'Game Of Thrones' Prequel 'House Of The Dragon' Adds Fabien Frankel As A Member Of The Kingsguard

Westeros has just cast another resident.

In the latest piece of House of the Dragon casting for HBO's first Game of Thrones prequel, up-and-coming actor Fabien Frankel has been enlisted to play Ser Criston Cole, a member of the Kingsguard for the Targaryen family. He previously appeared in Last Christmas with former Thrones star Emilia Clarke, but he won't be encountering Daenerys in this new show, since it is set hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones.

The Hollywood Reporter points out that House of the Dragon co-creator and executive producer George R.R. Martin has added a new name to the show's cast: Fabien Frankel, who only has a few credits to his name thus far. He's appeared in Last Christmas, an NYPD Blue TV movie, a Netflix show called The Serpent, and will soon be among the cast of a movie called Venice at Dawn. He's essentially an unknown, which should help him fit into the world of Westeros without bringing in a bunch of extra baggage.

Martin revealed Frankel's casting on his blog, revealing that the actor will be playing a swordsman named Ser Criston Cole. "He is the common-born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven," Martin wrote. "He has no claim to lands or titles, all he has is his honor and his skill with sword and lance. He is a challenger, a champion, cheered by the commons, beloved of the ladies. He is a lover (or is he?), a seducer (or is he?), a betrayer (or is he?), a breaker of hearts and a maker of kings. Fire & Blood readers know him as Ser Criston Cole. House of the Dragon viewers will know him as Fabien Frankel."

THR says that Cole is "a member of King Viserys I Targaryen's Kingsguard, a knight whose bold actions helped pave the way to civil war." Viserys is being played by Paddy Considine (Hot Fuzz), and the rest of the cast includes Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Emma D'Arcy (Truth Seekers),  Olivia Cooke (Sound of Metal), Sonoya Mizuno (Devs), Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man), Eve Best (Fate: The Winx Saga), and Steve Toussaint (Small Axe).

House of the Dragon is set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones and focuses on the Targaryen family. Ryan Condal (Colony) and Miguel Sapochnik (Game of Thrones) serve as co-showrunners. Production begins soon, and the show is set to debut on HBO in 2022.