How to Train Your Dragon: Bringing Hiccup and Astrid to life

“One of the challenges in casting, particularly with young actors, was finding the heart of who these characters are without trying to create carbon copies,” says How To Train Your Dragon director Dean DeBlois.

Faced with this challenge in creating the live-action version of the fantasy classic, the team met with hundreds of potential Hiccups and Astrid, and, instead of trying to find actors who replicated what the voice actors did in the original animations, they looked for actors who could add new dimensions to the characters.

Mason Thames as Hiccup with the dragon Toothless

Hiccup is the unlikely hero of How To Train Your Dragon. He is caught between two worlds - his family and friends, who are fellow Vikings, and have for generations harboured animosity against dragons; and his compassion and affinity for the dragons who have suffered at the hands of Vikings.

The live-action adaptation deepens Hiccup’s internal struggle, exploring how his bond with Toothless, a rare Night Fury dragon, becomes the catalyst for his transformation. When fate brings them together, Hiccup’s choice to save Toothless instead of harming him sets off a chain reaction that reshapes his world.

Mason Thames as Hiccup, with the dragon Toothless

For Mason Thames, stepping into the role was a dream come true. “Growing up, Hiccup was my hero,” Thames says. “I remember being seven years old and watching him ride the dragon in the trailer for the second movie. I thought, ‘I want to be him.’ So, technically, I manifested this.”

DeBlois worked closely with Thames to explore Hiccup’s emotional complexities. “Dean and I talked a lot about how to expand on what was already there,” Thames says. “One thing we explored was Hiccup’s sadness. He tries so hard to make his dad proud, but it never seems to be enough. That’s part of why he turns to humor—it’s his way of coping. He deflects with jokes and makes fun of himself because it’s easier than confronting the sadness of not feeling like he’s enough.”

Nico Parker and Mason Thames in How To Train Your Dragon (2025)

BAFTA nominee Nico Parker portrays Astrid, the fiercely determined Viking warrior whose journey from skeptic to ally forms a crucial part of the emotional core of How to Train Your Dragon.

As the island of Berk’s most promising young dragon fighter, Astrid initially views Hiccup’s unorthodox methods as a liability. But her eventual recognition of his unique perspective helps bridge the divide between their worlds. “Astrid is brilliant: smart, quietly confident and completely self-assured,” Parker says. “What I admire most about her is that although she’s incredibly focused and set in her ways, she’s also open to change, which is rare for the Vikings of Berk. The way she evolves alongside Hiccup says something special about her character.”

Astrid’s fighting style mirrors her intelligence and resourcefulness. “She’s the quintessential action hero,” Parker says. “She’s quick, agile, always thinking three steps ahead. I’m not naturally like that, so I had to work hard to maintain her constant state of readiness. She may not have the physical size of a Viking, but she more than makes up for it with her skill, planning and precision.”

Parker did most of her own stunts in the movie, including a high-speed, 60-foot wire descent during a dragon battle sequence.

Where to watch How To Train Your Dragon

Showmax has the full collection of How To Train Your Dragon movies:

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

How To Train Your Dragon (2025)