Shooting on Game of Thrones season 8 begins this week (unless foul weather knocks it off course), and fansite Watchers on the Wall has info about an actor cast as a character who should be familiar to book fans: German actor Marc Rissmann will play Harry Strickland, also known as Homeless Harry Strickland, a commander in the Golden Company.
This revelation comes courtesy of Rissmann’s Spotlight CV, which helpfully lists exactly who he’ll play in season 8. It also says he’ll work under “Various” directors, meaning he’ll be in more than one episode.
In the season 7 finale, Euron Greyjoy left King’s Landing to collect the Golden Company, a group of mercenaries, and bring them across the Narrow Sea to Westeros. We can assume that Strickland will be among them. In the books, Strickland starts off as the company paymaster before being elevated to a leadership position. He invades Westeros alongside Jon Connington and the new Aegon Targaryen, although he’s cautious and reluctant to fight. Connington thinks him a coward.
Like other leaders in the Golden Company, Strickland is descended from a Westerosi exile and eager to return home. Of course, we can’t know how much of this backstory will be incorporated into the show — Connington and the new Aegon have already been cut. All we know is that Strickland will be a part of it, and that Rissman will play him.
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