House of the Dragon Season 3 Casts Generation’s Most Gifted Actor!

Two years ago, we urged you to watch the British series Happy Valley, partly because of its formidable villain played by the talented James Norton, who is rumored to be in the running to succeed Daniel Craig in the James Bond franchise.

While we wait to see if he will take on the role of 007, James Norton has been cast as Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon, according to Variety.

Who is Ormund Hightower?

The official description of the character states that he is “the nephew of Otto (Rhys Ifans), the cousin of Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Gwayne (Freddie Fox), and the lord of Oldtown. He is currently leading the Hightowers to march on King’s Landing to support his house against Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy).”

The character was previously mentioned in season 2 of House of the Dragon, but had not appeared on screen until now.

Who is James Norton?

As mentioned earlier, James Norton is perhaps best known for his roles in British series such as Happy Valley and Grantchester, although he has also starred in series like McMafia and the 2016 miniseries adaptation of War and Peace.

He has also appeared in the HBO series The Nevers and was nominated for a BAFTA in 2015 for his role in Happy Valley. In terms of film, he has acted in movies like Little Women in 2019, Bob Marley: One Love, and most recently in Joy on Netflix, but he is especially memorable in Agnieszka Holland’s striking film Mr. Jones in 2020.

It is worth noting that during a press conference in August 2024, Ryan Condal – the co-creator of the series with George R.R. Martin – confirmed that the series is intended to conclude at the end of its fourth season, although this has not yet been officially ordered.