Check out EW’s exclusive portraits of the House of the Dragon stars.
succession of the Iron Throne.
And find out more about the new series in ourexclusive cover story.
(L to R) Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, and Matt Smith rep House Targaryen in EW’s exclusive cover shoot for HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
(Aussie actress Milly Alcock will portray a younger Rhaenyra at the start ofHouse of the Dragon.)
“She is a person who feels at odds with the way that she is read by the world…
It’s like she has a doppelganger,” they add.
Emma D’Arcy transforms into Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, heir to the Iron Throne, on ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
But that’s not entirely a good thing.
“But also, Viserys has an ego.
They don’t remember peaceful kings.
Paddy Considine reigns over Westeros as King Viserys I Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
They don’t remember good people.
They remember tyrants.”
ActorMatt Smithsays Prince Daemon’s coin is still flipping.
Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon, brother to King Viserys I, is one of the more volatile Targaryens on ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
Brother of King Viserys, Daemon is one of the more volatile Targaryens.
Daemon’s closest confidante is Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), a prostitute in the local brothel.
He’s also another potential heir to the Iron Throne.
Nadav Kander for EW
“But I don’t think it’s about an ambition to the throne and all that.
I think a lot of it is about his brother.”
Correction: An earlier draft of this slide stated Prince Daemon serves as the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower is described as the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms.Nadav Kander for EW
He is the Commander of the City Watch.
(Emily Carey will play a younger version of Alicent onHouse of the Dragon.)
Good to have on your side because of their knowledge and their wealth and their power."
Rhys Ifans gets his pin as Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, on ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
“Incredibly patriotic, as well,” Cooke adds.
Alicent comes across in authorGeorge R.R.
Martin’s bookFire and Bloodas a schemer, someone actively pulling the strings from the shadows.
Meet House Velaryon: Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and his wife Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).Nadav Kander for EW
Ifans, himself, couldn’t be further from this character.
The Hightowers may be rich, but the Velaryons are richer.
Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) made it so.
Steve Toussaint stars as Lord Corlys Velaryon, the famed seafaring explorer known as the Sea Snake, in ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
The Velaryons were also crucial in the Targaryen conquest of Westeros, which cemented their relationship.
The Targaryens rule the skies, and the Velaryon fleet rules the seas.
He knows he has power, and he knows [the Targaryens] need him."
Eve Best praises the poise and smarts of her character, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, on ‘House of the Dragon.'.Nadav Kander for EW
Corlys is the rare outlier with battlefield preparedness.
He feels more at home in the thick of war than on the king’s Small Council.
“[War is] much simpler,” Toussaint says.
“If you don’t do it right, you die.
There’s no gray area.
But of course he has this huge ambition.
This idea of legacy, it’s a big deal for him.”
We all know how that worked out for Tywin.
She knows this all too well.
She had the strongest blood claim.
So her cousin, Viserys I, was chosen instead.
