Earlier this week, we learned that 18-year-old actor Emily Carey had been cast in House of the Dragon, HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series. She’ll be playing the younger version of Alicent Hightower, a key player in the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. The older version of the character is played by Olivia Cooke.
News of Carey’s casting came alongside news that Miley Alcock had been cast as a younger version of Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and his chosen heir to the Iron Throne. (The older version of Rhaenyra will be played by Emma D’Arcy.) But while Alcock has been pretty quiet, Carey has been talking up a stir on social media, clearly excited by the new gig:
Indeed, Alicent was known as being a master of court intrigue. We don’t know how far back the show will go, but in her younger years she was a companion to the Old King Jaehaerys I Targaryen. Later, she would marry Jaehaerys’ grandson, King Viserys I Targaryen, becoming his queen. That also made her Rhaenyra Targaryen’s stepmother even though they were around the same age. Even so, the two had a good relationship…at least until Alicent had children by the king and decided that she’d rather see them as heirs to the Iron Throne over Rhaenyra. When King Viserys dies, things get ugly…like, dragons fighting dragons in the sky ugly.
Emily Carey enthuses about Game of Thrones prequel gig on Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok
Anyway, Carey also shared her excitement on Tik Tok, where she posed in front of an article announcing her new job:
"@theemilycareywell this is a bit mad isn’t it #HouseOfTheDragon #GameofThrones @gameofthrones♬ Game of Thrones – Theme – London Music Works"
“My brain is fried,” Carey said in an Instagram Live video. “It’s just insane. I auditioned. It was a fairly long audition process and I didn’t know what the project was or the character was until I got it. I can’t answer any questions or who I’ll be in scenes with but stay tuned for more and I love you and have a great Tuesday!”
It seems a little odd that HBO is still so gung-ho about preventing leaks given that House of the Dragon is based on Fire & Blood, a book by George R.R. Martin that is already complete — we more or less know what’s going to happen. Then again, Fire & Blood isn’t nearly as long and detailed as A Song of Ice and Fire, so if HBO wants it to last they’ll have to come up with some material.
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO sometime in 2022.
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well this is a bit mad isn’t it
@gameofthrones