House of the Dragon Cast: Full List of Actors by Season

If you’ve ever watched House of the Dragon and wondered how the show pulls off those eerily convincing twin characters, the answer is refreshingly old-school: the actors really are brothers. Elliott and Luke Tittensor share the Cargyll knight roles in seasons 1–2, while Jefferson Hall plays two very different Lannister twins who debut in episode 3. It’s a casting choice that adds a layer of quiet symmetry to the Targaryen civil war—and it comes with its own tangled story behind the scenes.

Main Cast Size: 20+ starring actors · Lead Daemon: Matt Smith · Lead Rhaenyra: Emma D’Arcy · Lead Alicent: Olivia Cooke · Seasons Aired: 2

The following table consolidates the confirmed cast appearances by actor, role, and season coverage.

House of the Dragon Season 1 Cast

Season 1 introduced viewers to the Targaryen dynasty in full detail, with Paddy Considine anchoring the cast as King Viserys I Targaryen. The show debuted in 2022 with an ensemble that included Milly Alcock playing a younger Rhaenyra before Emma D’Arcy took over the role. Rhys Ifans brought Viserys’s Hand, Otto Hightower, to life, while Eve Best portrayed the exiled Princess Rhaenys.

Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen

Paddy Considine delivered a performance that grounded the entire series, playing King Viserys I Targaryen as a reluctant monarch more comfortable with and books than the iron throne. His portrayal set the tone for the Dance of Dragons backstory, showing a king whose kindness became his undoing.

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen

Matt Smith returned to fantasy television after his Doctor Who tenure, playing Prince Daemon Targaryen—the king’s brother and eventual enemy. Smith’s Daemon is volatile, charismatic, and perpetually underestimated, making him a perfect counterweight to Considine’s well-meaning but weak king.

Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen

Emma D’Arcy took over as the adult Rhaenyra Targaryen in mid-season 1, after Milly Alcock’s acclaimed portrayal of the young princess. D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra is shaped by tragedy and ambition, watching her father’s kingdom slip away as her stepmother Alicent rises in influence.

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

Olivia Cooke played Queen Alicent Hightower with an intensity that made her a formidable antagonist. Unlike the book version, Cooke’s Alicent is more politically active from the start, creating the “Green” faction that would oppose Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne.

Steve Toussaint’s Role

Steve Toussaint brought Lord Corlys Velaryon—the Sea Snake—to life, giving the show one of its most exciting new characters. Toussaint’s performance elevated the Velaryon patriarch to a level of respect and martial prowess that matches the books.

Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole

Fabien Frankel played Ser Criston Cole, the Dornish knight whose fall from grace drives much of the season 1 conflict. Frankel’s Cole transforms from an honorable Kingsguard into a man driven by personal grievance, setting up his role as an enemy of the Blacks in season 2.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Cast

Season 2 expanded the cast while deepening the political schisms introduced in season 1. The Targaryen civil war erupted across Westeros, with the twin characters taking on new significance as the Greens and Blacks scrambled for military advantage.

Returning Stars Like Matt Smith

Matt Smith remained a central figure in season 2, his Daemon Targaryen descending into grief and obsession following the death of his son. Smith’s performance in season 2 darker, more unpredictable—watching the prince lose his grip on sanity while commanding the largest dragon in existence.

Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke

Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke continued their parallel rise and fall narratives, with Rhaenyra claiming the throne and Alicent attempting to consolidate power around her son Aegon II. Both actresses delivered their strongest performances of the series, trading scenes that highlighted the personal cost of the civil war.

Core Cast Continuity

The core cast remained stable through season 2, with Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, and Fabien Frankel all returning. The Lannister twins—Jefferson Hall’s Jason and Tyland—gained prominence as political operators whose twin bond masked very different loyalties.

New Additions

Season 2 introduced new faces including those playing dragonseeds and additional Velaryon crew members. The show expanded its ensemble while keeping the focus on the central conflict between Rhaenyra’s Blacks and Alicent’s Greens.

House of the Dragon Season 3 Cast

Season 3 casting announcements remain limited as production continues. HBO has confirmed the series will return, but the full cast roster for upcoming episodes has not been publicly released.

Announced Cast Members

As of available data, HBO has not released an official cast list for season 3. Reports suggest production is underway in the UK and Spain, with location shoots in regions previously used for the series.

Expected Returns

Based on the narrative trajectory established in seasons 1–2, key performers including Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, and Matt Smith are expected to return—though the extent of each actor’s involvement depends on character arcs planned for the coming seasons.

House of the Dragon Cast Twins

Two sets of twins populate House of the Dragon, each serving different narrative purposes. The Cargyll brothers are lowborn Kingsguard knights whose identical appearance creates physical comedy and tragedy in equal measure, while the Lannister twins are highborn aristocrats whose shared blood masks radically different political ambitions.

Twin Actor Roles

Elliott Tittensor plays Ser Erryk Cargyll, the twin brother who serves Princess Rhaenyra on Dragonstone. Luke Tittensor plays Ser Arryk Cargyll, who joins King Aegon II’s Kingsguard in season 2. The two actors previously shared the role of Carl Gallagher in the British series Shameless between 2004 and 2013, giving them extensive experience working together (Beebom).

Specific Twin Characters and Actors

Jefferson Hall portrays both Lord Jason Lannister and his twin brother Ser Tyland Lannister. Lord Jason is the arrogant Lord of Casterly Rock who unsuccessfully vies for Rhaenyra’s hand in marriage. Ser Tyland is his cunning twin brother who serves as Master of Ships before becoming Master of Coin under King Viserys (Wikipedia).

The Cargyll twins were both accepted into the Kingsguard at age 18 under King Viserys I Targaryen, but their loyalties split after his death—Erryk remaining faithful to his oath to Rhaenyra, while Arryk answers the call of the Greens (Radio Times).

“Elliott Tittensor played Ser Erryk, and Luke Tittensor, the actor’s identical twin brother, played Ser Arryk. So, yes, they are actually twins.”

— Beebom (Entertainment Publication)

Full House of the Dragon Cast Overview

The show maintains an ensemble approach, combining established fantasy actors with relative newcomers. Beyond the central Targaryen and Hightower family members, the series features prominent supporting roles filled by actors from British television and film.

Starring Actors List

The starring cast includes Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, and Fabien Frankel. Additional starring roles include Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, the spy who serves Daemon, and additional cast members who cycle through the show’s many locations from King’s Landing to Dragonstone to the Vale.

Key Supporting Cast

Key supporting cast members include Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon II, Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen “the Kinslayer,” and Harry Collett as Prince Jace. The Velaryon faction features Elliot James Langridge as Corlys Velaryon (young) alongside Steve Toussaint’s elder portrayal.

“Hall joins the series as Lord Jason and Ser Tyland, two brothers who will play major roles in the prequel series.”

— ET Online (Entertainment Coverage)

The two sets of twins in House of the Dragon operate at opposite ends of Westeros’s social hierarchy—the Tittensor brothers playing lowborn knights whose physicality defines their worth, while Jefferson Hall plays aristocrats whose political maneuvering defines theirs. The implication: in Westeros, blood may determine your starting position, but the choices you make with that position determine whether your twin relationship survives.

House of the Dragon Cast Changes Between Seasons

House of the Dragon handles its aging timeline through dual casting for key roles, with younger and older performers playing the same characters at different life stages. This approach creates natural transitions that match George R.R. Martin’s source material.

Young Rhaenyra and Alicent

Milly Alcock played Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in early season 1 before Emma D’Arcy took over the role for the adult years. Similarly, Emily Carey played young Alicent Hightower before Olivia Cooke assumed the role. These dual casting decisions allowed the show to cover the significant time jumps that occur in “Fire & Blood.”

The Cargyll Twin Swap

Reports indicate the Cargyll twin actors were swapped mid-season in the season 2 finale, though official details remain limited. The fact that the actors are genuine identical twins meant audiences likely did not notice any visual discrepancy—a testament to the production’s clever casting strategy.

For viewers tracking the show’s evolution, the casting approach reflects HBO’s commitment to finding actors who can embody these complex familial relationships without relying on digital trickery. Why this matters: authentic twin casting creates a visceral connection between the characters’ shared blood and their divided loyalties.

Timeline

The timeline below tracks major casting announcements and character introductions across the series run.

The pattern: House of the Dragon’s twin casting follows a specific rhythm—announce early, introduce quietly, develop fully, and either kill off dramatically or leave ambiguous for future seasons.

Confirmed vs. Unclear

This seasonal breakdown of the cast complements the full actors and characters list exploring multiple casting changes in the Targaryen saga.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Father Brown cast
• So Help Me Todd cast
• House of the Dragon (Wikipedia)
• Radio Times (Twin Cast Analysis)