So much of Team Black’s House of the Dragon season two plotline revolved around a mathematical dilemma. There were simply more dragons than there were loyal Targaryens to ride them. After some trial and error, however, three “Dragonseeds” emerged, men who had Targaryen blood but weren’t officially part of the noble house: Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), Ulf White (Tom Bennett), and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty).
Season three of House of the Dragon picks up exactly where season two left off, so the Dragonseeds are still getting a feel for their new roles in Westeros. But it’s clear that all three are of crucial importance to the Dance of the Dragons; the fact that Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) has more dragons in her army gives Team Black a huge advantage over Team Green.
While George R.R. Martin fans who’ve read Fire & Blood, the source material for House of the Dragon, have an idea of what lies ahead for Hugh, Ulf, and Addam, people who are just enjoying the story on screen are still getting to know the trio. At a recent House of the Dragon press day, io9 asked Bew, White, and Liberty what it’s like tackling characters with so much lore and expectations attached to them—without divulging any spoilers, of course.
“It is exciting knowing what we know [about our characters’ futures],” Bennett said. “But also just as exciting [is] knowing how what’s on the page could have been misinterpreted, could have been misreported by those three maybe unreliable sources [that piece together the history in Fire & Blood]. So there’s stuff there for all of us that we know could happen. But also it’s very exciting that it might not happen at all.”
Liberty agreed. “It’s even more exciting because [showrunner, co-creator, and executive producer] Ryan Condal and [writer and executive producer] Sara Hess know the book inside out. They know what to twist and turn for TV that’ll catch fans off guard, both people who have read the book and people who haven’t read the book. So you’re always kind of on your toes because you don’t know what’s going to quite be in alignment with the book and what’s a different take for the show that makes us different and establishes our own independence.”
Added Bew, “There are motivating factors and grievances that are sort of driving people’s decisions that are not necessarily fully revealed, and they exist within the show. And also it is down to interpretation … It can go both ways; both things can exist, so that’s what’s quite fun about playing it.”
A new House of the Dragon episode arrives Sunday on HBO.
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