One of the best things about Ryan Murphy’s alternate history Netflix series Hollywood is the characters. For the most part, they are young men and women who come to Tinseltown with the intention of becoming stars, of achieving that dream that so many have aspired to but so few have actually attained.
While many of the characters are incredibly charming and likable, there are more than a few that reveal some darker sides, and there are even a few that are downright despicable. Sorting them into their Game of Thrones houses allows for a deeper and richer understanding of what, exactly, makes these characters tick.
Jack - House Stark
Jack is one of the series’ most idealistic and likable characters. From the moment that he appears on the screen, he shows himself the kind of man that wants to both find his dream and do the best that he can for the people in his life.
In that regard, he shows a lot of similarities to the members of House Stark, who are known for their innate nobility and their devotion to their own honor code. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work out the best for them, just as it doesn’t always work out well for Jack.
Archie - House Martell
House Martell is one of the more sensual and subtle houses of Westeros. What’s more, they always have an eye toward the future and how they can attain what they want. Archie is one of the series’ most compelling characters, in part because, as a gay man of color, he belongs to two groups that were rendered second class citizens in the postwar years.
Like a good Martell, however, he’s not about to let anything stand in his way as he works on becoming a respected Hollywood screenwriter.
Rock - House Stark
From the moment that he appears on the screen, Rock Hudson exudes a sense of honor and genuine niceness. He’s the sort of person who you can’t imagine having a mean bone in his body. This often leads some people, particularly Henry Willson, to woefully underestimate him.
However, there’s an inner core of strength to Rock, the sort of solidity that one always associates with the Starks. It’s this inner strength that also allows him to behave according to his own strict honor code.
Ernie - House Baratheon
The Baratheons, some of them at least, have the potential to be the most charming people one can imagine meeting. One need only think of the effortless way in which Renly-as well as a young Robert-managed to bring people under his sway. This makes House Baratheon a perfect fit for Ernie, the owner of a gas station that also happens to double as a bordello for the wealthy and powerful.
There’s no doubt, though, that Ernie has buckets of charm at his command.
Camille - House Tyrell
Like the Bartheons, the Tyrells also seem to have been blessed with their own amount of charisma, as both Loras and Margarey illustrate. However, there’s also a drive and a subtlety to them, a sense that they know what they want and are determined to get it.
One gets a similar feeling watching Camille, the young woman of color who aspires to be one of the great actresses of her generation. Thankfully, Camille’s end is significantly happier than that of most of the Tyrells.
Avis - House Targaryen
It should surprise exactly no one that Avis, the wife of studio head Ace, would be a Targaryen, and one can definitely imagine her motto being “fire and blood.” She’s a woman who has no problem asserting her independence, and when Ace’s health incapacitates him she also takes charge of the studio and takes it in the direction that she wants it to go.
It’s very fortunate that she is in the mold of one of the saner Targaryens, who were actually decent rulers when they weren’t murdering each other.
Raymond - House Tyrell
Raymond is one of the nobler characters in the series, though he can also be quite frustrating. He’s a hopeless idealist, always believing that if he just tries hard enough that he’ll be able to attain his goals as a director.
Like many other Tyrells, he has quite a lot of charisma (it certainly helps that he’s portrayed by Darren Criss, one of the most charming young actors working today). However, he seems to be a lot more like Loras than like Margaery.
Henry - House Lannister
Henry Willson is one of the series’ less appealing and sympathetic characters. He seems to take a particular sort of delight in inflicting pain on others. However, there’s a great deal to him that also makes him a Lannister.
He can be charming when he wants to be, and there’s no question that he also knows how the system of Hollywood works. What’s more, he’s also exactly the kind of person that will pay his debts, as many have no doubt found to their detriment.
Helen - The Maesters
While the maesters aren’t technically a noble house in their own right, they still manage to exert a tremendous hold on the rest of Westeros. What’s more, they tend (with some notable exceptions) to be voices of wisdom and moderation.
The same is true of Helen who, at the beginning of the series, is one of the few higher-ups in studio management who seems to actually believe in the young people that are trying to make a go of it in Hollywood. Her kindness is only exceeded by her keen perception.
Dick - House Arryn
Dick is one of the most fascinating (and sometimes enigmatic) characters on the show. It’s only gradually revealed that he is gay, though of course he’s lived most of his life in the closet. He’s also one of the most competent people in Hollywood, and without him Ace Studios would have long ago ceased to be profitable.
In that sense, he’s very much like a certain Jon Arrryn, who ended up being an invaluable aid to Robert Baratheon as he attempted to enforce some form of discipline on the Seven Kingdoms.