Every new actor joining House of the Dragon in season 2 (and who they're playing)

The second season of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon premieres this summer on HBO and Max. The first season already introduced us to a cavalcade of memorable characters, including heir apparent to the Iron Throne Rhaenyra Targaryen, her lecherous half-brother Aegon, her bloodthirsty uncle-husband Daemon, her best frenemy Alicent Hightower, and more. Like Game of Thrones before it, House of the Dragon has a lot of characters, and it's not in the habit of pausing so you can remember who's who.

Season 2 will pick up where season 1 left off: Rhaenyra's son Luke has been killed by her own half-brother Aemond Targaryen, Luke's uncle. The simmering war between these two branches of the Targaryen family is about to boil and bubble over. House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, and the story is about to expand in a big way, introducing us to lots of new places and people.

So who are the new characters we'll get to know in House of the Dragon season 2, and who's playing them? Let's run down the newcomers, with special thanks to Redanian Intelligence for compiling a fantastic list and filling in the gaps in our knowledge.

Tom Taylor as Cregan Stark

First up we have English actor Tom Taylor as Cregan Stark, a name that's sure to attract attention from those Game of Thrones fans who remember the North. If you recall, at the end of season 1, Rheanyra dispatched her son Jacaerys to Winterfell to win the favor of its young lord. Cregan Stark is that lord. We'll probably see him early in season 2, as Jace arrives on his diplomatic mission.

In Fire & Blood, Jace and Cregan become buddies, so maybe House of the Dragon will give us the lasting Stark-Targaryen partnership we never got on Game of Thrones. Cregan definitely recalls some of the stern-faced Starks from the original show: he's loyal, unbending in his values, a bit gruff, and a good fighter. I can definitely see him becoming a fan favorite.

As for Taylor, he's been acting since he was a kid, appearaing alongside Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey in 2017's The Dark Tower.

Freddie Fox as Gwayne Hightower

Cregan Stark enters the budding war between Rhaenyra and Aegon for the Iron Throne, known as the Dance of the Dragons, on Rhaenyra's side; her faction is known as the "blacks." Let's meet a character who fights for Aegon, who's faction is called the "greens."

Gwayne Hightower is the brother of Alicent Hightower, Aegon's mother and Rhaenyra's sworn enemy or best friend depending on how she's feeling that day. We actually saw Gwayne very briefly in the first-ever episode of House of the Dragon, when Daemon Targaryen un-horsed him during a tournament. Now that war has broken out between the blacks and the greens, perhaps Gwayne can get his revenge.

Gwayne is played by Freddie Fox, who has a long list of screen and stage credits. He'll shine in this supporting role.

Amanda Collin as Jeyne Arryn

Here's another ally for Rhaenyra: Jeyne Arryn rules over the Vale, one of the Seven Kingdoms and definitely someone you want on your side if you're going to war. Jeyne is a hard-headed ruler who's been at it for years, having successfully stopped a plot to oust her mounted by her cousin Arnold Arryn, who did not think a woman could do the job. In Fire & Blood, it's hinted that Jeyne Arryn is a lesbian, something the show may make plain, since it's not as constrained by the book's format.

Although Jeyne doesn't think much of Rheanyra's husband Daemon, she proves a loyal ally to Rhaenyra throughout the war. Amanda Collin will surely crush this role; you can see her bring gravity to a leading part in the Max show Raised by Wolves, where she plays a maternal android willing to protect her flock by any means necessary.

Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers

Alys Rivers' motivations are a little harder to figure out than the other characters we've looked at so far. She's a wet nurse who lives at Harrenhal, the huge haunted castle currently ruled over by House Strong; it's said that she's a bastard daughter of a Strong lord herself. It's also said that she's a witch woman who can entrap people with curses and spells. Quite a lot is said about Alys Rivers. She was a mysterious reputation that proceeds her.

In Fire & Blood, Daemon Targaryen spends a lot of time in and around Harrenhal during the Dance of the Dragons. Later, Aemond Targaryen will hang out in Harrenhal. Alys will interact with both of them, but will she be a friend or an enemy?

Gayle Rankin is an experienced actor with roles in shows like GLOW and Perry Mason, as well as movies like The Greatest Showman. If you've seen her work, you know she'll be able to pull off the creepy vibes required to play Alys Rivers.

There are a lot more people to meet. Click the button below to continue:

Mark Stobbart as Cheese and Sam C. Wilson as Blood

After his step-son Luke is killed — an event we saw adapted in the season 1 finale — Daemon Targaryen vows revenge upon King Aegon, his brother Aemond, his mother Alicent, and the green faction of the Targaryen family. He reaches out to a contact in King's Landing, who then hires a pair of mercenaries known to history only as Blood and Cheese. Blood is a former soldier and current butcher, while Cheese used to be a rat-catcher in the Red Keep. Together, they are charged with carrying out a brutal act of vengeance that will probably happen very early on in House of the Dragon season 2.

To play the crafty Cheese, HBO has hired Mark Srobbart, best known for television shows like Line of Duty and The Silence. That's his picture above. Sam C. Wilson will play Blood. Wilson has appeared in stuff like Hanna and Dodger. At 6'5", he fits the physical description of Blood, who is the muscle of the duo.

I won't spoil anything explicit here about just what Blood and Cheese get up to. I'll just say that I hope the fans have strong stomachs. It's possible that these characters will only appear in one or two episodes. But they won't need very long to leave an impression.

Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull

English actor Abubarkar Salim appeared in Raised by Wolves alongside Amanda Collin, although the pair of them are unlikely to cross paths on House of the Dragon. Jeyne Arryn is the ruler of the Vale, and Alyn of Hull is a bastard son of an unknown father living on the island of Driftmark...or at least, that's how his story begins.

Alyn has a talent of seamanship that will take him far in life. We'll likely meet him alongside his brother Addam of Hull, who has the same mysterious father:

Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull

Known for his role in TV series like Normal People and Red Election, Irish actor Clinton Liberty will play Addam of Hull, another bastard living on the island of Driftmark who will come to play an unexpectedly large role in the Dance of the Dragons.

We're going to give away a minor spoiler here: although Fire & Blood doesn't outright confirm it, it's very likely that the father of Addam and Alyn is actually...Corlys Velaryon, the head of House Velaryon of Driftmark. We spend a good deal of time with Corlys in season 1. He'll have more to do in season 2, including dealing with some family drama.

Addam has an especially interesting role. Towards the end of House of the Dragon season 1, Daemon mentioned that there were several riderless dragons living on the island of Dragonstone. At some point in season 2, Rheanyra and her team will get hte idea to put out a call to the masses: anyone who can tame these dragons and use them to fight for Rheanyra will be rewarded with lands and titles. Many answer the call. Most die or get maimed. But a few succeed in riding dragons. They are called the dragonseeds. Addam of Hull is one of them.

Yep, we'll see some peasants riding dragons in House of the Dragon season 2. All of the dragonseeds are important characters. Let's meet the rest:

Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer

Addam of Hull is the kind of guy you would trust with a dragon: loyal, humble and good-hearted. He understands the responsiblity that comes with controlling one of these destructive beasts and tries not to abuse it. Hugh Hammer is...very different. He manages to tame a dragon and takes his place as a dragon-rider among Rhaenyra's forces, but giving Hugh a fire-breathing beast to call his own may note be the best idea. He's irascible, violent, ambitious, and could be a very exciting character to watch onscreen.

Hugh Hammer will be played by English actor Kieran Bew, an experienced performer who I will always remember as Officer Bill O'Hara on the excellent martial arts drama Warrior, which was canceled before its time but which will soon be appearing on Netflix. Check out seasons 1-3 of Warrior if you want to see the kind of charisma that Bew can bring to the screen.

Tom Bennett as Ulf the White

English actor Tom Bennett, who appeared in the movie Rocketman as well as in a great many British TV shows, will play the role of Ulf the White, also known as Ulf the Sot, another one of the dragonseeds.

Ulf isn't as noble-hearted as Addam nor as unpredictably violent as Hugh. Mostly, he's known for being a drunk. Still probably not the kind of guy you want riding a dragon, but only a few people actually manage to successfully mount the beasts, so Rhaenyra doesn't have much choice when picking new dragon-riders. Most people who try fail horribly. For example...

Robert Rhodes as Silver Denys

Robert Rhodes will play a Silver Denys, a local Dragonstone man known for his silver hair. In Westeros, silver hair can often mean that you have some Valyrian blood flowing in our veins. When Denys hears that Rhaenyra is looking for dragonriders, he eagerly answers the call, figuring that his natural affinity for the beasts will win him a seat in Rhaenyra's air force. He tries to mount the dragon Sheepstealer. It does not go well.

Denys doesn't have a huge role in the Dance of the Dragons; he's more around to illustrate how dangerous it is to tame a dragon. It could be a scene-stealing one-episode role, though.

These are some of the more important characters we'll meet in House of the Dragon season 2. But we're far from done. The supporting cast will be HUGE. Find out what I mean:

Simon Russell Beale as Simon Strong

Once described by The Independent as "the greatest stage actor of his generation," English actor Simon Russell Beale has a ton of stage and screen credits to his name. He'll play Ser Simon Strong, the castellan of Harrenhal. That means he takes care of the massive castle when its lord is away. The lord is Simon's great-nephew Larys Strong, who you'll remember is a shceming advisor to Alicent Hightower with an interest in foot stuff.

Steven Pacey as Gunthor Darklyn

Another English actor known for his stage work, Steven Pacey will play Gunthor Darklyn, the lord of the castle of Duskendale, which is just outside King's Landing. When the Dance of the Dragons breaks out, lords and ladies across the Seven Kingsdoms declare for either one side or the other: Team Black or Team Green, Team Rheanyra or Team Aegon. Lord Darklyn is near King's Landing, the home base of the greens, so you'd think he chooses their side. But he remains loyal to Rhaenyra and her blacks, possibly to his sorrow.

Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne

Vincent Regan is a Welsh actor with experience appearing in period pieces like 300, Troy and Clash of the Titan. He also played Luffy's grandfather in Netflix's live-action One Piece show, if you're wondering where you know him from.

Regan wlll play Ser Rickard Thorne, a member of King Aegon's Kingsguard. If you recall, Lord of Commander of the Kingsguard Ser Harrold Westerling quit his job towards the end of season 1; now, some members are loyal to Aegon while others are loyal to Rhaenyra. Aegon's Kingsguard is now commanded by Ser Criston Cole, with Rickard Thorne as one of his knights.

Archie Barnes as Oscar Tully

The Tully family from Game of Thrones will feature on House of the Dragon. At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, old Grover Tully is in charge of House Tully. Grover wants to support Aegon and her greens, but his grandson Elmo Tully wants to remain neutral. Elmo has two sons: Kermit and Oscar Tully, played by Archie Barnes. Over the course of the war, Oscar will become a leader and a warrior.

Grover, Elmo, Kermit, Oscar...if you're wondering, yes, all of these characters are purposefully named after Muppets. So far, the only Tully we know will appear in House of the Dragon season 2 is Oscar. I hope Grover, Elmo and Kermit show up too.

As for Archie Barnes, his biggest job before House of the Dragon was a small role in The Batman.

Michael Elwyn cast as Lord Staunton of Rook’s Rest

Lord Staunton plays a crucial role in House of the Dragon season 2. He's the lord of Rook's Rest, a castle that lies to the northeast of King's Landing. Once war breaks out, Lord Staunton declares for Rheanyra and her blacks. King Aegon, Criston Cole, and an army of greens march on the castle and demand that he abandon Rhaenrya. Rook's Rest becomes the sight of a huge battle between the greens and the blacks, one we know that HBO put a lot of effort into filming.

Lord Straunton is played 81-year-old Welsh actor Michael Elwyn. He started his career on the original Doctor Who show back in the 1960s and has worked consistently on stage and screen ever since.

Turlough Convery as Lord Mooton

Turlough Convery, known for his work in shows like Poldark and Resident Evil, will play Lord Mooton in House of the Dragon season 2. There are actually two Lord Mootons involved in the Dance of the Dragons. The first is Walys Mooton, the lord of Maidenpool and the head of House Mooton. He declares for Rhaenrya, and sees an opportunity to get into her good graces after the Battle at Rook's Rest. You see, that battle involves a couple of dragons, including King Aegon's dragon Sunfyre, who is wounded and spends some time recuperating on the ground afterwards. Walys Mooton tries to kill Sunfyre during this period, but he dies in the attempt because of course he does; you were never going to be able to slay a dragon, Walys. They're really hardcore.

After that, Walys' brother Manfryd becomes the new Lord Mooton and continues to support Rhaenyra. We're guessing that Convery will play Walys Mooton, since he has more to do during this next stretch of story.

Daniel Fathers as Humfrey Lefford

English actor Daniel Fathers has been working consistently onscreen since the early 2000s, appearing in shows like Snatch and Orphan Black. He's the head of House Lefford, which is sworn to House Lannister. House Lannister supports the greens, so Humfrey does too. He participates in a major battle called the Battle by the Lakeshore, also known as the Fishfeed, but it seems unlikely that season 2 will get that far into the story. Lord Hemfrey Lefford's most memorable moments may be ahead of him.

Jamie Kenna as Alfred Broome

Alfred Broome is the most senior knight living on the island of Dragonstone, which is where Rhaenrya Targaryen makes her home base. That means he's working for the blacks, but let me just say: keep an eye on that guy. He has a sour disposition and is bitter that Rhaenyra passed him over for a promotion. He could be trouble. Ser Alfred is played by actor Jamie Kenna, who's appeared on British soap operas like Eastenders and Coronation Street.

John-Paul Hurley as Lord Darry

Lord Darry, the head of House Darry in the Riverlands, declares for Rhaenyra Targaryen early on in the Dance of the Dragons and sticks it out despite some pretty hairy moments. We never do learn his first name in Fire & Blood. Perhaps the show will fill us in. Lord [FIRST NAME HERE] Darry will be played by English actor John-Paul Hurley.

And those are all the actors who are playing characters drawn directly from the pages of Fire & Blood. It's a lot! But don't underestimate just how huge this cast is. Next, let's look at some of the actors playing characters invented for the show:

We've moving on to actors playing characters who don't appear in Fire & Blood, although we might be able to guess at what the show is trying to do with them based on their names. Expect most of them to play supporting roles.

For this, we're breaking out the bullet points:

• Anna Francolini as Lady Mallister: House Mallister is a House in the Riverlands. A Lady Mallister isn't mentioned in Fire & Blood, but we presume there is one. We've heard that Lady Mallister will appear in three episodes, so perhaps she'll be the main representative of her house.
• Graeme McKnight as Paxter Strong: We've already met several members of the Strong family on House of the Dragon, and been introduced to several more in this article. Paxter is another one.
• Ralph Davis as Leon Estermont: House Estermont is a house in the Stormlands. The Stormlands are ruled over by House Baratheon, which has sworn allegiance to King Aegon. Ralph Estermont and his family will probably follow.
• Barney Fishwick as Martin Reyne: House Reyne is sword to House Lannister, which has declared for King Aegon and his greens. You may recognize the name "Reyne" from the song "The Rains of Castamere." House Reyne is one of two houses in the Westerlands that Tywin Lannister will wipe out of existence generations after the Dance of the Dragons. No one tell Martin, though; we don't want to upset him.

• Tok Stephen as Eddard Waters: We don't know much about this character, but his surname, Waters, suggests that he's a bastard born in the Crownlands, which is King's Landing and the areas around it.
• Sarah Woodward as Lady Serena: "Lady Serene" is a pretty mysterious name. Lady of what? We don't know, but Sarah Woodward is an experienced actor with roles in shows like Queens of Mystery and The Bill, so whatever Lady Serene gets up to, Woodward will make it interesting.
• James Doherty as Cley: "Cley" is an even more mysterious name. He could be anybody from a knight to a lord to a baker's assistant. James Doherty is an English actor who's appeard on series like Coronation Street and Doctors.

• Tom Cawte as Criston Cole’s Squire: We're now at the point where the characters don't even have names. But we still pity Criston Cole's squire, considering what a short-tempered taskmaster the new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard can be.
• Nicola Wright as Ratcatcher Woman: We mentioned above that Cheese, a mercenary who commit an atrocious act early in House of the Dragon season 2, used to work as a ratcatcher in the Red Keep. Perhaps this character was one of his colleagues.
• Graeme Dalling as Shipbreaker’s Bay Fisherman: At the end of House of the Dragon season 1, Aemond Targaryen and Lucerys Velaryon clashed upon their dragons in the skies over Shipbreaker Bay, near the castle of Storm's End. Luke and his dragon Arrax died and crashed into the waters below. Maybe this fisherman finds their bodies.
• Tom Lorcan as Stark Captain: We know we'll be visiting Winterfell in season 2. The Stark military needs captains.
• Ted Reilly as Crofter: A crofter is someone who farms a small, enclosed area of land. Now you know.
• Aaron Hodgetts as Apprentice: Aaron Hodgetts will play an apprentice. But what kind? Smithing? Dyeing? Tanning? We'll find out this summer.

• Thomas J. Jackson as a Vale sherpa: We'll be heading to the Vale and meeting Lady Jeyne Arryn in season 2. That's mountainous terrain, so sherpas are in high demand.
• Bill Best as a Tyroshi pirate: Tyrosh is one of three cities on Essos that formed an alliance in season 1 of House of the Dragon. That alliance was called the Triarchy; you may remember Daemon Targaryen dealing with them and their agent the Crabfeeder early in the season. They'll return in season 2.
• Milos Bindas as a Triarchy pirate: Here's another agent of the Triarchy for Rhaenyra, Daemon and their allies to deal with. We've heard that the character of Sharako Lohar, a Triarchy admiral who participates in the conflict known as the Battle of the Gullet, will appear in season 2. Perhaps one of these actors is playing him.
• Jaouhar Ben Ayed as Servant: This one's pretty self-explanatory.

There's only one category of actors left: those who have no character attached to their name at all. Join me on this voyage into mystery...

There are quite a few actors who we know are appearing in the second season of House of the Dragon but we don't know who they're playing. They include Eddie Eyre, Samson Kayo, Peter Silverleaf, Erica Ford, Parker Lapaine, Roderick Hill, Claire Cogan, Matthew Couchman, Ellora Torchia, Ryan Kopel, Shane Stevenson, Jack Staddon, Sarah Head, Erwan Sion, Antonio Magro, Denise Mack, Jordan Long and Scroobius Pip.

Since we don't know who these actors are playing, we won't spend much time on them, but I want to highlight a couple. Both Eddie Eyre and Peter Silverleaf appeared on Game of Thrones, Silverleaf as a maester and Eyre as Gerold Hightower, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under Aerys "the Mad King" Targaryen. We saw him briefly in a flashback during Game of Thrones season 6. Perhaps we'll play a Hightower during this much earlier period?

Meanwhile, I recognize Samson Kayo from his role as Oluwande on the Max show Our Flag Means Death. And I want to shout out English actor and hip hop artist Scroobius Pip because his name is great.

Missing characters

It's possible that some of these actors may be playing important characters from Fire & Blood who have, to our knowledge, yet to be cast. There are two big ones in particular: Daeron Targaryen is the youngest son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. He wasn't mentioned at all in season 1, but in the book he's studying in Oldtown during that time, so it's possible the show just hasn't gotten around to intorucing him yet.

Then there's Nettles, a dragonseed who some fans think is in the picture above. But we haven't heard any solid word, official or unofficial.

It's possible that the show has cut these two characters, although that's hard to believe in the case of Nettles, who has a great arc in Fire & Blood. We'll find out more when House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and Max sometime this summer!

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