Who is Ser Otto Hightower? Rhys Ifans role explained
The Hand of the King is *always* an interesting character.
The Hand of the King is an iconic political role in the Game of Thrones world, and in House of the Dragon, we have one very pivotal character who holds this mantle on multiple occasions.
Ser Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans, served as the Hand of the King for King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), and now King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney).
But who is he? What are his connections? And what does he want? Read on for your guide to Ser Otto in House of the Dragon.
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Who is Ser Otto Hightower in House of the Dragon?
Ser Otto Hightower was a knight who became the Hand of the King to Jaehaerys Targaryen when he lost his son, Prince Baelon Targaryen.
Jaehaerys was said to be so distraught by the death of his son and his wife, Queen Alysanne, that his health deteriorated quickly and Ser Otto was essentially the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, making key decisions while the king was in ill health.
In the book Fire and Blood, it was Ser Otto's daughter, Lady Alicent Hightower (played by Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke), who helped to nurse the king and was a great confidante to him.
When Prince Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) was declared the next king by the Lords of Westeros, Ser Otto stayed on as the Hand.
Viserys's ascension wasn't without controversy, as he was essentially chosen for being a man, and when he came to choose his successor, he struggled to decide between naming his only child, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy), or the next closest male heir, his roguish brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith).
Ser Otto had strong feelings about this, believing Daemon was too much of a hothead to rule and Ser Otto persuaded the King of this too. In the end, Rhaenyra was declared King Viserys's heir.
After the death of Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke), Ser Otto pushes his daughter Alicent into the King's orbit and they eventually marry and have four children.
Despite initially pushing Viserys to marry Rhaenyra to her eldest half-brother Prince Aegon, Viserys rejects this.
When Ser Otto reports on Rhaenyra's sexual indiscretions to the King he is fired for a time and replaced with Lord Lyonel Strong.
Following the death of Lord Lyonel and his son Ser Harwin, Ser Otto returns to power amid King Viserys's illness, with Ser Otto and Queen Alicent ruling over the kingdom for much of this period.
Following King Viserys's death, Ser Otto and Dowager Queen Alicent lead the conspiracy to have Prince Aegon ascend the Iron Throne as King Aegon II Targaryen.
Despite this, Rhaenrya refuses to back down and civil war looms.
However, can Ser Otto and his daughter keep his grandson in check?
Who is Rhys Ifans?
Established actor Ifans has been in the industry since the early '90s, making a name for himself in the likes of Notting Hill, Kevin & Perry Go Large and Little Nicky.
He also appeared in the Ian McEwan adaptation of Enduring Love opposite Daniel Craig and played McBunny in Garfield 2.
Ifans also starred in box office smashes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Xenophilius Lovegood, and The Boat That Rocked as the illusive Gavin.
More recently, Ifans appeared in Sky series Temple as Gubby, Spider-Man: No Way Home as The Lizard, and The King's Man as Grigori Rasputin.
If that wasn't enough, Ifans also made a guest appearance in Oasis's music video for The Importance of Being Idle.
House of the Dragon season 2 premieres on Sky Atlantic and NOW on Monday 17th June 2024. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Authors
Helen Daly is the Associate Editor for Radio Times, overseeing new initiatives and commercial projects for the brand. She was previously Deputy TV Editor at a national publication. She has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Media & Journalism from Newcastle University.
