House of the Dragon stars finally address whether Gwayne Hightower is gay or we’re just delulu

House of the Dragon viewers have been picking up on the chemistry between Gwayne Hightower and Criston Cole for weeks now, and after episode six, even more people became convinced there was something else going on.

Then Ormund Hightower made a comment that seemed to reference Gwayne’s sexuality, and suddenly everyone started asking the same question: Is Gwayne Hightower actually gay?

First things first, House of the Dragon has never officially confirmed Gwayne Hightower’s sexuality. There’s no scene where Gwayne says he’s gay, and HBO hasn’t labelled the character in any way. That said, there are definitely moments throughout season three that have made people wonder if the writers were hinting at something more.

Fabien Frankel says he and Freddie Fox absolutely played into the romantic subtext

via HBO

Speaking to Vulture, Fabien Frankel, who plays Criston Cole, revealed that he and Freddie Fox, who plays Gwayne Hightower, were very aware of the growing theories about Gwayne and Criston.

He said, “Freddie Fox and I are aware of our feelings about Gwayne and Cole. I don’t know that the writers feel necessarily that that’s something they want out there, but I will speak on behalf of Freddie and myself: We back that belief as far as people want to take it.”

Frankel was then asked whether Gwayne inviting Criston to “live with him in Oldtown” was meant to be read romantically.

He replied, “Freddie did absolutely see that. Freddie has felt that way; there’s definitely an arc that Freddie has been aware of.”

He added, “He and I have had conversations about Gwayne’s feelings for Cole, and that they have developed into more than just camaraderie and a professional working relationship.”

So, there really is romantic subtext between Gwayne and Criston, even if it never becomes an official relationship on screen.

Episode six also hints at something with Ormund

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Things became even more interesting in season three episode six. When Gwayne reunites with Ormund Hightower, Ormund says, “I’m sure you found solace with some of your brothers in arms.”

Loads of viewers immediately picked up on the line because it seems to be more than just a casual joke. It also feels like the two cousins share a complicated history that the show never fully explains.

James Norton, who plays Ormund Hightower, has also spoken about those scenes. Talking to Decider, he explained that there was a lot of unseen history between the two characters.

He said, “In a way, you don’t get to see Ormund’s true authentic self until you see him interacting with Gwayne.”

He continued, “It was important as well as fun imagining Ormund and Gwayne as kids and what went on, what went down. I think a lot went down.”

Norton also added, “We nodded to a very complicated history. We nodded to it in a couple of moments. Gwayne’s relationship with Ormund is in itself a very complex, rich place to delve.”

Is Gwayne Hightower gay in the book?

via HBO

Not really, or at least, the book never tells us. In George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, Gwayne Hightower’s personal life is barely explored. He never marries, but the book also never mentions any romantic relationships with either women or men.

The TV series has expanded Gwayne’s role quite a lot compared to the source material. In fact, Gwayne doesn’t even accompany Criston Cole on his campaign in Fire & Blood. That entire storyline was created for House of the Dragon, which means the scenes with Criston, Ormund, and all the subtext are original to the show.

So, neither the book nor the HBO series has outright confirmed that Gwayne is gay. But when the actors themselves are talking about romantic feelings, hidden history, and deliberately playing into the subtext, it’s pretty hard to argue that viewers were imagining it.

Turns out, I wasn’t completely delusional after all.

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