Graham McTavish “so proud” to be part of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel
By Dan Selcke
Graham McTavish has charmed audiences for years on Outlander as Dougal MacKenzie. He’s also in Netflix The Witcher series. Not about to let a chance to appear in yet another fantasy series pass him by, the Scottish actor jumped at the chance to be in House of the Dragon, HBO’s new Game of Thrones prequel series.
“About five years ago, [House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal and I] were having lunch and he told me he was working on a Game Of Thrones prequel and he would love me to be in it,” McTavish told The Sunday Post. “When it came closer, he said there were two possible characters I could play, but one of them died in episode four, so of course I went for the other one!”
Way to give out the spoilers, McTavish. Then again, in Westeros, no one is safe, so just because his character survives to Episode 4 doesn’t mean he’ll make it to Episode 5.
“Never once” was Graham McTavish allowed to sit down in his House of the Dragon armor
McTavish plays Harrold Westerling, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Collected and confident, he has a stabilizing presence on the show, and is one of the few unambiguously good guys you’ll come across.
“The king’s guards that my character is part of are almost like Templar monks/warrior types,” McTavish said. “Who forsake all worldly things and are not allowed to have relationships or money. They are completely devoted to the king. I had to wear a lot of armour and never once was I allowed to sit down in a scene.”
"It’s a spectacular costume. Once you have it on and are carrying the giant sword, while walking through enormous sets like the throne room, you almost don’t need to act. There is such a sense of grandeur."
Having watched the first episode, I can say that McTavish fits right into this world. “So proud to be a part of this great show,” he wrote on Instagram. You can watch him do his thing when House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max this Sunday, August 21.
dark. Next. House of the Dragon: Spoiler-free impressions and series review
To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels