‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘The Legend of Zelda’ Share Another Link Besides Benjamin Evan Ainsworth
Editor’s note: The below interview contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 6.
Out of all the newcomers joining House of the Dragon this season, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth‘s casting as Daeron Targaryen might have been the best-kept secret. Season 3 performs a bait-and-switch on the characters initially, too, when Ormund Hightower (James Norton) hands over a lowborn boy with dyed hair intended to pass as Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) prodigal son. However, the dowager queen immediately identifies him as an imposter in front of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), all but confirming Ormund’s greater scheme to position Daeron as a rival to her claim.
Ahead of Episode 6’s premiere, Collider had the opportunity to speak with Ainsworth about his character’s most pivotal moments. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, the actor behind the real Daeron Targaryen discusses how Gwayne’s (Freddie Fox) arrival in Tumbleton throws a new wrench into the dynamic between Daeron and Ormund, what his most “Game of Thrones day ever” on set actually puts into sharp context about Ormund’s biggest weakness, how stunt training for House of the Dragon prepared him to play Link in the upcoming Legend of Zelda movie, and more.
COLLIDER: I spoke with James [Norton] previously about the relationship between Ormund and Daeron, but Gwayne showing up in Tumbleton this week really puts their dynamic into a new perspective. How did the stark differences between Ormund and Gwayne help you build out your performance as Daeron, including what his past has been like, and how he’s forged relationships with these two men?
BENJAMIN EVAN AINSWORTH: I think both relationships have a lot of love within them, one more twisted than the other. With Gwayne, there’s clearly a history with him, and he’s more of a brotherly parental figure, one [Daeron] can speak eye to eye with, whereas Ormund is more of a domineering parental figure for Daeron. In general, Ormund’s relationship with Daeron is almost emblematic of this thing tugging him towards the Hightower side. He is a character who is between Targaryen and Hightower. It’s like being between a rock and a hard place within this kind of dance, this chaos surrounding him. Gwayne is a chance for Daeron to express himself more as who he is, rather than the layers of protection he’s built up between who he is internally and Ormund.
Freddie Fox was one of my favorite parts of Season 2, and so the admiration I have for him as an actor is almost mirrored in the admiration Daeron has for him. He sees him as this honorable man, someone who’s balanced, but also someone who’s not there all the time. Ormund is the person who’s there all the time.
Lots has changed since the last time Gwayne was here, so I suppose that scene is the tension of [Daeron] finding out firsthand what’s happened, and, now being styled king, trying to make it up to him and trying to speak to him about issues. Lots of fun scenes for those relationships, which speak to the tension that exists broadly between Hightower and Targaryen.
‘House of the Dragon’s Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Explains Why Daeron Seeks “Refuge” With Gwayne
“Generally, Gwayne is the closest point of contact he has to Alicent.”
Daeron is willing to indulge Ormund when Ormund is making crude jokes about Gwayne, but as soon as it’s him and Gwayne alone in the corridor together, you see that it’s all an act that he’s putting on, that there really is a closeness between the two of them, especially when Daeron asks Gwayne about Alicent. As we know, Alicent sent Daeron away to Oldtown when he was young, and they haven’t had much of a relationship. What did Daeron asking Gwayne for information about his mother confirm for you about his feelings toward Alicent at this point in his life?
AINSWORTH: As you say, he was sent away to ward in Oldtown when he was younger, and so with that comes a lot of isolation, for better or for worse. He’s away from the sour politics, the chaos of King’s Landing up until this point, but also he’s away from his mother, and he’s grown up with a quite disjointed, twisted, parental figure. Deep within him, there is that longing for connection, longing for some kind of love, some adoration. A lot of why he goes along with Ormund’s plans and Ormund’s demands within that relationship is the sense of being stuck, but also that sense of longing for acceptance or to be seen.
Generally, Gwayne is the closest point of contact he has to Alicent. He’s almost defeated because of where he’s been and is out of fight in many ways when he returns to Tumbleton. That’s something that I think Daeron sees and just wants to cling to, because Gwayne’s almost a point of refuge in a way, a point where he can breathe and take the weight off his shoulders a little bit. It’s part just a truth that’s within him, missing his mom, but also anything to hold on to Gwayne, like you were saying. Just trying to open up to Gwayne, in that moment, is the main thing — just trying to hold on to him and to hold on to some sense of reality.
When Rhaenyra sends assassins to kill Daeron, Ormund’s distaste for odors becomes almost debilitating. He recoils, so he doesn’t pick up on the small details that Gwayne observes, which allow him to be the one to actually step in and protect Daeron. Do you feel like Daeron, at that moment, realizes that it’s not just about trying to keep Gwayne close — that Gwayne might actually be the one who can keep him safer than Ormund can?
AINSWORTH: Within the chaos of that scene, there are a lot of moments which are revealing for Daeron and also things that he hadn’t expected, especially between Gwayne and Ormund. He feels like he’s wrapped around Ormund’s finger, almost. In their relationship, [Ormund’s] the one that’s very much in control of Daeron, and is aware of the dangers.
To see him throwing up and debilitated when this has just happened, A) the stakes are way higher than they were before, but then B) Daeron is held almost captive by this person who, in this moment, is so vulnerable. There’s almost like a frustration that comes from that, especially with Gwayne being like, “I’m going to return to Oldtown and pick up the pieces,” that whole idea. It’s important now that Gwayne should stay. He’s certainly got his head screwed on. Daeron, in that scene, is aware of certain things and details that he isn’t, either.
I think, really, it’s, like you say, just reevaluating the stakes of things and realizing just how deep they are. There’s no return. People are after Daeron’s head because Ormund put his head on a coin. It was just really fun to play that, as well. It was like the most Game of Thrones day ever — blood, dead bodies, swords, sick. It was everything. It was cool to witness.
Benjamin Evan Ainsworth Used ‘House of the Dragon’ To Prepare for ‘The Legend of Zelda’
“It was really insightful to be able to have some practice with swords beforehand.”
Towards the end of the episode, in the background of Ormund and Gwayne talking, you’re getting in on the sword action yourself, with Daeron having that sparring practice in the courtyard. I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask whether that set you up at all for playing Link in The Legend of Zelda.
AINSWORTH: They’ve got a wonderful stunt team on House of the Dragon, so we had a couple of sessions with them, kind of quite close to the filming of it, really. That was fun, to get my first sense of acting with swords, and stunt work of that kind. I think for Daeron, in general, especially after the assassination, it’s both avoidance, trying to get his mind off of the chaos into something like sparring — which he has a joy for and has this high expectation of himself, which comes from Ormund and his presence — but also to prove to himself that he can protect himself, with the knowledge that Ormund is watching, as well.
Then with it linking to Link, too, [Laughs] it was a wonderful experience to film that. It was really insightful to be able to have some practice with swords beforehand. I can’t say too much more. It was both very fun experiences with the stunt team, and both stunt teams are great. There’s actually a stunt guy who was on House of the Dragon that also came onto the Zelda movie, so there’s a bit of that continuity, which was fun.
New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.