Game of Thrones may be over, but the world of Westeros lives on, as the fantasy series prequel House of the Dragon smashed records and soared to great success last summer. Naturally, as the HOTD cast rose to fame, and people were immersed into the GOT world once again, the audience started to wonder what the Game of Thrones cast thought about the hit prequel. Understandably, the original cast members who have been asked about House of the Dragon have had a hard time getting into the series. However, each of them has also been enthusiastic about the GOT legacy living on, and are thrilled about the success of its prequel.
Here’s what some of the OG Game of Thrones cast have to say about House of the Dragon, and if they’ve watched the new GOT series.
Emilia Clarke – Daenerys Targaryen
It felt inevitable that Emilia Clarke would get asked about House of the Dragon, considering her character’s familial connection to the characters in the prequel. The actress played Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, and this new series is about the Mother of Dragons' ancestors. Sadly, she hasn’t tuned in to learn about her fantasy family’s history yet.
When asked if she had seen the new HBO series, Emilia Clarke was quick to say she can’t watch House of the Dragon. While I’m a bit bummed she hasn’t tuned in, I totally understand her reasoning, as she said:
No… [laughs] It’s too weird. I’m so happy it’s happening, I’m so over the moon about all the awards for everyone who made it. Miguel Sapochnik, who created it, and made it, love him. Brilliant, wonderful. I just can’t do it. It’s so weird. It’s so weird. It’s so strange.
She continued to explain why she won't watch House of the Dragon, saying:
It’s kind of like someone saying: ‘Do you want to go to this school reunion that’s not your year?’ [laughs] You want to go back to that school reunion?’ That’s kind of how it feels. I’m avoiding it.
While I’m bummed she’s avoiding the show, I get why she hasn’t watched yet. I think the comparison to a high school reunion for a class you weren’t in makes a lot of sense. However, I hope she’s able to watch the Targaryen story eventually.
Kit Harington – Jon Snow
Emilia Clarke might not be able to watch the show, but Kit Harington hasn’t totally dismissed the idea of streaming the Game of Thrones prequel. The Jon Snow actor admitted that he’s tried to watch House of the Dragon, but can’t watch it all at once, explaining:
I’ve seen the first few episodes… I loved it, I think they’ve done a fantastic job with it… It’s hard for me to watch because I lived in it for so long. There’s a pain there, you know? So I’m working my way through it slowly… You’re watching a lot of people in your costumes!
I understand why it’d be difficult to watch House of the Dragon. Seeing King’s Landing and the Iron Throne as well as the costumes that resemble GOT wardrobe would likely cause some wild deja vu. I’d assume that since these actors lived with these characters and this world for so long, and worked on sets like the HOTD locations seeing them back on screen, but not physically being there would be odd.
While Harington finds the show “hard” to watch at the moment, he still loves it and the fantasy world. That appreciation for the series was clear here, and in a broader sense, considering the actor is set to reprise his role as Jon Snow in a spin-off about his legendary GOT character, it makes sense that he still loves the GOT universe.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Jaime Lannister
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau has also weighed in on the conversation and admitted that he hasn’t watched House of the Dragon just yet. While chatting with EW, the actor behind Jaime Lannister explained that while he hasn’t seen the show, he has seen the eerily similar opening credits. The actor said:
I have not. One day it came on and I saw the opening credits. And it was a little strange because it was the same music and the title sequence was kind of similar. I was like, 'Ah, this is too soon. Too soon.'
I was also thrown off watching the pilot for House of the Dragon and hearing the Game of Thrones theme song playing. It really throws you back into the world of Westeros with no warning, and I’d assume that when you were in the cast of GOT hearing that song would evoke some strong memories.
However, even though Coster-Waldau said he can’t bring himself to watch the show at the moment, he did admit he’d like to watch it eventually, saying:
I'll wait. I'll give it a couple of seasons, then I can binge-watch it and then there's the whole thing. But I know that so many people love that show, and I'm really happy for them.
Like Clarke and Harington, Coster-Waldau is also happy about the show’s success, and appreciates that the world of Westeros lives on. Hopefully, he’s able to find it in himself to tune in eventually because it’s a great series.
The overall consensus seems to be that the Game of Thrones cast is thrilled about post-GOT projects, however, it’s difficult to tune in and be taken back into a world they are so familiar with. Hopefully, the OG cast will be able to watch House of the Dragon eventually, because it’s a great show, and I think all us Game of Thrones fans would love to hear what the cast thinks of the prequel series.
As more Game of Thrones cast members continue to comment on House of the Dragon we’ll be sure to keep you updated on all their thoughts. In the meantime, you can check out both fantasy series based in Westeros with an HBO Max subscription.
