“I can’t stop laughing!”: ‘House of the Dragon’ Star’s Intense Scene From Season 2 Turned Completely Ridiculous After the Reveal of This Behind-the-Scenes Secret
- Fabien Frankel filmed intense horse-riding scenes in "House of the Dragon" Season 2 by riding a fake horse attached to a pickup truck.
- Despite the behind-the-scenes humor, Frankel's scene was important and related to developments in the storyline.
- Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke shared their exhausting experiences filming the second season.
Spoiler Alert!
Shooting an epic fantasy is never easy given the amount of equipment and logistics required, among others. In that aspect, House of the Dragon has been doing a great job since the show has been expanding its fanbase since its beginning. However, Ser Criston Cole actor Fabien Frankel has an interesting story about his shoot that contradicts the on-screen portrayal.
Frankel has been praised for bringing extra depth to the role of Cole, which could otherwise become one-dimensional easily. He has been one of the major attractions in Season 2. However, sometimes things are not exactly as they seem on screen.
Fabian Frankel’s Hilarious Horse-Riding Secret
A recent behind-the-scenes reveal has turned one of the most intense scenes that Frankel has shot into something hilarious. Fabien Frankel was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and was asked about riding horses in a set, and he had a secret to share.
I actually ride a bucking bronco on the back of a pickup truck from about the mid-1990s, and then I have to mime, at like five miles an hour. I try to look very serious but I can’t stop laughing.
This revelation mocks one of the intense scenes in Season 2. In the scene, Ser Criston Cole leads a group of knights through the countryside and is seen by Baela Targaryen and her dragon Moondancer. After that, a chasing and action scene begins where Cole and his men try to escape the dragon’s fiery breath.
Imagine the same setting, but now Frankel is on a fake horse behind an old pickup truck while he is giving his serious look while the truck is pulling him very slowly. This funny situation turned into a tense sequence on screen.
This scene has much relevance to the development of the plot. It is one of the most significant missions that shows a lot of the military ability of Cole and how valuable he is in the plot.
Apart from Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond Targaryen, shared that he had to stay suspended 30 to 40 feet in the air during the shoot, which is completely opposite to Frankel’s situation as it is almost as demanding as riding a dragon.
House of the Dragon Season 2 Was Tougher to Shoot
Although Frankel’s horse-riding revelation seems funny, it also shows the challenging conditions faced by the cast while filming. The making of the fantasy epic needs hours of work, complex choreography, and often uncomfortable costumes and locations.
Emma D’Arcy, who portrays the character of Rhaenyra Targaryen in the show, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about some of the issues they faced while shooting for the second season. “It was so exhausting, but also nice” they said, regarding season two while comparing it to season 1. This stress increased for them in season 2, as they were in all episodes.
Olivia Cooke who plays Alicent Hightower, also revealed her difficulties in the interview.
By the end of Season 2, I was a f*cking shell of myself. I was a husk. I could not form a sentence. I was so tired. I need to implement some way of getting through Season 3, if there’s a Season 3, to really harness as much energy as possible. It is a behemoth.
The behind-the-scenes insights show the work that goes into the creation of the world of House of the Dragon. From fake horses to exhausted actors, bringing Westeros to life has not been an easy task for the makers and actors. However, Frankel’s hilarious revelation shows that sometimes the most intense scenes on screen have the funniest reality.
House of the Dragon Season 2 is now streaming on Max.
