Jefferson Hall assures fans that the Lannisters play a “Strong, Pivotal Role” in House of the Dragon

Jefferson Hall portrays the Lannister twins, Jason and Tyland, in House of the Dragon, which takes place 200 years before Robert’s Rebellion in Game of Thrones. Jefferson Hall was also in Game of Thrones, being the first one to be in both shows. He played Hugh of the Vale, killed by the Mountain Gregor Clegane in a joust way back in season 1.

On Playing the Lannister Twins

Jefferson Hall also simultaneously becomes the first to play two roles within House of the Dragon. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he talks about the thrill and the challenge of getting this role. Acknowledging how loved and famous the characters are, he explains how the most difficult thing was not playing into the previous portrayals of Lannisters on screen. While building these two different characters, he says he put “tiny little drops of Tyrion or tiny little drops of Cersei.”

He continues, “But fundamentally, realistically, they’re so far removed. And this is really about the genesis of this house before it came to the power they were in on Game of Thrones; I have no idea what my great, great, great, great grandfather behaved like.” Hall has expanded and added on to these characters, giving each of them a unique personality. He explains how Jason, being the firstborn, will inherit the seat of Casterly Rock. Jason feels entitled, as we see in the way he proposes to Rhaenyra for marriage.

Tyland, on the other hand, is the second son. This means he has to carve out a name and title for himself in this world. And Hall plays him like that. While Jason is usually unserious, Tyland is more strict and focused on his responsibilities. Hall says, “Jason doesn’t give too much of a f**k about what people think, to a point.”

He calls Tyland much more complex, saying, “Tyland has made the decision to go out on his own, although there is some nepotism and he’s got a place in court where others might not, but he’s really had to strike out and go to a place he doesn’t know that well and start a job he doesn’t know that well.”  

What’s Next For The Twins

Although we have seen very little of the twins so far, Jefferson Hall promises that the House Lannister will play a significant role in the coming seasons. He explains, “This is a story about the Targaryens. And the Lannisters do play a strong role in it, but not from the offset.” The actor further clarifies that the Lannisters are supporting that story, “that’s not to say they don’t have a very strong, pivotal role within it as time goes on, but to begin with, for sure, it’s gonna be a waiting game.”