Why ‘Game of Thrones’ actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau hasn’t watched ‘House of the Dragon’

‘Game of Thrones’ actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau recently surprised fans of the franchise when he revealed he still hasn’t watched ‘House of the Dragon’.

The prequel, set 200 years prior to ‘Game of Thrones’, was an immediate hit among fans upon its release last year.

Coster-Waldau played Jaime Lannister in HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’. The series came to an end in 2019, airing its contentious finale after eight seasons.

Since then, with the release of ‘House of the Dragon’ in August 2022, fans got to delve deeper into the Targaryen family history. Coster-Waldau reveals he tried to watch the new series, but felt that it shared too many similarities with his beloved ‘Game of Thrones’.

“I have not [seen ‘House of the Dragon’]. One day it came on and I saw the opening credits,” he told Entertainment Weekly when asked if he’s watched the prequel yet.

“It was a little strange because it was the same music and the title sequence was kind of similar.”

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau prefers binge watching

Even though he hasn’t had the desire to watch the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel yet, Coster-Waldau says that might change in the future.

The actor acknowledges that the show is immensely popular amongst fans, and likely will get around to watching the show in the future. His preferred method of media consumption, it turns out, is pretty relatable.

“I’ll wait. I’ll give it a couple of seasons, then I can binge watch it and then there’s the whole thing,” Coster-Waldau explains.

“But I know that so many people love that show, and I’m really happy for them.”

Since ‘House of the Dragon’ was renewed for a second season, and HBO already has multiple seasons in the works, chances are high that Coster-Waldau might be waiting for a while.

Other ‘Game of Thrones’ actors also avoided ‘House of the Dragon’

Surprisingly, Coster-Waldau isn’t the only member of the original ‘Game of Thrones’ cast who shied away from watching the Targaryen prequel. Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen on ‘Game of Thrones’, is not too keen on tuning in to the HBO hit.

“I just can’t do it. It’s so weird. It’s so strange,” Clarke said earlier this year.

“It’s kind of like someone saying, ‘You want to go to this school reunion that’s not your year? You want to go to that school reunion?’ That’s kind of how it feels. I’m avoiding it.”