Why Lohar In House Of The Dragon Season 2 Looks So Familiar

Contains spoilers for "House of the Dragon" Season 2 Episode 8

In the very first moments of the Season 2 finale of "House of the Dragon," audiences are reintroduced to Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) as he goes all the way to Essos looking for armies to back Team Green, led by Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and her son King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney). Ultimately, he's told that if Sharako Lohar, the fierce admiral, doesn't want to sail with him, then he won't be able to count on the armies ... and that's when both Tyland and the audience are introduced to Lohar, played with flair by Abigail Thorn.

Lohar is, frankly, a hilarious and welcome addition to the sprawling cast of "House of the Dragon," thanks in no small part to Thorn's performance (the actress is clearly having a lot of fun with the role). Whether she's mud-wrestling Tyland so he can prove his worth or asking him for a pretty unorthodox favor, Lohar — who, within the parameters of the show, appears to be a woman instead of the male character seen in the books — is delightfully odd, and if you're someone who loves longform YouTube videos, you might have seen Thorn before. Here's why Abigail Thorn, who made her debut on "House of the Dragon" in the Season 2 finale, looks so familiar.

Most people familiar with long YouTube essays about pop culture probably know Abigail Thorn from her massively popular channel Philosophy Tube, which she started in 2013 as an effort to help people learn philosophy without having to spend a ton of money on tuition fees in England. Since 2013, the channel has garnered acclaim for Thorn's incisive and creative approaches to her subject matter, as she edits her videos to keep them brisk and snappy and incorporates costumes and other concepts into each video. 

While speaking to Business Insider in 2021 after the channel reached a million subscribers, Thorn was forthright about whether or not she would continue making videos under the banner of Philosophy Tube, especially with her acting career taking off in earnest. After explaining that she knows exactly how Philosophy Tube's final episode would go, Thorn said, "I don't think I'm close to getting there. I think it depends a lot on acting, but I will have to eventually step down from Philosophy Tube, hang up my crown before someone hangs it up for me, because I feel a little bit like I've almost reached the top [...] So I think if and when Philosophy Tube comes to an end, depending on how it ends, I think it will depend on acting."

Perhaps one of the most important things about Philosophy Tube, though, is how closely it ties to Thorn's identity as a proud trans woman. Thorn even came out as a trans woman during the channel's lifetime, making the channel's progress all the more remarkable — and clearly, her work helped her book acting roles.

Just before appearing in "House of the Dragon," Abigail Thorn joined another enormous franchise thanks to Leslye Headland's acclaimed "Star Wars" series "The Acolyte." A take on a crime drama set in a galaxy far, far away, "The Acolyte" stars Amandla Stenberg as twins Verosha "Osha" and Mae-ho "Mae" Aniseya, who take very different paths on the light and dark sides of the Jedi order, as well as "Squid Game" standout Lee Jung-jae, "The Good Place" alum Manny Jacinto, "Logan" breakout Dafne Keen, and "The Matrix" favorite Carrie-Ann Moss.

So who does Thorn play? It's a small role, but it's an important one: specifically, Ensign Eurus, a witch who uses her powers to stand behind Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith), a powerful sorcereress who actually created Osha and Mae in the first place. Clearly, Thorn's body of work has impressed casting directors, and after appearing on high-profile shows like "The Acolyte" and "House of the Dragon," it's anyone's guess as to where you'll see her next ... not to mention that her time on "House of the Dragon" certainly hasn't come to an end yet.

"House of the Dragon" is streaming on Max, and "The Acolyte" is streaming on Disney+.