Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau reveals he is excited to watch the prequel spinoff House of the Dragon this year. The Danish actor starred in the HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novels as Ser Jaime Lannister, a knight of the Kingsguard and member of one of the most powerful families in Westeros who carries on an incestuous relationship with his twin sister Cersei. Coster-Waldau's portrayal of Lannister received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike throughout Game of Thrones' eight-season run, netting him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Developed by Martin and Ryan J. Condal, House of the Dragon serves as a spinoff and prequel to Game of Thrones based on the 2018 novel Fire & Blood, set 200 years before the events of the hit series and exploring the events leading up to the Targaryen civil war and the end of House Targaryen. Development on the series was first announced in late 2019 when HBO began eyeing it for a potential pilot order alongside a second Game of Thrones spinoff, though the latter would be canceled after filming its pilot while House of the Dragon was given a straight-to-series order and began filming in April 2021. With the series having officially finished production in February, many are looking forward to the show's potential 2022 premiere, including one Game of Thrones vet.

Related: House Of The Dragon Has A Glaring Advantage Over Amazon's Rings of Power

While speaking exclusively with Screen Rant to discuss the Netflix thriller Against the Ice, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau opened up about House of the Dragon. The Game of Thrones star expressed his excitement to watch the prequel series and reflected on the "great run" the original show had in its time. See what Coster-Waldau shared below:

"I'm looking forward to it. We had such a great run, it was a lot of fun to do that show and now it's over. This is a new show and yeah, like everyone else, I'm gonna sit down and enjoy."

A closeup of young Rhaenyra

Some fans may find themselves disagreeing with Coster-Waldau's belief that Game of Thrones had a "great run" to the end given the divisive response to season 8, but the actor has remained largely defensive of the show to its end. In a book chronicling the show's epic journey, Coster-Waldau found Jaime's ending specifically to be very in line with his character as he went back to Cersei out of a devotion to his family, despite clearly having affections for Brienne. The decision would ultimately result in both he and Cersei's deaths as Daenerys and her army attack King's Landing, with the dungeon vaults of the castle collapsing on them.

Coster-Waldau's excitement to watch House of the Dragon is a sweet honor for his Game of Thrones fans as he continues to be just as invested in the epic fantasy world even as he's no longer a part of it. After a near-three-year development cycle, anticipation is high for the prequel show's arrival, with many holding out hope it could surpass its predecessor by utilizing its wealth of completed source material and Martin being directly involved with the writing process. Only time will tell when House of the Dragon premieres on HBO sometime later this year.

More: House Of The Dragon Can Answer A Major Jon Snow Warg Question