“I’m glad they’re out there, man”: Fabien Frankel is Grateful for a Few House of the Dragon Fans After Becoming the Most Hated Person in Westeros

SUMMARY

• Fabien Frankel could not believe there are fans who still like him despite his role as Ser Criston Cole.
• The character notably became the most hated man in HBO's House of The Dragon.
• The actor changed his social media settings after receiving hate comments.

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Fabien Frankel plays Ser Criston Cole in the HBO prequel series House of the Dragon, and if you’re an avid watcher of the show, you probably hate the character, too. He started as one of the finest knights in Westeros who developed a complicated relationship with Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Credits: Fabien Frankel in House of the Dragon / HBO

The actor’s good looks earned his character the attention of worldwide media, easily climbing to the top of the list of hottest men to watch out for in Westeros. Unfortunately, Cole’s shot to fame was as quick as his downfall after he earned the ire of fans for betraying the Realm’s Delight.

Fabien Frankel Only Sees Hate Comments On Ser Criston Cole

It is such as pity how Ser Criston Cole went from everyone’s crush to the most despised man in House of the Dragon. Even actor Fabien Frankel could not handle it all after he received several vile comments from netizens which is a clear act of harassment.

He’s pretty much aware of the magnitude his character brought to the show, and during his interview with Esquire, he could not believe that there are still fans who look at him beyond his television role. “No way, bro. Are you serious?” was his reaction after finding out there are fans who are curious to know if he’s already in a relationship.

Anyone would definitely want to know if this actor of English, French, and Iraqi descent has a girlfriend, but according to Frankel, he only ever sees “I hate Criston Cole. This dude’s a murderous f—ker. I hope he dies” type of rants online. He claimed he never saw any thirst posts about him. “I’m glad they’re out there, man,” he said feeling relieved.

Credits: Milly Alcock and Fabien Frankel in House of the Dragon / HBO

Why is everyone hating on Criston Cole, by the way? After he risked his honor and name for Rhaenyra, the Targaryen royalty refused to do the same for him. Her rejecting his proposal to elope to Essos was too much to bear for the knight, and so when the princess was set to marry Laenor Velaryon, he was so pissed off he killed Ser Joffrey Lonmouth (Laenor’s lover).

It was henceforth he became the villain in the eyes of the viewers. He started supporting Aegon II and was pushing everything to crown him as king, and it was obvious he was only doing this because he hated Rhaenyra.

Fabien Frankel Endured Online Harassment For His Role In House of the Dragon

Credits: Fabien Frankel in House of the Dragon / HBO

Because of fans’ uncontrollable hate of Criston Cole, Frankel has become the victim of online hate. Sadly, many are still not learning how to draw the line between an actor and a fictional character, but that’s exactly what happened after he received vicious comments on his personal Instagram account.

As a result, he was forced to tweak his social media settings. But, as the actor said, there are still fans who see him beyond his character and who believe he doesn’t deserve any hate for playing a loathsome character really well.

House of the Dragon is currently available to watch on HBO.

Written by Ariane Cruz

Articles Published: 2454

Ariane Cruz, Senior Writer. She has been contributing articles for FandomWire since 2021, mostly covering stories about the latest movies and series. With a degree in Communication Arts, she has an in-depth knowledge of print and broadcast journalism. Her other works can also be seen on Screen Rant and CBR.