’t know what “platonic” or “romantic” means, whether that be the words or the feelings themselves. There’s just a closeness between two young women that cannot be verbalized, especially in the world they live in. I don’t think they fully understand the feelings; it’s just all-consuming love.

There’s an underlying jealousy that I read into it, especially coming off the back of Episode 4. It was this scene where we were on a bench, and it’s the first time we’ve seen these two women reconnect after losing this closeness they had. I remember in rehearsal at the end of the scene, we were like, “Did you feel like we were about to kiss?”

ALCOCK And I was like, “Yeah!”

I interviewed Milly Alcock and Emily Carey about their time on House of the Dragon for the New York Times.

“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Five: “We Light the Way”

September 18, 2022

WHEN IT COMES to weddings in Westeros, the vibes are always off. Think of King Joffrey’s marriage to Margaery Tyrell, which ended with him turning purple as he choked to death. Or of Sansa Stark’s two depressing betrothals, first to Tyrion Lannister — who was no happier about it than she was — and then to Ramsay Bolton, the less said about whom the better. Remember Daenerys Targaryen’s grim, nonconsenual union with Khal Drogo over in Essos? And, of course, there’s the still-legendary Red Wedding, a bloody landmark moment in pulling-the-rug-out-from-under-the-audience TV history.

Did you think that just because House of the Dragon is a new show, weddings would be any different? Ha!

I reviewed tonight’s episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.

The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 158!

September 15, 2022

That’s right, we’re still weekly, baby! Our new episode, on House of the Dragon episode 4, is up right here or wherever you get your podcasts! And remember, you can get early access, plus a whole other weekly full-length podcast series on The Rings of Power, by subscribing to our Patreon!

“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Four: “King of the Narrow Sea”

September 11, 2022

It is admittedly a darkly erotic thrill to watch the unconventionally beautiful actors Milly Alcock and Matt Smith play their roles as Rhaenyra and Daemon, as these characters slowly warm to the idea of getting it on in a semi-public environment. It speaks to the complexities of Daemon’s character that he backs off before the deed can be done — and to the burgeoning desires of Rhaenyra herself when she seduces her Kingsguard knight Ser Criston Cole as a replacement for her uncle. Both scenes — Rhaenyra and Daemon making out and stripping down in the brothel, Rhaenyra studiously stripping Cole out of his armor so that they can fuck in the Red Keep — have genuine heat.

I reviewed tonight’s fantastic episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.

The Boiled Leather Audio Hour Episode 157!

September 8, 2022

In what is somehow our third weekly episode in a row, Stefan and I tackle House of the Dragon episode 3 in the latest Boiled Leather Audio Hour podcast, available here or wherever podcasts are sold!

House of the Dragon’s Resident Lannister(s) Had to Forget What Game of Thrones Taught Him

September 6, 2022

You were in the original Game of Thrones. What was it like to return to this world after all this time?

Very bizarre, to be honest. When I first did it, I was working with Alfie Allen [Thrones’ Theon Greyjoy] on another job, and he had this book with a dragon on the front. He roughly explained the premise, which just sounded nutty and implausible to me. I was like, “Good luck with that. It’s never going to work.” [Laughs.] Then I had an audition for it, and when you have an audition, you go, “It’s brilliant.” Your mind switches.

Arriving on set in Northern Ireland ten years ago or so, it was unknown. It still had that feeling of, “Shit, is this going to work?” I remember hanging out with Kit [Harington, a.k.a. Jon Snow] and those guys, and they’re all desperately doing press-ups and trying to figure things out. Walking to the studios at Warner Bros. for House of the Dragon and seeing carved statues 70 feet high or whatever in this incredible set … It was a very different energy: Wow, this is high pressure, and a lot to live up to.

I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s Jefferson Hall about the two(!) roles he plays on the show for Vulture.

“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Three: “Second of His Name”

September 4, 2022

Even the more minor characters stand out. Hall is a hoot as the slimy Jason Lannister and as his anxious twin brother Tyland, who’s replaced Corlys as Master of Ships on the Small Council. And Gavin Spokes has a winning presence as Lord Lyonel Strong, seemingly the only member of the Council willing to give Viserys advice that doesn’t directly benefit himself or his house. (He rejects his own son as a suitor for Rhaenyra in favor of Laenor.)

I reviewed tonight’s episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.

‘House of the Dragon’: Steve Toussaint on Playing Lord Corlys, Boat Guy

August 29, 2022

Were you a “Game of Thrones” guy before you got this part?

Yes, I was. It had been going for about three or four seasons before I actually watched it because fantasy is not really my genre. I was staying with a friend in L.A., and he said to me, “Have you seen this ‘Game of Thrones’?” And I was like: “No. It’s got dragons, why the hell would I watch that?” [Laughs.] He said, “Just watch one episode.” And it was so much more gritty and, for want of a better word, realistic than I was expecting. I was hooked.

I interviewed House of the Dragon‘s Steve Toussaint for the New York Times.

“House of the Dragon” thoughts, Season One, Episode Two: “The Rogue Prince”

August 29, 2022

Which brings us to the heart of the story: family drama. At this point, underneath all the dragon-riding and crab-feeding, this is ultimately a show about a dad, a daughter, and the demands that are pulling them apart.

Paddy Considine and Milly Alcock, the performers in question, root this material in vivid, empathetic acting. Considine constantly wears a hangdog expression on his instantly likeable face; his Viserys is a guy who wants to be happy, and is deeply frustrated to find that he can’t be. No wonder he selects Alicent, who’s become his closest friend, to rule the realm with him.

Alcock, meanwhile, projects a blend of precociousness and vulnerability, enhanced by the show’s blocking choices. She may insist on selecting the next Kingsguard knight, but she has to stand on a stepstool to see the candidates; she convinces Uncle Daemon to back down, but he towers over her in much the same way that his dragon dwarfs her own.

I reviewed last night’s episode of House of the Dragon for Rolling Stone.