Joel Fry played the scene-stealing musically gifted pirate Frenchie in Our Flag Means Death, but that's not the only prominent role the actor has had. Our Flag Means Death premiered in March 2022 on HBO Max and centers around fish-out-water aristocrat Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) who up and decides to become a pirate. Aboard his ship Revenge, Stede and his ragtag crew get up to all sorts of hijinks, which includes meeting notorious pirate Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). Frenchie is a charming, good-natured crewmate on Revenge, known for both his sewing abilities and chronicling the crew's adventures through song.
Given Fry's artistic background, his casting as charismatic bard Frenchie in Our Flag Means death is perfect. Fry earned a BA in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (via RADA) and is a former member of the London-based rock/reggae/ska band Animal Circus, performing on their 2012 EP Snakes and Ladders. As Frenchie, Fry is also featured on two songs of the Our Flag Means Death soundtrack. On the acting side, Fry has appeared in Paddington 2 and Yesterday, but it's his roles in a popular HBO series and a Disney movie that he is most known for, in addition to the Our Flag Means Death cast.
Frenchie Actor Joel Fry Played Hizdahr Zo Loraq In Game Of Thrones
Before he was Frenchie in Our Flag Means Death, Fry was best known for playing Hizdahr zo Loraq in seasons 4 and 5 of the acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones. Hizdahr is a Meereneese aristocrat who hails from a long line of slave traders. He meets Daenerys Targaryen when she seizes Meereen and orders the crucifixion of 163 slave masters, including Hizdahr's father. But thanks to his status and knowledge, Daenerys makes Hizdahr an ambassador and later plans to marry him. Hizdahr convinces Daenerys to reopen the fighting pits, but this proves a fatal choice, as he is killed by the Sons of the Harpy at the Great Games.
Hizdahr zo Loraq is a much gentler character in the Game of Thrones series than in the books, as his first appearance finds him begging Daenerys for permission to bury her father at the Temple of Graces. While Hizdahr is not one of Game of Thrones' most likable characters, and certainly less so than Frenchie in Our Flag Means Death, it is Fry's vulnerable performance that gives Hizdahr complexity and prevents him from being an all-out villain — a difficult feat considering his family's trade.
Fry Played Estella's Loyal Friend Jasper In Cruella
On the big screen, Fry's most notable role is Jasper in the Cruella cast, the live-action origin story of 101 Dalmatians' infamous villain, Cruella de Vil. In the film, Cruella is introduced as Estella, an orphaned girl who befriends two street urchins, Jasper and Horace. The trio sticks together as they grow up, stealing and grifting to get by. But as Estella becomes an underground sensation in the fashion world, she becomes more unscrupulous, which upsets Jasper.
Again, Fry is taking a villainous character and making him sympathetic. In previous 101 Dalmatians iterations, he's nothing more than a short-tempered lowlife henchman, but Fry's performance makes him the heart of Cruella. As Fry proves playing Frenchie in Our Flag Means Death, it is impossible for him to play a character who's, if not lovable, then at least charming.
Sources: