Like Game of Thrones, HBO’s upcoming prequel series House of the Dragon has a lot of characters. But also like Game of Thrones, some are more central to the story than others. And the two most important may be Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower.
These characters are some of a select few who will be played by multiple actors: Milly Alcock and Emily Carey will play Rhaenyra and Alicent as young women for the first several episodes, before there’s a 10-year time jump and the roles are taken over by adult actors Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke. Rhaenyra is the daughter of King Viserys I Targaryen and his appointed heir to the Iron Throne. Alicent is the king’s second wife and Rhaenyra’s stepmother, even though they’re very close in age. In their youth, the girls are best friends, but as they get older, their interests diverge and they develop a bitter rivalry.
“Your best friend as a 14-year-old girl is probably the closest you’ve ever been to any one singular person and probably the closest you will be to any one singular person for a long while,” Carey told IndieWire. “It’s sort of toeing the line between platonic and romantic, just an all-consuming adoration and love for that one person. That’s part of why they brought the characters in early, to show that love — which is what makes the demise of their relationship so much more heartbreaking.”
The relationship between these two is the big throughline of the season and even the series, so it was very important to get it right. It also suggests some themes to explore. “House of the Dragon really creates a nuanced conversation of misogyny,” Alcock said. “We don’t only explore it through a level of women being shut down and the patriarchy, but also go in-depth about the internalized misogyny that women are constantly faced with, and the competitiveness. Alicent and Rhaenyra’s relationship is at the forefront of that conversation.”
House of the Dragon, like Game of Thrones, is about power
Every Game of Thrones fan knows about the Targaryens. The Hightowers were mentioned on Game of Thrones, but we didn’t meet any. They’re at the forefront in House of the Dragon, both via Alicent and her father Otto Hightower, who serves as Hand of the King to Viserys Targaryen.
“The Hightowers are very passionate people,” Carey said. “Their sigil has a flame on it and I think that’s poignant. With Otto and Alicent, in all the scenes where they should be holding each other and crying and saying that they love each other, they don’t — it’s an argument. As soon as they feel some sort of vulnerability, immediately the wall goes up and they start to argue, but that’s how they show each other love. It’s a communication barrier, and I think that’s key to the Hightowers in general.”
I can’t wait to see how these actors bring these characters to life; I hope I’m as excited to watch the show as they were to make it. “To be a part of this is just incredible,” Carey said. “We have some very fierce women in this cast. I remember the scene in the trailer when Milly just looks down the camera lens. I remember up there, watching her do this, and getting goosebumps all over. And that is when I knew that this show was different. This show is power. And this woman is power.”
House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max on August 21.
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