harrag the ironborn

Well ‘Game of Thrones‘ fans, they may be wrapping up filming on the 7th season currently, and we may not actually get to see any of these episodes until June, but at least there are still rumors and spoilers out there to help tide us over until we can finally return to Westeros. The latest one comes to us from our friends at Watchers On the Wall, where sources who have confirmed that Australian actor Brendan Cowell has joined the cast of the vaunted series as new character Harrag the Ironborn.

Howell is most well-known in the US for his work on ‘The Borgias,’ and apparently, the man is also a playwright and a screenwriter with several credits. The character he is playing is not one that actually has a role in the novels, even the name is a just a tertiary one mentioned in books but never really fleshed out, meaning that he is in the show for a specific task that the showrunners need him for, and whatever that task is, apparently it is meaty enough that he is set to appear in at least 3 episodes. According to the Watchers, here’s the casting notice that was sent out when they were looking for someone for the role:

Warrior, in the 35 – 45 age range. The character is a tough-looking bruiser with the attack skills of a pit bull, and the actor needs to be great at fighting. He has a “considerable” amount of dialogue as well. It’s described as an “excellent part for a top-end actor.””

They confirmed that Harrag will be involved in a large battle in the finale, most likely fighting against Theon is the current theory. It makes sense as this would make him an antagonist for Theon this season and give the character more of an arc if he has someone to fight against.

What are your thoughts on Harrag the Ironborn? Do you like the idea of the show adding new, somewhat-major characters this late in the game? Share your thoughts on the matter in the comments below!

horizontal lineNick is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, who belongs to the privileged few who enjoyed the ending to ‘Lost.’ For more of Nick’s thoughts and articles, follow him on Twitter (@starfro67)