Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: It’s “too soon” for me to watch House of the Dragon

Emilia Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen for all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, which wrapped up in 2019. When asked if she had watched the new prequel show House of the Dragon, she admitted that she wasn’t up to it. “It’s too weird,” she said. “I’m so happy it’s happening. I’m over the moon about all the awards…I just can’t do it. It’s so weird. It’s so strange. It’s kind of like someone saying, ‘You want to go to this school reunion that’s not your year? Want to go to that school reunion?’ That’s how it feels. I’m avoiding it.”

Of course, House of the Dragon isn’t Game of Thrones — the new show is set over 100 years before the first and stars a whole new cast of characters. But between the conflicts, the dragons and the silver-white wigs, there’s definitely a sense of deja vu. That’s the point, and it makes sense that veterans from the older show would feel weird about watching the new one.

That’s how Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — who played Jaime Lannister for all eight seasons — feels, as he revealed to Entertainment Weekly. “I’ll wait. I’ll give it a couple of seasons, then I can binge watch it and then there’s the whole thing,” he said. “But I know that so many people love that show, and I’m really happy for them.”

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau saw the opening credits to House of the Dragon: “It was a little strange”

That said, Coster-Waldau did have a brush with the show: he saw the opening credits — which use the Game of Thrones theme song but have different visuals — and it left him feeling kind of weird.

“One day it came on and I saw the opening credits. And it was a little strange because it was the same music and the title sequence was kind of similar,” Coster-Waldau said. “I was like, ‘Ah, this is too soon. Too soon.'”

One of the big Game of Thrones to actually watch the new series is Kit Harington (Jon Snow), although he found it difficult. “It’s hard for me to watch because I lived in it for so long,” he said. “There’s a pain there, y’know? So I’m working my way through it slowly…It’s like you’re watching other people in your costumes.”

The second season of House of the Dragon is due out on HBO and HBO Max sometime next year. As for Coster-Waldau, you can see him in the new show The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV+ on April 14.

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