Star Emily Carey explains why House of the Dragon‘s two Alicent and Rhaenyra actors didn’t interact much with their older counterparts. Carey plays the younger version of Alicent Hightower in the Game of Thrones prequel series while Upright‘s Milly Alcock plays the younger Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. The HBO show is set 172 years before the original series, based on George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire and Blood, and will chronicle the fall of the once-great House Targaryen. Since the series is set nearly two centuries before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, the ancestors of many major players in Game of Thrones will be explored, namely the powerful Hightower and Targaryen families.
Adolescent girls when the series opens, Rhaenyra and Alicent share a deep bond, which is only strengthened when Rhaenyra’s mother passes away, giving her one more thing in common with her best friend. At the close of episode 2, Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys, announces his intent to marry Alicent, a matter that was never discussed with the young heir. This moment sets the stage for an intense falling out between the former childhood best friends, who will soon be aged up by ten years when the show’s time skip occurs. The new actresses for Alicent and Rhaenyra, Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy, will be playing very different versions of the characters viewers were initially introduced to, which seems to have been just as vital to the House of The Dragon set as its story.
In an interview with HBO’s The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon, Emily Carey explained her creative process when portraying the younger and older versions of Alicent. The actor revealed that the young Alicent and Rhaenyra were encouraged not to interact with their grown-up counterparts, as the two versions of the characters are very different from one another. She explains why below:
I had so much creative freedom in this role, in a sense, it’s like we’re playing two completely different characters. Me and Olivia didn’t talk at all about the character or the job, in the same way Emma and Milly didn’t, we were advised not to, because it is like we’re literally playing completely different people. 10 years is a really long time, you know? You’re seeing them go from practically children into grown women, there’s a lot of growing up to do, so yeah, they treated us like different characters. It didn’t feel like I was playing a younger version of a character that I’m so used to doing at this point, maybe one day I will be the main one and someone will be playing younger versions of me.
While Carey’s comments indicate that her iteration of House of The Dragon‘s Alicent is not ‘the main one,’ she has certainly made an impression with her performance so far, with plenty of praise centered on her and Alcock’s portrayals of the complicated young women. While audiences may soon be saying goodbye to teen Alicent and Rhaenyra, Cooke and D’Arcy are acclaimed actresses themselves who are sure to be bringing something new to their roles. With no notes passed between the four stars, Alicent and Rhaenyra are sure to feel like completely different people in the 10 years between their time as teens to adults. In the House of the Dragon universe, girls are forced to grow up very quickly due to the dramatic power struggles occurring around them.
Based on the viewership numbers in its first two episodes, House of the Dragon looks to have a bright future ahead. The series premiere boasted HBO’s biggest debut in history, resulting in the network immediately renewed the series for season 2. While House of the Dragon season 1 does not require flashbacks, since a time skip is already incorporated, the door does seem open for Carey and Alcock to return as young Alicent and Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon season 2.
