Very few people are having a good time living in Westeros during “House of the Dragon” Season 2 but Tom Bennett is glad Ulf the White is one of them.
Bennett told TheWrap that his character’s immediate clashes with the royalty of Dragonstone comes because Ulf’s “one of the few characters that ever smiles let alone laughs.”
“Ulf sticks out like a sore thumb,” he said. “I’m definitely enjoying it because I know the other actors would love to do what I get to do, but they don’t. They have to be prim and proper and have to say the correct things to the queen and have deference. I don’t have to do any of that.”
Ulf was one of the lucky few dragonseeds in Season 2’s penultimate episode to be selected by a dragon – Silverwing, who Bennett called “the prettiest dragon in Westeros.” The Targaryen nobility aren’t the only ones leery of the loud-mouthed rider, his fellow dragonseeds Addam (Clinton Libery) and Hugh Hammer (Keiran Bew) are as well. It’s Ulf perspective on life that Bennett thinks Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) can utilize.
“His morals are loose and his worldview is ‘what can I get,’” he said. “I think Hugh and Addam are thinking about the smallfolk and what this power can do to the people of Flea Bottom. Ulf is looking at this power and thinking what can this do for me.”
The actor was quick to add that it’s that rough upbringing being “stamped upon” that might mean viewers should keep an eye on Ulf in Season 3.
“That’s what makes Ulf’s story quite interesting, and possibly what makes him quite erratic and dangerous,” Bennett said “You don’t necessarily want a man like Ulf sitting on the nuclear button.”
Below, Bennett breaks down finding the humor in a world like “House of the Dragon,” the facade Ulf puts on, and what – or what wasn’t – being said between the lines in that Season 2 finale dinner scene.
How is it playing the only guy in Westeros having any fun at all?
I read the scripts and pretty soon worked out that Ulf – as you say – is one of the only characters having fun. I’m one of the few characters that ever smiles let alone laughs. I don’t think we’ve ever seen any ride a dragon quite like Ulf yet – with the joy, and gay abandon, and drunken joy that he does. It’s like he’s hot-wired a Lambo and taking it for a joyride.
Westeros is still Westeros – it’s a hard place to live. How much of Ulf’s fun and smiles are a front vs. being genuine?
I think Ulf spent a lifetime looking out for and after himself. He’s like a stray dog. He’s been stamped upon by the ruling classes, he’s been spat on by anyone. He’s constantly had to look after himself and in that he’s become fairly selfish and looks at everything as an opportunity.
That being said, I think he’s able to do that and acknowledge the hands that fate dealt him and he’s going to enjoy it.
He goes from being a barfly to having some serious power almost overnight. How is that going to his head?
I would guarantee you it’s gone directly to his head. Because Ulf has constantly looked after himself, and looked for opportunities, I think Ulf more than maybe any of the dragonseeds understands very quickly how powerful he’s become. As we see in the dining room scene in the finale, it’s great I’m at the table but now that I’m at the table I’m behaving very badly to very important people. If you want me to behave like a knight then make me a knight. The looks Harry [Collett] gives me, Jace would gladly slit my throat but he can’t because his mommy needs dragons and Ulf knows that.
That’s what makes Ulf’s story quite interesting, and possibly what makes him quite erratic and dangerous. You don’t necessarily want a man like Ulf sitting on the nuclear button.
Jumping to that dining room scenes, I spoke with Geeta [Vasant Patel] about directing the finale. She said the hook for that scene was what everyone was saying between the lines. What was your take on what Ulf was saying without saying?
I think what Ulf says is less between the lines and literally what he says. Ulf isn’t silly, he’s a self-serving, instinctive animal. The fact he’s sitting at this table he’s constantly looking around thinking “what can I get here, what can I have because I want things because I’ve been s–t upon my entire life.”
The queen is now saying I might have to kill people on a dragon and Ulf seems ok. If that’s the payment for all this, I think Ulf’s ok with it fundamentally. I’m not saying he’s a sociopath, but he’s enjoying this more than anyone else around that table. He’s enjoying this moment. Maybe he’s taking this at face value and other people are thinking deeper.
They’ve discussed at great length what it means to be a Targaryen and if this piece of s–t has got Targaryen blood and can fly a dragon then does that lessen the bloodline. Well, probably and I think Ulf’s ok with that.
Season 1 put it’s focus on the royals but Season 2 has honed in on the lives and struggles of the smallfolk. How does Ulf’s perspective on life become useful to Rhaenyra?
I think she hopes she can use him as a tool for good or what she perceives to be good. I think it’s great that in Season 1 we only see the highborns and the lords and ladies and knights, and Season 2 gives voice to the smallfolk and the people of Flea Bottom.
I think he’s fairly malleable at the moment. His morals are loose and his worldview is “what can I get?” I think Hugh (Kieran Bew) and Addam (Clinton Liberty) are thinking about the smallfolk and what this power can do to the people of Flea Bottom. Ulf is looking at this power and thinking what can this do for me.
For the time being, I don’t see why Rhaenyra can’t use Ulf as a very very dangerous and useful weapon because he’s got grayer morals than the other dragonseeds.
What is Ulf’s read on Hugh and Addam and vice versa?
I had lots of scenes with Kieran and we felt in most instances, if you want to go to a binary, he’s the straight man to my prick. Hugh is deeply embarrassed by Ulf. Ulf couldn’t care less but at the moment they’re peers and they both fly dragons and isn’t this f–king great, look at us we’re in the hall and eating as much quail as we want. Isn’t this brilliant? Try to enjoy it.
Ulf is a creature that lives for the moment and says “come on lets enjoy this and see what we can get out of it” and Hugh and Addam have other priorities and goals. There’s no Venn diagram where Addam’s wants and Hugh’s wants overlap with Ulf’s at all.
Addam is much more distrustful of Ulf – and maybe rightly so. But again, it doesn’t bother Ulf in the slightest. He’s well aware of his power and he’s quicker than any of them worked out why he’s at this table.
Ulf injects some much-needed humor into the show. Again, when I spoke with Geeta she talked about your character and making sure the humor matched the world. Do you remember conversations about what level of humor to go for? Were you able to riff or improvise in scenes?
There was no riffing or improvising. As an actor you have to jump through hoops to get the job. The job came, the job went away, the job came back, and I got the impression that they were looking for Ulf to be more humorous and I naturally fall into comedic actor – that’s what I’ve done for 20 years.
Once they say “yes, you’re the man, it’s your job” you have to trust in the fact that they liked what I was doing and what my instincts were. My worry was it was going to be too big and I did a lot of self-searching to make sure it wasn’t too big.
It is funny and he is funny but it still has to sit in a world that George R.R. Martin, and “Game of Thrones” and Ryan [Condal] have built. There’s a huge world that Ulf has to fit into, and yes he can be a bit of light relief, a cheeky chappy, a lovable rogue, a bit of a s–t, but I have to do my job and fit into the world that these people have created.
