Fabien Frankel, who plays Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon, has shared a funny and relatable story about his pre-fame encounter with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, the actor who portrayed Jaime Lannister in the original Game of Thrones series. It was an awkward meet as Fabien recalled it, which gave the audience a good laugh.
Quick read:
- Fabien Frankel met Nikolaj Coster-Waldau before HOTD’s release
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau wasn’t aware of who Fabien was
- Frankel reveals being a big GOT fan
Image: HBO
From big fan to co-star
During a recent interview at Budapest Comic Con, Frankel was asked what being an actor in the Game of Thrones universe means to him. He spoke about the sense of camaraderie that comes with joining such an iconic franchise, especially after landing the prestigious role of ‘Hand of the King.’
He recalled meeting Nikolaj Coster-Waldau six months before House of the Dragon began filming. At the time, Frankel was still a relatively unknown actor and a huge fan of the original show.
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The awkward bar encounter
Frankel described the moment with humour:
“I remember I met the actor who plays Jaime Lannister, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, like six months before filming House of the Dragon. And I was like, before the show would come out, ‘Man, I’m kind of like you… not really.’ And I think he thought I was completely making it up. We were in a bar, and he was like, ‘Alright dude, relax.’”
The story highlights how starstruck Frankel felt at the time. He admitted that telling one of the biggest stars of Game of Thrones that he was “kind of like” him came across as overly eager, especially since House of the Dragon had not yet aired at that time.
The light-hearted story quickly resonated with fans, many of whom found the moment both funny and endearing. It humanizes Frankel and reminds everyone that even the stars of House of the Dragon started as passionate fans of the original series.
