These House Of The Dragon Actors Were Advised Never To Interact On Set Or Off
There are plenty of reasons to avoid somebody in Westeros. In both "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon," the world is filled with murderous ambition, terrifying magic, political scheming, long-seeded betrayals, and an abysmal understanding of how infections work. On top of all that, there are also dragons, the undead, and probably most harrowing of all, open-air sewage.
"House of the Dragon" is based on the history provided in the George R.R. Martin prequel book, "Fire and Blood." Although "Game of Thrones" is based on the "Fire and Ice" series that is yet to be completed, "House of the Dragon" is given a bit more leeway with its story because it is only drawing from one book. The series can play with time, as seen in the six-month time jump that occurs between the first and second episodes. It is for this reason that some actors on this spin-off show were told to keep their distance.
Actors were told to avoid each other in order to preserve their performance
Speaking with the official "Game of Thrones" podcast, Emily Carey discussed how she tackled the role of her character, the young Alicent Hightower, as well as the creative freedom she was given in her approach to Alicent. However, she had to be mindful of some things since the series features a 10-year time jump, which means she shares the role with another actor, Olivia Cooke. Rhaenyra Targaryen is also given the same treatment: Her younger version is played by Milly Alcock, while the reins of her 10-year-older self are taken by Emma D'Arcy.
Carey explained a behind-the-scenes suggestion offered to the four actors: "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."
This is probably sound advice for actors playing the same character, as the creators of "House of the Dragon" didn't want them influencing each other's performances. Considering how Episode 2 ended, it makes perfect sense. The early episodes of the series show how close Rhaenyra and Alicent are, but that dynamic changes when King Viserys (Paddy Considine) proclaims that he is marrying Alicent. Episode 3 will see Rhaenyra and Alicent as older and different people, and the warmness they shared as children will change into something else entirely.