Meeting with Fabien Frankel, the Franco-English revelation of House of the Dragon and Task
Revealed in hand of the King of Westeros, the young actor who goes up on HBO is currently hitting in Task, alongside Mark Ruffalo. Encounter.
He is 31 years old and begins to make a place for himself thanks to HBO. Fabien Frankel exploded on our screens in Ser Criston Cole in the House of the Dragon phenomenon. Today, the Franco -British actor – born of a French mother in London – displays her magnetic charisma in the criminal series Task, still on HBO, where he embodies Grasso, a complex character taken in the fire of a ruthless investigation. Meeting… in French.
First: How did you end up in the Task Force of HBO?
Fabien Frankel: I received the script from Brad Ingelsby and it immediately interested me, because I saw and adored Mare of Easttown. For me, it was obvious that I had to pass this hearing … and they took me. I was very lucky.
What makes Brad Ingelsby’s scripts are also exciting?
I think he wrote his characters incredibly well. Yes, there is a story, a criminal intrigue, but what it does above all is to create strong personalities, very anchored in reality and inspired by its own life. His life in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, is really at home: his parents still live there, his wife comes from there, his children were born there. So he knows the corner perfectly. Sometimes, some series sound artificial … But with it, not at all. I dined with him in Philadelphia one evening before filming. He told me about my character, and he also told me that Grasso was a little based on him. They share the same personality: his relationship with religion, with the police, this idea of a certain moral compass … Brad saw a little of him in all this.
Grasso’s relationship with Lizzie is overflowing from the professional framework. Does he have feelings for her?
Yes, he likes to spend time with her. She makes him laugh! When you do such an intense job, you need that, and it brings him a lot of joy. He doesn’t play with her at all. She has absolutely nothing to bring him on the investigation, he has nothing to gain with her on a professional level, so he is really sincere.
You speak French fluently. Do you want to play in France?
It’s nice to say that I speak French well … I’m not sure that it is true (laughs), I lose my words more and more often. But yes, I would really like to shoot in France. I’m looking for the right project. Maybe French directors watch Task and someone will make me a proposal! In any case, I hope.
Are you looking at a lot of French productions?
Yes, always. My mother is French and cinephile. We were raised at home with the films of Louis de Funès, from Fantômas to the madness of grandeur. A little later, I discovered Jacques Audiard or Céline Sciamma. French cinema is fantastic … but I have to improve my French a little before.
Have you finished filming House of the Dragon, season 3?
Yes, we finished. Bryan Cogman, the showrunner, even gave me the Cole Criston helmet at the end of the shooting, as a gift (laughs). I’m not sure why … I think it was a joke, because I never want to wear my helmet on the set! But it’s always nice to have a little gift.
