House of the Dragon star’s death scene was majorly unpleasant to film

House of the Dragon season 2 is one of the most highly anticipated TV events of 2024, with fans eager to see the return of their favorite characters as the Dance of the Dragons officially begins. Whether you’re Team Rhaenyra Targaryen or you side with Alicent Hightower, there are so many major moments to look forward to.

But of course, there are some characters we met in the first season who won’t be returning in season 2. One of those is Joffrey Lonmouth, a.k.a. the Knight of Kisses, who we briefly got to know before Criston Cole beat him to death in the fifth episode.

Joffrey’s death scene received criticism when it aired, but it was definitely memorable. It’s the most graphic death of the show so far, as we watch Criston repeatedly punch Joffrey across the face until it’s turned into mush. This understandably traumatizes Laenor, Rhaenyra, and likely others, and is not something the viewer can unsee.

And for the two actors in the scene? It wasn’t exactly fun to film.

Joffrey Lonmouth actor on filming his death scene in House of the Dragon

Speaking to Decider, actor Solly McLeod, who played Joffrey, talked about his new PBS show Tom Jones, which he almost lost out on because of his filming schedule for House of the Dragon. He also recalled filming his death scene in the Game of Thrones spinoff, calling it “intense.” McLeod explained:

"I had a cold when we were filming that scene and I was kind of bunged up — but it wasn’t COVID because we were tested — but I did have a cold and it hurt to move my head too quickly. So I was there being punched, having to move my head. I didn’t have to act very much to be uncomfortable."

Fortunately, his scene partner Fabien Frankel, who plays Criston, was easy to work with:

"Me and [Fabien] had a nice kind of relationship when we were on set. After every time I got up from being punched to death, we have a big hug in front of everyone. Like, ‘it’s all good.’ You just have to do that thing otherwise it starts getting, it’s like, ‘Do you really hate me?’"

Having to shoot a scene where you’re getting your head bashed in sounds uncomfortable enough, even without McLeod already being in pain. At least the finished product turned out great. I still get chills thinking about it!

McLeod’s current series Tom Jones seems more innocent and less deadly than House of the Dragon, which is probably a nice change of pace. The series is split into four parts and airs every Sunday night, with the final episode scheduled for this weekend on May 21.

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