House of the Dragon continues to be a smash hit, and the Game of Thrones prequel is making stars of some of its previously unknown actors. Among these rising actors is Emily Carey, who sat down for an interview to discuss her turn as Queen Alicent Hightower.
House of the Dragon has already had several time-jumps. Between episode 1 and 2, there was a six-month jump. Episode 2 and 3 went further with a 3-year time jump. By the time of episode 4, “King of the Narrow Sea,” four years have passed when Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) returns from his conquest of the Stepstones. Alicent and Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) aren’t as close as they once were, and Alicent has borne King Viserys (Paddy Considine) two children, Aegon and Helaena.
Needless to say, the House of the Dragon story is moving at a very fast pace, and by episode six, many of the younger actors will have been replaced with older actors. Emily Carey's Alicent will be played by Olivia Cooke, while Alcock's rendition of Rhaenyra will be replaced by Emma D'Arcy. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Carey said she was surprised and happy to see how much time was devoted to the two characters’ youth, explaining that it is a very important part of the story for audiences to see. Given the popularity of Carey and Alcock's portrayals, Carey was asked if there was room for the two to return in flashbacks for season 2. Carey responded, “It’s been spoken about, conversations have happened, but, in all honesty, I know absolutely nothing and I have no idea. Of course, I would love to come back. It depends on how it’s received and where they want to take the show next. I’m just going with the flow!”
Carey also discussed her method for acting as Alicent, who is quite different from her. She stated that, being raised by a single mother, she found it challenging to navigate the relationship Alicent has with Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), her widowed father. She also stated that she found it difficult to act as the love interest of King Viserys, as she has never had a love interest in real life, and the age gap between the two is so dramatic. She expressed that she felt discomfort when initially reading about the House of the Dragon sex scenes between the two characters (she was only 17 when cast), but felt more comfortable when filming, particularly due to the intimacy coordinator. Though it was "difficult times," Carey emphasizes, “For the most part, I had the best experience and I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Carey and Alcock have had quite the fanbase grow up around them. The two were relatively unknown when cast for House of the Dragon, but even as unknown components, they’ve more than proven themselves as capable. Many fans are already saddened by the thought that the two will be exiting the show after next week’s episode 5, "We Light The Way."
To hear they might return to the show, even if in diminished capacity, is a great opportunity. It allows the series to mine the younger characters for some more emotional development as the older characters grow apart, but it also allows for D'Arcy and Cooke to have their own work on the series shine. Should there be flashbacks, the parallels between the timelines they can provide would probably enrich the series.
House of the Dragon airs on Sundays at 9 PM EST on HBO.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter