Game of Thrones has always been more of a serious show in HBO’s lineup, but the series has been known to make the odd cameo or two—like Ed Sheeran playing a Lannister soldier in the original series.
Interestingly, the latest episode of House that Dragons Built revealed that series co-creator George R.R. Martin makes a cameo in the current season, and it’s been right under fans’ noses.
George R.R. Martin’s Cameo in House of the Dragon
A segment in the latest episode of House that Dragons Built gives an in-depth look at the making of the weirwood tree in Harrenhal—specifically, the one in the courtyard that Daemon and Alys sometimes find themselves in front of.
The weirwood trees are known for having faces carved into them. The production crew of HOTD has confirmed that the face of the weirwood tree in Harrenhal’s courtyard is that of George R.R. Martin. It’s not meant to be a faithful recreation of Martin’s face but more of a playful caricature; they even made it so that it also bleeds like the other faces on the weirwood trees from the show.
Weirwood Trees and Harrenhal
Harrenhal was always known to be haunted even around the days of Game of Thrones, but House of the Dragon really puts an emphasis on just how otherworldy the place is—not just because it was the site of a huge dragon massacre, but because it was built on top of what used to be a weirwood forest.
Though the mainstream faith of Westeros is that of the Faith of the Seven (no, not the one from The Boys), the Old Gods were more of nature spirits and their images were carved into weirwood trees which were known to have more mystical properties.
With Harrenhal said to have used a lot of the weirwood from the forest that it was built on, it was said to have resulted in the ‘haunted’ vibe of the castle, with the guests seeing visions, and wailing sometimes heard around the castle.
Even Daemon suspects that his nightmares are also a result of sleeping on a bed made of weirwood.
Cameos in the Future?
George R.R. Martin has never been a celebrity to make cameos in a series, but his image has definitely become recognizable ever since Game of Thrones became a worldwide phenomenon.
No doubt, there’s definitely room for him to show up somewhere in the series in the future—maybe as an old maester—but for now, the face in the weirwood tree is what fans got.
If he’s lucky, he could probably show up in another HBO series; that’s what happened to GoT showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss when they made a cameo in Westworld. Maybe Martin can show up as himself in the next season of Hacks.
Catch House of the Dragon now streaming on Max.