If you’re done watching the third season of House of the Dragon and don’t know what to do while you wait for season 4, you may be wondering where to see your favorite stars next. Luckily, the HBO fantasy hit has assembled a cast packed with actors who have already appeared in some of television’s most acclaimed dramas and comedies.
Several House of the Dragon stars have already made their mark in other major series, and have shown completely different sides of their talents away from Westeros.
Whether you want more swords and castles, political and power struggles, family drama, or — why not — something completely outside the fantasy genre, there are plenty of shows worth checking out. Here are eight of the best shows starring your favorite actors from House of the Dragons.
House of Guinness
Created by Steven Knight, the mind behind Peaky Blinders, the Netflix historical drama is set in 1860s Dublin and follows the powerful Guinness family after the death of brewing magnate Sir Benjamin Guinness.
The connection to House of the Dragon comes through James Norton, who plays Sean Rafferty in House of Guinness and joined House of the Dragon in its third season as Ormund Hightower.
While House of Guinness doesn't have dragons or medieval warfare, it has plenty of the ingredients that make Westerosi drama so addictive: a powerful dynasty with complicated family relationships, and ambitious characters coming face-to-face with dramatic consequences.
With all eight episodes available, it’s also an easy binge while you wait for HOTD to return. And it was recently announced that season 2 is in production, so there’s more Guinness family drama on the way.
Peaky Blinders
Few shows capture the combination of violence, ambition, and family loyalty quite like BBC’s Peaky Blinders. Set in Birmingham after the First World War, the series follows gangster Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), head of the Shelby family, attempting to turn his criminal empire into a legitimate business operation.
The House of the Dragon connection is Paddy Considine, who played King Viserys I Targaryen in the first season.
Considine appears in Peaky Blinders as Father John Hughes, a sinister and politically connected figure — far different from the vulnerable and decaying Viserys.
There’s also another familiar face worth watching for: Tommy Flanagan, HOTD’s Ser Rodrick Dustin — also known as Roddy the Ruin — appears in the first season of Peaky Blinders as Arthur Shelby Sr., the tough and aggressive patriarch of the Shelby family.
The Last Kingdom
If you’re missing the swords, castles, and political scheming of House of the Dragon, The Last Kingdom is probably the easiest recommendation on this list.
Based on Bernard Cornwell’s novels, the historical drama follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon) as he navigates the wars between Saxons and Vikings in medieval England.
Most importantly for House of the Dragon fans, two of its stars appeared in The Last Kingdom: Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen) and Phia Saban (Helaena Targaryen).
Mitchell played Osferth, the bastard son of King Alfred of Wessex, while Saban appeared as Aelfwynn of Mercia. Seeing the pair in their earlier roles is particularly fun because their House of the Dragon characters have completely different personalities.
Eagle-eyed House of the Dragon fans will also notice Tom Taylor, who plays Cregan Stark in the Game of Thrones prequel, appear in one episode of The Last Kingdom as young Uhtred.
Sirens
For something completely different, try Sirens. The Netflix limited series stars Milly Alcock, who played young Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon, as Simone DeWitt.
Set over one eventful weekend at a seaside estate, Sirens follows Simone’s sister Devon (Meghann Fahy) as she becomes increasingly suspicious of Simone’s relationship with her billionaire boss Michaela (Julianne Moore).
Alcock’s role couldn’t be further removed from HBO's Rhaenyra. Simone is ambitious, and fascinated by the world of extreme wealth surrounding her. The series gradually peels back the surface of that seemingly perfect environment, revealing the ugly truth about power, class, manipulation, and — most of all — obsession.
The Girlfriend
Olivia Cooke has arguably undergone one of the biggest transformations among the House of the Dragon cast. As Alicent Hightower, Cooke plays a woman trapped between family, duty, religion and political ambition. In Prime Video’s psychological thriller The Girlfriend, she steps into an entirely different kind of power struggle.
Cooke plays Cherry Laine, a young woman whose relationship with her boyfriend Daniel (Laurie Davidson) becomes complicated when she meets his wealthy and suspicious mother Laura (Robin Wright).
For House of the Dragon fans, The Girlfriend is particularly appealing because it replaces royal politics with domestic warfare. There may be no Iron Throne, but there is still plenty of manipulation and rivalry.
Slow Horses
If your favorite part of House of the Dragon is the political intrigue, Slow Horses offers a modern alternative. The Apple TV spy thriller follows a group of disgraced British intelligence agents who have been relegated to Slough House, where they are expected to handle boring administrative work. Naturally, things don’t stay boring for long.
Olivia Cooke appears in the series as Sid Baker, giving fans another opportunity to see the actress before and beyond her role as Alicent Hightower.
Unlike the grand speeches and battlefield confrontations of House of the Dragon, Slow Horses builds tension through surveillance, deception, and espionage.
And if you’re looking for more House of the Dragon actors when starting Slow Horses, Freddie Fox is another familiar face you’ll see. The Gwayne Hightower actor is part of the Slow Horses ensemble in the first three seasons.
The Great
What if House of the Dragon was a comedy? It might be similar to Hulu’s The Great, the wildly irreverent take on the rise of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia.
Starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, the series is historically inspired rather than strictly historical, which gives it plenty of freedom to turn royal politics into something comically absurd.
The House of the Dragon connection comes again through Freddie Fox, who plays King Hugo of Sweden, political archenemy — and spiritual friend — of Hoult’s Emperor Peter of Russia.
Outlander
Finally, there’s Outlander. The Starz drama follows Claire Fraser, a Second World War nurse who mysteriously travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland, where she gets caught up in a Jacobite Rebellion and falls in love with Highland warrior Jamie Fraser.
Outlander and House of the Dragon have a double connection in two characters. Graham McTavish, who played Ser Harrold Westerling, the honorable Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, was first widely known to Outlander viewers as Dougal MacKenzie.
McTavish’s role in Outlander is considerably more substantial than his early appearance in House of the Dragon, making the series an especially worthwhile watch for fans who enjoyed his Westerosi character.
Alongside McTavish, we can also see Bill Paterson, who played Lord Lyman Beesbury in season 1 of House of the Dragon. Beesbury was Master of Coin to King Viserys I and the first victim of Dance of the Dragons. In Outlander, Paterson plays Ned Gowan, a lawyer and important advisor of clan MacKenzie, not very different from what his character in House of the Dragon did.
Viewers will also recognize House of the Dragon’s Kieran Bew (Hugh the Hammer), Wil Johnson (Vaemond Velaryon), and Solly McLeod (Joffrey Lonmouth) popping up in Outlander.
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