House of The Dragon stars explain what attracted them to their roles

Game of Thrones prequel House of The Dragon is on everyone’s lips right now, after the recent announcement of the release date by HBO. The series is slated for a release in August, and fans are really hyped up about it. Avid readers of George R. R. Martin’s works are looking forward to seeing some of their favorite characters from the novel Fire and Blood, as the show is based on an infamous incident from its storyline.

The cast of House of The Dragon recently met up with ET online for an exclusive interview, where they expressed what they think about their characters.

Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen) reflects upon how his character is trying to be a good father to his daughter, Rhaenyra, “Suddenly, when Rhaenyra’s mom dies while trying to produce an heir, she’s left without a mother. And Viserys is somebody that doesn’t know how to be a father to a teenage girl. He’s not a tyrant; he’s not corrupted by power or any of those things. He’s just a good man and a good king.”

Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen) reveals what makes Daemon feel alive, “Daemon is interested in sort of conflict and chaos as much as he’s interested in power. I think he’s interested more in the obstruction of power than he is in actually attaining it. So, he goes about being as problematic as can be, and that sort of makes him feel interested and alive.”

Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower) reveals what actually twisted her character from the inside, “My version of the character is acutely aware of her role within the kingdom and how it’s one rule for her and then another rule for Rhaenyra. And I think as someone who’s lived by the books all her life and has been impeccably behaved and been the poster child for a lady at court, I think [something] starts to fester in a really ugly way.”

Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen) explains why the young princess feels the whole world is against her, “She’s a good person who is trying to figure out where she slots in, in terms of the Targaryen family and that great history, and how to live in the world authentically. She’s a person who also feels like an outsider in her family and an outsider at court. She feels to be at odds with how she’s read by the world.”

Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon) on what drives him through the first season, “He doesn’t hide the fact that it irks him that his wife is not on the throne. Corlys’ motivation for an awful lot of this season is about the pursuit of his family’s legacy and planting their name in history.” 

What do you think of the character motives in the first season of House of The Dragon? Tell us in the comments below!

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