Larys Strong is more than just a combination of Littlefinger and Varys, says actor Matthew Needham

He is the Clubfoot. He’s the youngest son of House Strong, and he knows everything about everyone. He’s just like Varys from Game of Thrones, only his clubfoot holds secrets instead of spiders. This character was born with a deformed foot that he uses to hold all his secrets and sneak around unnoticed while he manipulates the people around him. He lives in the same murky space as Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) and Varys (Conleth Hill), but he’s not as sneaky as either one of them—he’s more like Varys without a conscience.

That being said, Matthew Needham, who portrays Larys Strong in House of the Dragon, said that “The ‘chaos is a ladder’ way of life is something they share.” The actor, while in an interview with EW, also added that his role is something more than just about an amalgam. He said:

“I don’t think I would be doing anyone a favor by trying to replicate someone else’s performance, ’cause it’s been done beyond perfectly by those guys. I don’t think either of those guys burnt their family alive. I’m sure they did other horrible things, but he’s his own strange guy, I think. He’s on his own path.”

When asked about the similarity Larys and Varys share, Needham said that:

“George R.R. Martin is an extraordinarily intelligent man. I don’t think he would make a mistake like that. That’s a very purposeful thing, so ignore it at your peril. I do think it’s a mixture of Varys and Littlefinger, but I also think they’re three remarkably different people. But they share a sort of murky underworld of the mind. [Varys actor] Conleth Hill is actually one of the reasons I’m an actor. I saw him in loads of plays growing up and just thought he was absolutely magic. So I owe Conleth Hill a lot, actually.”

What do you think about Matthew’s statements? Let us know in the comments below.

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