“Huge sense of conflict,” says House of the Dragon cast about filming during the actors’ strikes

House of the Dragon has indeed become a cultural phenomenon today. With a strong marketing strategy, the show has permeated all facets of the internet and consolidated its place as one of the most anticipated shows of all time.

Due to the actors being governed by British Union Equity, the cast of House of the Dragon were on sets working when their American counterparts were striking. The protest was against unfair wages and work conditions along with protection against the misuse of artificial intelligence. Cast of the show has now commented on their feelings during the filming, in an interview with Variety.

House of the Dragon cast was working when American actors were striking

Credits: Max

Emma D’Arcy, who plays the mighty Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon claimed that it was an uncomfortable situation. They felt like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. They thanked Smith for his support as they said, “We spoke about it all the time. Matt’s one of the ballasts in my life. He’s a deeply thinking person.”

Talking about his experience on the set while the strikes were going on, Smith said, “There was a huge sense of conflict in us as performers and actors. We got together and discussed it in depth and made our feelings clear of what we’d like to do, but we didn’t have a great deal of choice. It was going to go on.”

The grandeur of the show and the burgeoning narrative that needed to be told was too vast to halt. The actors kept shooting for House of the Dragon season 2. Hence, they were able to deliver the season on time and supported their peers in essence.

Also Read: Targaryens and their dragons explored in HBO’s new House of the Dragon Season 2 promo