Ewan Mitchell watched his House of the Dragon nude scene with his mom (without warning her)

HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon is now in between seasons for at least two years, having wrapped up the second season on August 4. While we look back at the season's best and worst moments, there are also plenty of interviews from the cast and crew to read and watch. One of the show's stars, Ewan Mitchell, might not have had the most screentime as Aemond Targaryen, but he won over the fandom's heart (very much including mine) with his strong performance and endearing interview clips.

During an appearance on the BBC podcast Loose Ends, Mitchell explained the characteristics of Aemond and talked about the fact that he hasn't seen Game of Thrones. In one moment of the interview, the actor also recalled watching House of the Dragon season 2 with his mom, including his nude scene from the third episode, "The Burning Mill." The only thing is, he didn't give her a warning beforehand. See Mitchell remember the hilarious moment:

Mitchell hilariously remembered, "I think the neighbors heard her scream." He also talked about a "code" that Aemond lives by in the moment when he stands up and walks out of the room fully nude, having been inspired by Robert DeNiro's character Neil McCauley in the 1995 film Heat.

The actor has talked multiple times about his nude scenes in House of the Dragon season 2, in which Aemond confides in a madame named Sylvi in a brothel. And while in one episode he's only seen lying down in a fetal-like position, the next episode is much more revealing, featuring a scene of the character standing up full-frontal nude. For Mitchell, it was important for Aemond to bear it all, though it wasn't a decision "made lightly." During conversations about the choice, I wonder if Mitchell gave any thought to how his family might react, though he obviously found out eventually!

Elsewhere in the Loose Ends interview, Mitchell was asked about the process of filming the dragon riding scenes, which the actor has a ton of experience with now. Aemond is one of the lucky dragonriders in House of the Dragon, having claimed the biggest dragon in Westeros when he was just a kid. One of his fellow guests on the podcast joked that he wouldn't want to do those scenes naked, which Mitchell agreed with, laughing.

Mitchell has been applauded by the show's fandom for his dedication to his character, which is evident in every interview he gives. Though, no, he hasn't seen Game of Thrones, there's no denying he's put a lot of thought into his depiction of Aemond and is willing to do nearly anything for the sake of the story.

Aemond is "definitely going to retaliate" in House of the Dragon season 3

Mitchell also talked to Inverse about what Aemond might get up to in the upcoming third season of House of the Dragon, now that he finds himself outgunned and rejected by family members like his mother Alicent and sister Helaena. "I think you’re going to see someone who’s a lot more desperate and a lot more erratic. Targaryens were always considered closer to gods than men. And what Rhaenyra does at the end of Episode 7 very much challenges and questions the belief that you have to be a legitimate Targaryen to ride a dragon. And although their heritage from what we’ve heard sounds pretty legit, the rest of Westeros doesn’t see that."

"As Aemond says at the end of Episode 8 in that confrontation with his mother and his sister, the people of Westeros ultimately see commonfolk made into dragon lords. It very much paints a large target not only on Aemond’s back but also on the back of all the Targaryens. It compromises their godlike status in a sense. And Aemond is definitely going to retaliate."

Going into season 3, Aemond seems like very much the villain of the piece, but Mitchell thinks it's a little more complicated that that. "It’s very easy to make that assumption and judgment just because of the way that he looks," the actor said. "His Targaryen blacks, the long hair, the eye patch — it screams villain, but it depends on what side you’re on. He’s the guy who is prepared to do the necessary evil. He wants to be seen as a war hero. He knows he can be loved, but he knows he can achieve more if he’s willing to be feared. He’s done a lot of bad stuff to support the theory that he is the villain of the show. That’s one of the most satisfying things for me is decoding his DNA and discovering that he isn’t just that two-dimensional villain."

While we all wait for House of the Dragon season 3 to premiere, likely in 2026, you can catch up on Mitchell's acting credits by watching The Last Kingdom on Netflix, Saltburn on Amazon Prime Video, and the underrated gem High Life, which is streaming on Max.

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