Fabien Frankel felt he messed up his role as Ser Criston Cole after he failed to perform one simple gesture in House of the Dragon.
Fabien Frankel immediately gained global fame after starring as Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon, but he admitted he was close to believing this success would have never happened after he screwed up one scene.
There were a lot of confrontations in the HBO prequel series that needed extreme emotion and exceptional delivery, but Frankel’s part was so simple yet the actor couldn’t do it properly. He thought he was going to be fired right then and there by the director.
Fabien Frankel Almost Risked His House of the Dragon Career After One Scene Blunder
Appearing on The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, actor Fabien Frankel recalled how he almost blew up his career as Ser Criston Cole. Being a newcomer might have intimidated him, especially since he was around veteran actors.
He had one scenario when he was being told to stay for night duty, which meant he had to stay up all night. Frankel was supposed to roll his eyes – that’s all he needed to do – and he failed to do it properly. “I remember going, this is it, I’ve totally f—ked it.”
Miguel Sapochnik was the director of the episode, and to the actor’s horror, the former walked past about 250 background actors to confront him and ask, “Fabien, what’s up? What’s going on with your face?” The 30-year-old star couldn’t help but claim that moment was the worst experience of his life.
Frankel still couldn’t believe he was part of the Game of Thrones prequel saga when he arrived on the set on the first day of filming. This added more pressure on him, alongside the fact that every other actor was giving their best performance while the camera focused on them. “Then the camera finally got around to me and I swear to God, I literally forgot how to act,” he confessed.
Perhaps the actor finally learned his lesson and realized that this opportunity only comes once in a lifetime. His performance as the famed knight has been lauded by fans, especially after he switched sides and became the most hated character in the series.
How Fabien Frankel Geared Up For House of the Dragon
While Frankel believed the casting director made a mistake hiring him for the role, he still did his best to prepare for the show. He told Spotlight that he read the script a lot, as well as George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, to familiarize himself with Ser Criston Cole.
On set, he admitted to just copying what everyone else was doing since he was one of the rookies. The actor believed they were all experienced and “they were doing the right thing”.
It’s evident that he had reservations when he worked on Season 1, and it’s quite understandable because it’s a massive franchise watched by millions of people. So far, he has done a great job portraying the Hand of the King in Season 2.
House of the Dragon is currently available to watch on HBO.