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House Of The Dragon Star Opens Up About Fame From GoT Show
Even with a few stellar performances on her belt, House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke’s had a humbling reception and fame brought on by the Game of Thrones show. Alongside Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Paddy Considine, Cooke stars in the Game of Thrones prequel that’s opened to massive critical and commercial acclaim. The show follows an infamous civil war fought between Targaryens, and Cooke plays the older iteration of Queen Alicent Hightower — the daughter of Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans — appearing first in episode six. House of the Dragon’s been renewed for season two, and, while no release date’s been revealed, shooting should start early 2023.
In an interview with Bazaar, House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke opens up about her newfound fame from the Game of Thrones prequel show. The star admits that she was shocked by the fame, even though she’s been working in the industry for ten years, feeling this to be different, and that she was subject to an immediate visibility she wasn’t subject to before, when walking down the street. Read what Cooke had to say about her House of the Dragon stardom in full below:
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“It’s different, for sure. When my episodes aired, I was subject to an immediate visibility that I hadn’t experienced before when I was walking down the street. I’m so naïve, but I think I was purposely so because I didn’t want to confront this anxiety. The Game of Thrones fans have been quite noisy, and having to block your ears and eyes from that has been a challenge. It’s like the school playground – you want to know what everyone is saying about you and what’s been said. It’s mad because what they’re talking about is this fantasy version of me that doesn’t exist whatsoever. People talk about you like they know you, and it’s just so odd. All you can do is be as authentic as possible."
What's Next For Olivia Cooke's Queen Alicent Hightower
As said before, House of the Dragon has been renewed for season 2, and it follows the civil war between a divided Targaryen family. The two factions are the greens, led by Cooke's Queen Alicent, and the blacks, also known as the party of the princess, led by Emma D'Darcy's Rhaenyra Targaryen. The House of the Dragon season 1 finale ends with what may very well be the catalyst of the civil war, dubbed the Dance of the Dragons, that tears apart the Targaryen family.
Viewers should expect an extension of familial carnage, as, according to the book House of the Dragon is based on, Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin, the willful Rhaenyra does plot revenge for the blood spilled in season 1, episode 10, “The Black Queen.” What should also be expected in future House of the Dragon seasons is the complex relationship, that reaches back to Alicent and Rhaenyra’s childhood, coming into play as the show crescendos to the fall of dragons in Westeros. With how the show’s depicted Alicent thus far, making her a young, complex character influenced by the ill will of her father, viewers will be in for duels and battles that may have them rooting for both sides.
The dynamic will be similar to what Game of Thrones provided in season 7, episode 4, “The Spoils of War.” This episode saw Jaime Lannister and Bronn pit against Daenerys’ unstoppable Dothraki, led by herself and Drogon, which results in a battle full of tension and nerve-racking anticipation for who will come out on top. The rest of House of the Dragon will no doubt inherit this complexity and will actually have more firepower, as both factions will have dragons fighting beside them as they head into season 2.
