The House of the Dragon Star You Totally Forgot Was in Spider-Man
House of the Dragon was always going to be a big hit so it's no surprise to see some big-name actors appearing in the show.
But did you spot that Ser Otto Hightower is played by none other than Rhys Ifans who also appeared as The Lizard (Dr. Curt Connors) in The Amazing Spider-Man and Spider-Man: No Way Home?
Otto, of course, is a key character in House of the Dragon – having the honor of being Hand of the King to Viserys I. He was handed the role after the death of Baelon Targaryen, son of then King Jaehaerys.
The king was so devastated by his son's passing – and that of his wife, Alysanne that his health took a pretty dramatic downturn – leading the scheming Ser Otto Hightower basically in charge of the Seven Kingdoms.
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And when it came time for the new king, Viserys, to nominate an heir, Otto was all for naming Rhaenyra over Daemon.
Ifans, of course, plays the role with his usual panache.
And if you think you've spotted him on-screen in other guises, you'd be spot on. He's been appearing on our screen since the 90s – first coming to prominence in movies including Notting Hill and Kevin & Perry Go Large.
He also starred as Xenophilius Lovegood, father of Luna and editor of The Quibbler in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. He even rocked up in a music video in 2005 – appearing in the Oasis hit The Importance of Being Idle.
And fans of the Marvel franchise will also recognize him from his role as Dr. Curt Connors. Prior to his days as a villain, Connors was a biologist working alongside Richard Parker at Oscorp. Together, they worked on identifying desirable biological attributes of animals and using them to improve human health.
A noble cause, but one that ultimately led to him trying out a chemical on himself after he was unceremoniously sacked by Dr. Rajit Ratha. Needless to say, his 'cure' had more effects than he had anticipated and he began to grow scales on claws. Pretty soon, Connors was a mad humanoid lizard-type creature with super strength and a newfound idea of biological 'perfection' – ideal for Marvel.
So, it's been a mixed bag for actor Rhys Ifans in terms of the roles he has been handed over the years. But I think we all agree he's brought them all to life in his own unique way – and that continues to be the case with his portrayal of Ser Otto Hightower.