House of the Dragon initially thrilled the audience with its rich narrative and political intrigue and served as a worthy successor to game of Thrones. The first season of the series was well received, but the recently concluded second season failed to capture the magic of the series. While the plot seemed disjointed to many, the season also introduced several new faces with different storylines.
One such face was Tom Bennett, who had signed on to play the role of Ulf White. While there are several elements of the character that piqued viewers’ curiosity, Bennett had to eat 30 birds in one scene to bring the character to life.
Eating 30 quails in a single day left Tom Bennett physically ill
Tom Bennett’s role as Ulf White in the latest season of House of the Dragon has certainly caused a stir. Ulf was introduced as one of the new faces and is portrayed as a character who flaunts his Targaryen lineage. He is also chosen by Rhaenyra Targaryen to ally himself with a dragon and assist her in her rebellion against her half-brother Aegon II.
Ulf stands out as one of the few who successfully masters this daunting task. He forms a closer bond with Silverwing and helps Rhaenyra in her attempt to reclaim her throne. In the finale of the second season, Rhaenyra organizes a great feast at which she promises knighthood to those who prove themselves worthy in battle.
In the same event, Ulf’s rude behavior is highlighted when he demands “more little birds.” Bennett described this in a behind-the-scenes featurette (via Independent) as “When those birds come, you have to fucking eat them.” During filming, the actor had to eat over 30 quails, which was a considerable physical strain for him.
But he thought it was “I get paid to eat birds” so he was determined to keep eating until he became physically ill. He was anxious to give his character authenticity and was willing to endure such discomfort to do justice to the scene.
Tom Bennett talks about the fate of characters like him in House of the Dragon
In the hit prequel, Bennett’s character Ulf’s life takes a completely different turn when Silverwing chooses him as her rider. This momentous moment, along with those of other bastards of Valyrian descent such as Hugh Hammer and Addam of Hull, signals a remarkable shift in the balance of power.
For example, in season 2, episode 7, titled The red sowing, Viewers will witness the character’s beginnings in Flea Bottom in King’s Landing to his evolution into a dragon rider, reflecting a transformative journey that spans the entire season. Additionally, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bennett delves deeper into what this dramatic evolution means for Ulf and the other bastards.
Although his statements focused specifically on his character, many of his observations are relevant to others as well. He added:
It’s huge. Ulf is the bottom of society, he’s Flea Bottom through and through. He’s poor and oppressed. He’s a worker under the thumb of the ruling class and has lived with it his whole life. Suddenly he’s sitting on a nuclear warhead. The shift in power is huge. Let’s see what he does with it.
The narrative of Ulf, Hugh and Addams’ rise to become dragon riders for the Blacks reflects a classic rags-to-riches story. This theme of unexpected rise to power was also explored in Games of Thrones with characters like Petyr Baelish, Varys, Bronn and Davos Seaworth rising from obscurity to great influence and status.
You can stream House of the Dragon to Max.
