Olivia Cooke Is Glad She Never Watched Game Of Thrones Before Her House Of The Dragon Interview
Although HBO's "House of the Dragon" is a prequel series set hundreds of years before the events of "Game of Thrones," the actors in the new series likely cannot help but be influenced in some way by the powerhouse performances in what will soon be its sequel. Similar to how "Better Call Saul" also worked back in time to "Breaking Bad," the original series set a high benchmark for appointment viewing television. "House of the Dragon" will largely follow the early origins of the ruling House Targaryen as it eventually connects to the events of "Game of Thrones" and the rise of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).
Some of the most memorable moments in "Game of Thrones" concerned the powerful, multidimensional, and complex female characters across its eight seasons. After years of watching anti-heroes define morally ambiguous characters on TV, this was a series that gave us dynamic and engaging anti-heroines aplenty. Much of what is known about Olivia Cooke's character in "House of the Dragon" (Alicent Hightower) is still a mystery; the actress has kept in mind the vividly written and portrayed female characters that came before her. Even if she didn't watch until after winning the role.
Olivia Cooke tried to avoid mimicking Cersei Lannister when auditioning for her character
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly along with castmate Rhys Ifans, Cooke revealed, "Once I got the job ['House of the Dragon'] and started watching 'Game of Thrones,' I realized that I had been auditioning with Cersei's scenes, so I am glad I hadn't watched it because I would have mimicked everything she did." This is revealing as it now establishes that at least with Cooke's character, a completely new approach from a fantastic actress will be assured.
It is also interesting that the producers of the show had the actress audition with scenes pulled from Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey), arguably one of the most complicated characters on "Game of Thrones." The fact that Olivia Cooke revealed that she didn't watch the show beforehand and that she would have ended up copying Headey's terrific performance, is a testament to how she and many viewers have lauded Cersei even with her deliciously evil actions in mind. The actress prefers to take a humble tone towards her abilities, but her memorable performances in "Bates Motel" and "Ready Player One" are more than enough to confirm her capacity for crafting interesting characters.