Star City's Rhys Ifans Explains What His Character Has In Common With Otto Hightower [Exclusive]

Warning: The following contains spoilers for "Star City" Episode 2, "A Bear on a Chain."

"Star City" has been a big surprise. The "For All Mankind" spin-off series plays more like a sci-fi version of "The Americans" than a Russian take on the parent show. Indeed, it's a fascinating and thrilling mix of Cold War spy intrigue and the kind of exciting space exploration that has made "For All Mankind" a must-watch throughout its first five seasons.

At the center of the show is a figure simply known as the Chief Designer. As played by Rhys Ifans, he's a mysterious character inspired by Sergei Korolev, the real-life chief designer of the Soviet space program. Commanding a great deal of respect and authority, Ifans' Designer is able to silence a room of hardboiled bureaucrats and stand face-to-face with the head of the KGB without batting an eye.

The Chief Designer is very much a part of the Soviet machine, but he's also a well-meaning guy who cares about the safety and well-being of his co-workers. This often results in the character making bad choices and getting into trouble, which is reminiscent of Ifans' character on "House of the Dragon" — Otto Hightower.

/Film had the chance to talk to Ifans before the premiere of "Star City," and he acknowledged the similarities between his two characters:

"I think in the spirit of all great pioneers, you have to do crazy stuff. You have to take risks. And it was a question I had in the beginning that he isn't going to space. He isn't putting himself on the line in that sense. And I always found it interesting that he would send these young people quite knowingly, the chances of them not coming back is very high."

According to Rhys Ifans, the Chief Designer in "Star City" takes advantage of his employees' dreams and passion for space travel. "They know the risk. So, he has no problem with that," Ifans explained. "But he is reckless, but if people like him weren't reckless, we'd still be living in caves."

And therein lies the parallel between the Chief Designer and the former Hand of the King in "House of the Dragon." The Chief Designer is both the smartest person in the room and a voice of reason who can shut down those who care only about politics. Yet, he's often overruled by the people with actual power, forcing him to play along even if he knows they're wrong.

Likewise, Otto Hightower is the not-so-secret weapon of "House of the Dragon." Like the Chief Designer, Otto's smart, but he's surrounded by people with their own agendas, and they don't like to compromise. The big difference is that, while Otto operates as a voice of reason, he's not really the smartest individual in the room (although he certainly believes he is). Rather, Otto thinks only about himself and his family, whereas the Chief Designer seems to genuinely have humanity at large on his mind. Where Soviet politicians only care about establishing a base on the Moon to beat the Americans, the Chief Designer cares about exploring Venus. Where leadership treats their cosmonauts as expendable, Ifans' character cares about their safety and comfort.

Still, the Chief Designer's actions and disregard of authority puts him in a position of real danger — just like Otto's machinations are leading to great pains in the upcoming "House of the Dragon" Season 3.

New episodes of "Star City" hit Apple TV on Fridays.