HBO is filming the third season of House of the Dragon as we speak, and while we'll catch up with lots of familiar faces, there will be some new characters in the mix too. That includes Luther Largent, the commander of the Gold Cloaks in King's Landing, played by Downton Abbey veteran Tom Cullen.
Cullen talked a bit with Country & Townhouse about his new role. "I’m a big fan of the whole world. It’s been utterly thrilling to be involved thus far!" he said. "Started filming a few months ago. It’s been great. Everyone is so kind. Not an ego in sight."
"I have the heaviest costume they’ve ever made, apparently, so that’s the only challenging thing. But I would wear it forever if it means I get to be in that world."
In George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood, Luther Largent is a tall, strong dude, so if any character is going to wear a huge honking piece of armor, it's him. Tom Cullen is 6'1", so not quite as tall as Largent, who is said to approach seven feet — but tall enough to bear it.
Beware SPOILERS for Fire & Blood below!
Cullen also mentions that Luther is "a good friend of Daemon," which is true to the book. Luther joined the Gold Cloaks when Daemon was in charge of them; even years later, Luther is still loyal to Daemon over his current boss King Aegon, whom Daemon is fighting to knock off the Iron Throne so his wife Queen Rhaenyra can sit on it.
That's hugely important in the book, because (and this is where we get into SPOILERS) when Daemon and Rhaenyra retake the city of King's Landing away from Aegon, Luther is a huge help to them. The gold cloaks are the city guards; they're loyal to Luther and Luther is loyal to Daemon, which basically makes Luther Daemon's man on the inside.
I can still see that turn happening in House of the Dragon season 3, although the show has made things a little weirder by also making it so Rhaenyra and Aegon's mother Alicent are now working together. Also, in the book, when Rhaenyra and Daemon invade King's Landing, Luther helps them out by killing Alicent's brother Gwayne Hightower...but on the show, Gwayne is away marching on Harrenhal, so they're have to change that.
Honestly, the show has changed so much that I don't really consider the book a good predictor of events anymore, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what Cullen does with the role. Expect new episodes of House of the Dragon to premiere on HBO and Max sometime next year.
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