House of the Dragon casts Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, Alicent Hightower

HBO reveals the cast of its Game of Thrones prequel show House of the Dragon, including who’s playing Alicent Hightower and Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen.

The other week, we reported on a rumor that Doctor Who veteran Matt Smith would be playing the key role of Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel show. now, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed it, as well as revealed the identities of a couple other cast members in key parts.

Let’s go down the list!

NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 04: Actor Matt Smith visits Build to discuss “The Crown” at Build Studio on December 4, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

Matt Smith is Daemon Targaryen

HBO describes the character as the “younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A peerless warrior and a dragonrider, Daemon possesses the true blood of the dragon.  But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…”

King Viserys is played by English actor Paddy Considine, who was the first cast member announced.

Here’s an artist’s rendition of Daemon:

It’s true that Daemon is known to be hot-headed, temperamental, violent, and impetuous, in contrast to his much more level-headed brother. It’s a juicy role with a lot to do. Honestly, I kind of have a hard time picturing Matt Smith in it, as I’m used to seeing him play nice guys like the Eleventh Doctor or, more recently, low-grade assholes like Prince Philip in Netflix’s The Crown. For Daemon, he’ll have to turn up the intensity several notches, but I’m open to being convinced.

Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen

Rhaenyra is one of the main characters in the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war at the heart of the show. She’s described as “the king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.”

The Dance of the Dragons is a war of succession. On one side is Rhaenyra, the first-born child of the king with his first wife, Queen Aemma of House Arryn. She is beautiful, intelligent and willful. Her father brought her up to be his heir and she fully expects to be queen one day. When he dies and a new challenger enters, she is fully prepared to throw down.

She also a relationship with Daemon Targaryen, who is her uncle. Yes, Targaryens are weird like that.

As for Emma D’Arcy, she’s starred in shows like Truth Seekers and Wanderlust but hasn’t really had a breakout role…until now, anyway.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 15: Olivia Cooke attends the European Premiere of “Life Itself” & Royal Bank of Canada Gala during the 62nd BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI)

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

Another key player, Alicent Hightower is described as “the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms.  She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen.”

Alicent Hightower marries King Viserys after his first wife dies. She gives him a child, Aegon Targaryen. When the king dies, she is adamant that her son sit on the throne, which puts her in direct conflict with Rhaenyra. Their enmity drives a lot of the plot, especially in the early going.

Olivia Cooke is a talented English actor with roles in Bates Motel, Ready Player One, Vanity Fair and more. Playing Alicent could be huge for her.

We also know the directors for the first season. In addition to Game of Thrones veteran Miguel Sapochnik, who’s serving as showrunner along with Ryan Condal, the directing team will also include Clare Kilner (EastEnders), Geeta Patel (The Witcher) and Greg Yaitanes (House).

And now the discussion starts! For what it’s worth, when we asked people what they thought of Matt Smith as the violence, intense Daemon, they were…opinionated:

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