House of the Dragon‘s Tom Bennett Talks About Ulf’s Sudden Life Upgrade

While it’s ever been wide that House of the Dragon‘s noble houses would anchor the season-two drama, it besides became evident aboriginal connected that the smallfolk—often overlooked, routinely oppressed—were going to person caller prominence successful Westeros’ latest powerfulness struggle. Last night, “The Red Sowing” showed america conscionable however important definite “lowborn” characters were truly going to be.

In lawsuit you’re not caught up…

In occurrence seven, Rhaenyra’s progressively frantic strategy to find 2 riders for Team Black’s brace of riderless dragons really paid off: Hugh the Hammer got the snort of support from Vermithor, and Ulf the White recovered a caller person successful Silverwing.

Ulf popped up successful an earlier occurrence bragging astir his Targaryen heritage, though helium hesitated erstwhile helium heard Rhaenyra was looking for bastards who mightiness go dragonriders. He has this nagging limb injury, you see… and he’s besides not definite helium really has Targaryen blood—a superior consideration, due to the fact that a dragon volition cognize who’s worthy, and volition incinerate anyone who isn’t.

But—after immoderate good-natured shaming from his drinking buddies—he decides to effort his luck. And thankfully for Ulf, it each works out; arsenic we spot successful the episode’s last moments, he’s having an implicit blast riding Silverwing implicit his aged stomping grounds of King’s Landing (infuriating Aemond, the Prince Regent, successful the process). Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, histrion Tom Bennett reflected connected his character’s abrupt beingness upgrade.

“It’s huge. Ulf is the bottommost of the barrel; he’s Flea Bottom done and through,” Bennett said. “He’s mediocre people and the oppressed. He’s the moving people antheral nether the thumb of the ruling classes and lived with that his full life. Suddenly, he’s sitting connected a atomic warhead. The powerfulness displacement is huge. Let’s spot what helium does with that.”

Bennett besides shared immoderate insights into what led Ulf to that moment—as good arsenic explaining what’s going done the character’s caput erstwhile helium realizes Silverwing isn’t going to roast him. To enactment it different way: wherefore did helium laughter successful that moment? “You deliberation you’re going to dice and there’s conscionable a monolithic merchandise of relief, and that I decided and [episode director] Loni [Peristere] liked it. Because, let’s beryllium honest, he’s 1 of the lone characters successful the amusement who ever smiles, fto unsocial laughs. Every clip I’m connected set, I tried to usage that. Ulf sticks retired similar a sore thumb for galore reasons. One of which is I’m 1 of the lone characters that’s conscionable having fun.”

House of the Dragon‘s eighth episode, the play 2 finale, arrives Sunday nighttime connected HBO and Max.

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