House of the Dragon star kept trying to sneak Starbucks cups into scenes

House of the Dragon star Fabien Frankel has admitted he was up to no good while filming – having snuck Starbucks cups onto set as a cheeky nod to that iconic gaffe in Game of Thrones. 

Back in episode four of GoT’s final season, we saw the gang enjoying a few wines after surviving the huge battle between the living dead, which had culminated with Arya Stark plunging a dagger into the Night King. 

But while everyone was celebrating, Daenerys was sitting in her chair beside a very out-of-place takeaway coffee cup – a moment fans found nothing short of hilarious. 

Frankel, who plays knight Criston Cole, was keen to continue the joke while filming the new prequel series, saying it would have been a ‘real dream’ to see coffee cups in the new show... even if it wouldn’t leave him in the good books of the show’s continuity editors. 

Speaking to UNILAD, he explained: “I put a bunch of cups all over the set – Starbucks cups.” 

Unfortunately for Frankel, it sounds like the crew had their wits about them. When asked if he actually managed to slip one into shot, he continued: “I tried to. I really, really tried to. On one day, I really was like, ‘I’ll just leave this here.’ 

“And they were so on it, they weren't messing around. It would have been a real dream - that would have been my great achievement. I really did [try].” 

Frankel added: "Maybe the continuity team are gonna read this and hate me forever.” 

Knowing that eagle-eyed fans would still be on the lookout, the actor said one of his co-stars may have also been equally mischievous. 

“Yeah, they might find some stuff,” he said. “I wouldn’t put it past Rhys Ifans to have put a few out.” 

Frankel said it was hard work filming alongside a joker like Ifans, stressing it was ‘hell on Earth in every way’. 

“Trying to keep a straight face, trying to give any professional version of myself... it’s hell,” he said. 

As for what fans can expect from the forthcoming series, Frankel wasn’t giving much away – vaguely teasing ‘a lot of dragons’ and ‘some deaths’. 

However, he did offer up a bit of insight to how it compares to the beloved Game of Thrones, explaining: “I think that we have a show that is really centralised, and it's about one family, essentially, even if it's an extended family. And all the characters centre around this succession. 

“And, as opposed to Game of Thrones, where everyone was sort of a million miles away from each other, and then finally put together in the last season, our show starts with everyone together. 

“So there's a real feeling of sort of isolation quite early on, which I think is very interesting makes for a very interesting dynamic at the start the show.” 

House of the Dragon will be available to watch weekly on HBO and HBO Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.