Some new faces are heading to Westeros, as HBO has revealed four cast members joining “House of the Dragon” Season 2. Among the additions are some new power players in the Hightower and Strong houses.
Gayle Rankin will play Alys Rivers, a healer and resident of Harrenhal. In author George R.R. Martin’s novel “Fire & Blood,” on which “House of the Dragon is based, Alys is a witch who has mystical visions and becomes a powerful figure within the Targaryen’s Green faction. Rankin has previously appeared in Netflix’s “Glow,” HBO’s “Perry Mason” and “The Greatest Showman.”
Simon Russell Beale will play Ser Simon Strong, the Castellan of Harrenhal and great-uncle to Lord Larys Strong, played by Matthew Needham in Season 1. Last year, Beale won a Tony for best actor in a play for “The Lehman Trilogy” and has won two BAFTA Awards and three Olivier Awards.
Freddie Fox will play Ser Gwayne Hightower, the son of Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), brother to Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and uncle to her children King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) and Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). Fox has starred in Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses” and British series “Year of the Rabbit,” “Cucumber” and “Banana.”
Abubakar Salim will play Alyn of Hull, a sailor in the Velaryon fleet who served in the Stepstones campaign. Previously, Salim appeared in HBO Max’s “Raised by Wolves” and voiced the protagonist Bayek in the video game “Assassin’s Creed: Origins.”
Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” will be eight episodes, down from the 10 episodes in Season 1. Martin serves as co-creator and executive producers alongside showrunner Ryan Condal. Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Vince Gerardis are also executive producers.
Beale is represented by 42 and Anonymous Content. Fox is represented by Tavistock Wood. Rankin is represented by United Talent Agency, B-Side Management, Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher, and Shelter PR. Salim is represented by Untitled Entertainment, CAA, Insight Management and Production, and Slate PR.
