Why You Can Trust CNET 'House of the Dragon': Crabfeeder Actor Breaks Down That 'Decaying' Look
Actor Daniel Scott-Smith explains that mask and what lies underneath.
- Best New Journalist 2019 Australian IT Journalism Awards
Daniel Scott-Smith is the man behind the mask.
Despite not uttering a single line, House of the Dragon villain the Crabfeeder is mesmerizing. A lot of that is down to his memorable look. You just have to stare at that broken gold mask, decaying skin and withering hair that makes his skull look as flat as a crab's back.
To help discern the elusive character's features (he spends a lot of time hiding in a cave), actor Daniel Scott-Smith broke down his look in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. The actor said he and the directors had the "freedom" to do what they wanted with the character and build their own "vision."
Who is the Crabfeeder in 'House of the Dragon'?
Craghas Drahar is a Myrish prince-admiral known by his foes as the Crabfeeder. As the commander of the armies of three allied Free Cities known as The Triarchy, Craghas took control of the Stepstones, a trade route between Westeros and Essos. Craghas dealt with pirates by staking them in the sand on the beach and letting the crabs slowly and painfully snip away at their flesh. Hence his title, the Crabfeeder.
What are the elements of Crabfeeder's look?
The Crabfeeder's left arm is covered in greyscale, the same kind of disease that infected Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones. "We spoke about that and the gradual decline to where he is, how the greyscale might affect him physically, even mentally," Scott-Smith told EW.
The gold mask is the same kind of mask worn by the Sons of the Harpy, an underground insurgency group that opposed the rule of Daenerys Targaryen over Meereen in Game of Thrones. "Why is he wearing the mask? How does he feel about that? It's a power statement, so he's quite happy wearing it," Scott-Smith said.
Scott-Smith also wore a partial wig, keeping the top of the Crabfeeder's cranium just about bare.
How long did the Crabfeeder's makeup take?
Initially, it took seven hours for the crew to apply the Crabfeeder's makeup and costuming. "They got it down quite a lot, and by the end, I think it just took about four or five [hours]," Scott-Smith said.
If you watched the last episode of House of the Dragon, you know it's highly unlikely we'll see any more of Prince Daemon's memorable foe.
Catch new episodes of House of the Dragon on HBO on Sundays.
