Olivia Cooke is sharing just what she’d do if she really were a queen, and the House of the Dragon star’s words are meaningful.
The actress, 31, is on the rising stardom path in Hollywood. She broke out as Emma in Bates Motel, making the most of the role of the girlfriend of the troubled young Norman Bates. She’s added in movies such as Ready Player One, but is truly finding success playing Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon.
Cooke is sensational playing the woman who inadvertently kicks off the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war that would rock Westeros. With season 3 in production, the actress is keeping busy as she’s about to star in the Amazon Prime Video limited series The Girlfriend. She plays a young woman meeting her boyfriend's wealthy family, only to be drawn into a clash with his mother (Robin Wright).
How Cooke’s new role is similar to House of the Dragon
Speaking to Who What Wear, Cooke admitted she was drawn to the show’s script and some clear parallels to House of the Dragon’s pitting two women against each other.
“I love anything that taps into the British class system—rich and poor—and how that sort of eats itself," she explained. "And then to have it set with these two characters who are very much alike in many ways, save for their bank balances and their status, and play with all the complexities that relationship brings. I found when I was reading the scripts, I was really rooting for these two characters to be friends… but we live in a society that unfortunately pits women against each other still, which is just so f—ing annoying and unfair.''
Cooke's words show she's drawn to stories of women fighting for their independence and to prove themselves. She also had some interesting things to say about what she’d do as an actual ruler of a kingdom.
What Cooke would do as queen
The conversation turned back to House of the Dragon, with Cooke being asked what she would do if she were given a chance to be a queen like her character.
''Oh god, so, so much," she shared. "The selling of arms, I would ban that. Dump all guns on Mars or something. I'd also release so many closed files, you have no idea. Then I'd make all world leaders women, just to see how things would change. Not to s**t on all men, but, just for a generation, let's see what happens. And raise lovely boys who are respectful of women. It will be gorgeous.''
It might not come as a surprise that Cooke would like to see more female leaders, considering her past roles.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max. The Girlfriend premieres on Sept. 10 on Amazon Prime Video.