While House of the Dragon boasts of many anti-heroes and villains, the character of Ser Criston Cole seems to have irked fans to new levels. The Kingsguard is known for his turncoat behavior and in the latest episode, is seen sleeping with Queen Alicent Hightower while the assassins Blood and Cheese kill Jaehaerys Targaryen.
Cole is played by Fabien Frankel, who reportedly did not expect to be cast as the controversial character. Frankel revealed that when he auditioned for the role, the brief by the makers for Criston Cole mentioned that they were looking for a ‘Jason Momoa type’. However, the creators seemed to have changed their minds after Frankel’s audition.
House of the Dragon Makers Wanted A ‘Jason Momoa type’ For Ser Criston Cole
Ser Criston Cole might just be the most-hated character in the HBO show House of the Dragon at the moment after he was seen getting intimate with Queen Alicent Hightower while her grandson was getting murdered in the next room. The first episode of season 2 seems to have triggered a lot of hate for the Kingsguard.
The character has been controversial since the beginning of the show. While he was introduced as a sweet soldier who fell in love with Rhaenyra Targaryen, his response to the heiress spurning his romantic advances has made him extremely controversial. He is also known as an extremely volatile character, who cannot control his emotions.
Actor Fabien Frankel, who played the role, mentioned that he was initially unsure if he would even get to be cast. He told in an interview with The New York Times that he received a weird brief when he went to audition for the role. He said,
I did the audition and heard nothing back other than that they were looking for a slightly more Jason Momoa type for the part. That certainly wasn’t me, and I really didn’t think about it again. What I still don’t know, and I’m fascinated to know, is whether they couldn’t find their Jason Momoa type, or if they decided to change their casting brief. If the opportunity arises to ask them, I will.
Frankel mentioned that he did not know whether they changed the brief or if they could not find what they were looking for. However, he mentioned that he did not receive the same position of a s*x symbol as Momoa did.
Jason Momoa Impressed Game of Thrones Creators With a Haka During The Auditions
There is a reason why the House of the Dragons preferred a ‘Jason Momoa type’ for the role of Ser Criston Cole. The Aquaman star had his breakout role as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. Despite having little to no dialogue, Momoa impressed fans with his royal demeanor as the leader of the Dothraki tribe who weds Daenerys Targaryen.
While Momoa’s performance made him a star, his audition process too was extremely impressive and legendary. The actor reportedly performed Haka, a traditional war dance during the auditions. He told The New York Times,
On Game of Thrones, [Drogo] doesn’t say much. So how do you convey him? There’s nothing in the script. So I said: ‘I have this idea. Is it O.K. to do [a dance] before the audition?’ And they were like, ‘Oh, sure.’ Then I did the Haka. It was challenging to do the audition afterward — I couldn’t stop my heart from beating. The first time I did it, they were very scared. But then they wanted me to come back in so they could put it on tape.
Despite only being in the show for a few seasons, Jason Momoa’s character became one of the highlights of the show.
House of the Dragon is streaming on Max.
