The Game of Thrones universe is known for its reprehensible villains, but few characters on spinoff House of the Dragon are as widely loathed as Ser Criston Cole, the hypocritical Kingsguard knight played by Fabien Frankel. Criston was introduced in the premiere episode of the show as an upstart knight who won his place in the Kinsguard through skill-at-arms — and the eye of young Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock). But after she refused his offer to elope, Criston went off the deep end, holding to a bitter grudge against Rhaenyra which followed them into adulthood.
Surprisingly, Criston became one of the most compelling characters on the show in its second season. He was on the front lines of the war between the Greens and Blacks, witnessed dragons battle in the sky, and had to find a way to reconcile his place as a mere mortal in the midst of these god-like beasts. The result was a bleak, powerful speech by the end of the season, where Criston reckoned with the liklihood that he wasn't going to make it out of the Dance of the Dragons alive.
Despite Criston's compelling storyline in season 2, we really know nothing about his life before he came to King's Landing, and to date that backstory has never really been filled in. Actor Fabien Frankel recently opened up to Esquire about some of his difficulties with the part, especially compared with some of his other, more fleshed out roles, like FBI agent Anthony Grasso on HBO's Task.
“It never felt like it was ironed out on House of Dragon in the right way,” he says. “There were moments in season 2 [of House of the Dragon] where you got to see more of that three-dimensionality [from Cole], and there will be more in season 3. Not that that’s a spoiler, but it’s something you fight so much for as an actor—especially if you’re playing a villain—is for things not to be two-dimensional. And I felt so lucky that Grasso is such a three-dimensional character.”
Frankel went on to say that the writers on Task created a character for him that was more "fully formed" out of the gate. "And Criston … this, it is what it is, but Criston is a purpose in a storyline, and House of Dragon is a show that is a bunch of people who are serving a story. At times, I find that that’s difficult as an actor."
Fabien Frankel opens up about Criston Cole's social media backlash
Frankel's analysis of Cole is fascinating, and I think he's right. Oftentimes with a big, sprawling show like House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones, each character has a very specific role to serve in the narrative. If you're one of the main players, like Rhaenyra, Daemon, or Aemond Targaryen, there's ample room to settle into the role and elevate it. But for many of the smaller characters, there's often very little screentime to leave a mark. I could imagine how that might be difficult, compared to a show with lots of meaty material to sink your teeth into.
Regardless of how full of a character Crison Cole is in House of the Dragon, it was just enough for people to loath him. I don't think it's an exaggeration to call him the most hated character on the series. That transformed into a vicious social media backlash that ultimately resulted in Frankel limiting comments on platforms like Instagram, as many fans had a hard time separating the actor from the character he played. But there was also some surprising kindness from fans as well.
"Oh yeah, dude, that was a whole moment. It was weird," he said. "And it’s funny, I feel like people’s opinions about the character, suddenly there was more empathy, if that makes sense. It wasn’t empathy for him; it was empathy for me, like, Oh, we don’t want this guy to feel like it’s his fault."
Without going into spoilers, Frankel's character Grasso is also not the best guy in town. The Esquire article cites a certain betrayal he commits partway into Task, so clearly Frankel has a knack for playing backstabbing characters. (Or at least, casting directors think he does.)
"The nice thing about it is that, eventually, you understand the reason why [Grasso does what he does]. But it’s like, people fuck up, and that’s what makes acting these types of characters who fuck up so interesting," he said.
There's one other juicy quote from Frankel, but to talk about it we have to get into SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 3.
It sounds like Fabien Frankel is moving on from House of the Dragon
Near the end of the interview, Frankel was asked what he's working on next after Task. "I’ve got to finish the House of Dragon season, which is done in a month or so," he said. "Then we’ll bring it back to the drawing board. I’m reading a lot at the minute, a lot of scripts. I’d like to direct a film. That’s what I’d really like to do. My brother and I are developing a bunch of stuff together—things that are personal to us about our family, but we’ll see if they come off. If I could direct a film in the next year or two, I’d be really, really happy about that."
My big takeaway from this that it sounds like, after House of the Dragon season 3, the show may no longer be on Frankel's schedule. Reading scripts, considering directing, developing other projects...all that sounds like the actor is about to have a big old dragon-sized opening in his schedule.
This supports what we heard late last month, that showrunner Ryan Condal had gifted Frankel his sword prop from the series when he wrapped because he was done with the show. The reason for that is, of course, that Criston does not survive the Dance of the Dragons; he's killed in a horrific battle called the Butcher's Ball. The timeline for when that battle falls is a little hard to gauge for the series, since it's one of many important clashes in the Riverlands the show has to find a way to navigate, but given Frankel's exit we're pretty much confirmed to see it in season 3.
As for the production as a whole, House of the Dragon has indeed wrapped filming on its third season. It's expected to air sometime in summer 2026.