Game Of Thrones Alum Peter Dinklage Explains Why He Hasn’t Watched House Of The Dragon Yet

Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones.
(Image credit: HBO)

Peter Dinklage played one of the most memorable characters on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. While many others came and went, Tyrion Lannister became a fixture on the series, and Dinklage won multiple Emmys for the role. Now, the prequel series, House of the Dragon, has also captured the hearts of fans, but Dinklage hasn't tuned in just yet. With that, the fan-favorite actor explained his reason for not watching (and his logic is understandable).

The star caught up with ET during the premiere of his latest film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and, unsurprisingly, he position within the GoT realm came up. When addressing the fact that he hasn't watched the prequel series, he clarified that it's not due to the quality of the show or any negative feelings towards the franchise as a whole. Essentially, he just needs a "dragon break," as he explained:

I haven't seen it yet. ... I just did that show for a really long time. And I watched some other stuff. [But] I intend to, definitely. I heard it's really good.

This totally makes sense, as the Cyrano actor was on Game of Thrones for eight years. After being consumed by that world and those characters for almost a decade, he was probably ready to leave that all behind and see what else television has to offer. While House of Dragon is a great show and has had a fantastic critical response thus far, you really can't blame the star for wanting to wait a while longer before jumping back in. 

Peter Dinklage isn't the only GoT alum holding off on the prequel series for now. Emilia Clarke felt too weird about watching it and, as far as we know, she's still yet to see the series. However, Jon Snow actor Kit Harrington felt differently, as he watched the first few episodes and loved it. (I guess a return to Westeros is easier for some than others.) House of the Dragon has been greenlit for a second season, so maybe Dinklage (and possibly Clarke) will be willing to check it out sometime before the new episodes hit HBO. 

However, the 53-year-old actor doesn't seem to have had a ton of time to catch up on TV. He's set to star in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which comes out later this year. He's also part of the all-star cast of The Toxic Avenger -- an R-rated action comedy based on the 1984 film of the same name. The Emmy winner additionally has a lot of smaller projects set to be released in the near future. Clearly he's very busy, and that's another firm reason for him not having seen the GoT prequel series.

Fans who do want to catch up on the series ahead of the second season can watch House of the Dragon now with a Max subscription, and Game of Thrones is also available on the platform. For more information on other projects heading to streaming down the pike, consult our 2023 TV schedule.

Caroline Young
Writer

Writer, podcaster, CinemaBlend contributor, film and television nerd, enthusiastic person. Hoping to bring undying passion for storytelling to CinemaBlend.