Emma D'Arcy only now feels like part of the Game of Thrones universe

Going into HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, Matt Smith — who plays mercurial warrior Daemon Targaryen — was the biggest name on the ticket. Many of the rest of the cast members were professional actors who were largely unknown to the wider public.

But that's changed now. Emma D'Arcy, who plays would-be queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, is probably the cast members who's broken out the most. They went viral for describing their favorite drink, their performance as Rhaenyra is nothing short of scintillating, and they give thoughtful responses in interviews that make them a joy to cover.

Fame has come pretty quickly for D'Arcy, but even so, apparently they haven't felt a full part of the Game of Thrones universe until now, as they told Muse Magazine. "I’m very grateful to have been entrusted with such a treasured and important character," D'Arcy said. "But for a long time, I felt like a visitor in the Game of Thrones universe. It’s only now, after Season 2, that I feel I’ve received my Westeros passport."

At this point, D'Arcy has been playing Rhaenyra for quite a few years; HBO has only put out two seasons of the show so far, but each takes at least two years to make, so they've been sitting with Rhaenyra for a long time. Word is that the show will continue through season 4, so D'Arcy is halfway done with the adventure. By the time the show ends, they'll eat, sleep and breathe the Seven Kingdoms.

"There’s a lot of preparation involved," D'Arcy said about playing Rhaenyra. "It’s less about consuming existing media and more about engaging with the text: understanding it, interpreting it, metabolizing the story from the perspective of the character. I also like to think about the work critically, from outside that perspective: developing a unifying theory that will carry and underpin the character throughout a scene, episode or season."

D'Arcy is extremely compelling onscreen as a leader trying to pick their way through political and mlitary minefields, and I wouldn't be surprised if they had their pick of roles after House of the Dragon was over. For now, we can look forward to seeing more of them when House of the Dragon returns for its third season sometime in 2026.

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