It is the flagship series of HBO’s Max platform, which aims to compete with Netflix, in particular. After a successful first season, “House of the Dragon”, prequel to “Game of Thrones”, returns with new episodes from June 17, 2024. Starring, Briton Emma D’Arcy, 31, in the role of Princess Rhaenyra, heir to the Targaryen throne. Encounter.
The first season of “House of the Dragon” was a huge success last year. What can we expect from this sequel?
These new episodes are very different from the first season. After the dramatic episode that concluded the first season, Rhaenyra takes her place as the matriarch of the Targaryen family and heir to the throne. In the first season, I had a lot more opportunities to play Matt (Smith, who plays Daemon) or Liv (Olivia Cooke, who plays Queen Alicent Hightower) than in these new episodes. But this is also what makes our plot beautiful: our characters are now separated and looking for new adventures and a war. At the same time, it allows me to watch season 2 like everyone else watching, because I don’t know much about what’s going to happen outside of what concerns my character.
Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys Velaryon, dies in the season 1 finale. Does this change your whole approach to your character?
And how! Through my character, I have to express all the rage of a woman who has had her son taken away from her. Grief can be a force that breaks everything. It can separate us from our family, friends, and allies. It’s almost as if the bereaved person stays with the dead instead of continuing to live. I feel privileged because, thanks to our authors, I can express strong feelings and be a totally different person on screen from the one I am in my private life.
What has the success of “House of the Dragon” changed for you?
I can’t answer you. I hope that my work is appreciated by many viewers, but I do not approach my projects based on their audience success. This is not how I choose my roles. “House of the Dragon” allowed me to meet a team of actors that I particularly appreciate and with whom I enjoy sharing the stage. Olivia Cooke and I play two characters who are at war with each other, but we have nothing but admiration for each other both on and off set.
You have presented yourself as non-binary for three years. What is it like when you come across fans in your daily life?
I consider myself extremely shy. This is why I refuse to talk about my private life or appear in public. Contrary to what many people may think, just because I work in front of the cameras doesn’t mean I feel comfortable when there are a lot of people around me. Apart from facing fans of the series, I still manage to maintain my anonymity when I go out in the street, because it’s rare that anyone recognizes me without my character’s wig and costume. Hopefully it lasts!
