House of the Dragon season 2 reportedly casts Cheese

Image: House of the Dragon/HBO
Image: House of the Dragon/HBO

It’s official: filming has begun on House of the Dragon season 2! You know what that means: over the coming months we’ll find out about new castings, significant sets, and other juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits.

Those flood gates are already opening. Redanian Intelligence is a reliable scoop site known for digging up news about The Witcher, but they also have spies on the set of House of the Dragon. They have revealed two new castings for House of the Dragon season 2, unearthed by/ their anonymous sources. It’s important to note that these aren’t official announcements; at the same time, RI has a solid enough track record that we wouldn’t be surprised if they panned out.

The first of these new castings is none other than Cheese, a former Red Keep rat-catcher who will factor into one of the most horrific moments from the Dance of the Dragon, a moment that could come early in season 2. According to RI, he’ll be played by Mark Stobbart:

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 26: Mark Stobbart attends the UK Gala screening of “Almost Married” at The Mayfair Hotel on March 26, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 26: Mark Stobbart attends the UK Gala screening of “Almost Married” at The Mayfair Hotel on March 26, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage)

House of the Dragon season 2 reportedly casts Cheese

We had previously seen an audition tape for the role of Cheese, so we’ve known that House of the Dragon was on the hunt for someone to play the part. Now it seems they’ve found their actor. Stobbart is best known for television shows like Line of Duty and The Silence, as well as movies like Almost Married. We haven’t seen him in any sort of medieval period piece before, but there’s no denying that he’s got the perfect look for Cheese.

We won’t get into spoilers about exactly who Cheese is and what they do, but suffice it to say that this is a casting that fans have been on the lookout for. Now we just need to wait and see who House of the Dragon casts as Cheese’s partner Blood.

But that’s not all! RI also reports that another role has been cast:

James Doherty to play a character named “Cley” in House of the Dragon season 2

Beyond Cheese, RI also reports that James Doherty will play a character named “Cley.” Cley is a recurring character, but the name isn’t one from George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood. Maybe it’s a code name? It wouldn’t be the first time HBO has used code names to help keep secrets.

As for Doherty, he’s acted in shows like Outlander and done a lot of voiceover work. The most recent thing I know him from is the video game Elden Ring, where he voiced the Roundtable Hold blacksmith Hewg.

It’s always exciting to get casting updates, and this is only the beginning. We’ll be manning the Wall and keeping a sharp eye out for more news in the coming weeks.

House of the Dragon season 2 is currently in production! It’s expected to premiere sometime in 2024.

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