James Norton, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, House of the Dragon
HBO[Warning: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 4, “Tumbleton.” Read at your own risk!]
There was more to Daeron Targaryen than meets the eye. In the previous episode of House of the Dragon Season 3, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) discovers that the platinum-haired boy she took captive was, in fact, not her half-brother and potential heir to the Iron Throne. This was the ploy of Ormund Hightower (James Norton). The lord had pledged fealty to Rhaenyra and agreed to Daemon Targaryen’s (Matt Smith) demand that Daeron be handed over to the Blacks. But Ormund’s true intentions quickly surfaced. When Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) admits she does not recognize the boy who was supposed to be her and Viserys Targaryen’s (Paddy Considine) son, Rhaenyra realizes she has been thoroughly deceived by Alicent’s cousin.
The real Daeron (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) is introduced in Episode 4, “Tumbleton.” He’s been raised as Ormund’s ward, and is now learning the plans his guardian has for him. In an interview with TV Guide ahead of “Tumbleton’s” release, Norton spoke about the “psychologically abusive” relationship between Ormund and Daeron and the kind of power his character seeks. (“He envisages that he will be Hand,” Norton said.) And, given that Daeron in the show has auburn hair similar to that of his mother Alicent, we asked Norton whether that shade is the Targaryen’s natural color or another product of Ormund’s coloring skills.
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I’ll start by asking about the deception Ormund pulled off with Daeron. Do you imagine that Ormund has always had the real Daeron’s hair dyed brown since he first arrived to conceal his identity?
James Norton: There’s been a lot of reaction to the dye or the swap, and what that entailed, and I’ve really enjoyed the memes around Ormund being an exceptionally good hair colorist. The moment when Rhaenyra checks for the roots was particularly fun — and didn’t see any, so I’m very proud of Ormund’s proficiency when it comes to hair dyeing. Whether he dyes Daeron’s hair is another matter. But look, there is clearly a darker fanaticism at play with Ormund, which is the hatred he has of the Targaryens and the fact that he sees them as savages. I don’t know if he dyes his hair. I know there has been reaction to whether Daeron should be the Targaryen blonde, it’s an interesting theory that Ormund is insisting that his hair be dyed, because he says openly to Daeron, “Your Targaryen blood is tainted.” He’s willing to say that to him, and obviously Daeron has grown up with this very confusing idea that part of him is savage. So it wouldn’t be completely far-fetched to think that Ormund has insisted that he dyes his hair — it’s not addressed in the show.
So what I’m hearing is you’re not confirming whether that’s his natural hair color.
Norton: It’s Ben’s [Evan Ainsworth] natural hair color, whether or not Ormund has [dyed] it is up for grabs.
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I’m glad to hear you’ve been following the online reactions about him being a hair colorist. Has there been any fan response that has surprised you?
Norton: What’s really surprised me is the sheer — I’ve never been subject to so many memes. And so far, it’s only been Episode 3. It hasn’t really kicked off yet for Ormund — really from Episode 4 onwards he starts to be featured way more. It’s amazing because it just shows how far and wide this show is seen and loved and the global reach it has. I knew it, I hadn’t experienced it — it’s been quite humbling.
Ormund says at the end of Episode 4 that he wants Daeron to be king. If Daeron were to become king, what do you think Ormund would want his role in the Red Keep to be?
Norton: I think it’s clear that Ormund has thought this through. And if Ormund can ensure Daeron’s ascension to the throne, ultimately he is ordained as the Hand and in a way, Daeron is always going to be subservient to Ormund because that’s the relationship they have. It’s a manipulative, psychologically abusive relationship. The most interesting piece of the whole series for me is interrogating the relationship between Ormund and Daeron. And there is love there. We really wanted to make sure that there was affection. He is a father figure to Daeron, and Daeron is a son to him. So whilst there is affection there, and there is pride when he at the end of Episode 4, when he shows the metal to kill the man in cold blood, and I was able to grab him by the shoulders and tell him how proud I was of him, and it was incredibly moving, because there was a genuine love there. But it’s also completely dysfunctional. I think ultimately, yes, he envisages that he will be Hand. And therefore he will basically rule, and Daeron will be a puppet and Ormund can essentially anoint himself as kind of proxy king.
I’m also really fascinated by how Ormund views dragons — he calls Tessarion a “beast.” He hates them but the reality is Daeron would likely need a dragon to ascend the throne. Can you share more about Ormund’s thoughts on that?
Norton: The very complicated relationship Ormund has with dragons is that he knows he needs them in order to take on Rhaenyra. But at the same time he sees the in the same way [he sees the Targaryens.] At the end of Episode 3, that wonderful line — “dragons only destroy, they don’t create.” He’s a religious fanatic, he is a man who subscribes to the faith, and so I think he sees dragons as beasts, savages, and the riders as savages as well. They are an aberration. He sees himself as superior, his bloodline is superior to the Targaryens, and yet he’s terrified of dragons. That moment when he flinches in the end of Episode 4, it speaks volumes, because he understands his physical inferiority. So it’s a complicated relationship — he relies on them, but he hates them because of their strength.
New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 premiere Sundays 9/8c on HBO and HBO Max.