Alcock was sitting in the sun outside a library in Sydney, reading a book.
“We were mainly talking about the differences.
That was the icebreaker.”
Milly Alcock and Emily Carey appear as younger versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent in ‘House of the Dragon.'.Ollie Upton/HBO
Alcock, now 22, has come to think of Carey as a little sister.
Carey remembers giving Alcock the biggest hug after so much long distance.
So we stuck together.
Milly Alcock’s Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen stands before the Iron Throne in ‘House of the Dragon’.Ollie Upton/HBO
I’m very protective of her."
For the time being, it’s Alcock and Carey’s game.
House of the Dragonbegins in a time of peace.
Emily Carey portrays Alicent Hightower in her younger years on HBO’s ‘House of the Dragon.'.Ollie Upton/HBO
Rhaenyra and Alicent are at the center of this dance.
It’s their close childhood friendship and later falling out that fuels the coming chaos.
It was important forRyan Condal, series co-creator withGeorge R.R.
Martinand co-showrunner withMiguel Sapochnik, to begin this story with the characters’ younger selves.
The princess that was promised
Alcock feels a kinship with Rhaenyra.
As a young woman, the Targaryen princess is never expected to be queen.
She hadn’t watchedGame of Thronesbefore accepting the role, but she knew that much was true.
“Yes, scared of the fandom,” Alcock admits.
That’s where it’s weird.
Alcock’s first television gig was in 2014 as an unnamed “teen girl” in Aussie seriesWonderland.
The actress found comfort in the knowledge that the series has its own distinct flavor in theGame of Thronesuniverse.
At the same time, Alcock adds, that aspect “gets used against her as a woman.”
She felt it was important that their performances were consistent.
But that meeting never happened.
Condal and Sapochnik were already confident in the actors from their auditions.
It’s almost like we’re playing two different people.
Alicent is much more reserved than Rhaenyra.
She’s like the quiet best friend to a large personality.
Her character was further fleshed out through discussions with Condal and Sapochnik.
“I think at the age that we play them, friendship is such a wild, intense journey.
You feel so much at that age for your friends.
That was definitely something that we played around with a lot.
They go through a lot as people, individually and together.
Their relationship with each other changes them as people as the storyline continues.”
Carey, like Alcock, was initially intimidated by the fandom.
It was something she was overtly conscious of when filming began.
So far, that hasn’t happened.
“I think origin stories are so interesting and so important because you see circumstance.”
Some of the cast were enjoying their bubble of virtual anonymity.
Carey still feels the immensity of what they were doing.
It’s such a cult fanbase."
As for Alcock, not much is different about her life so far.
Though, she does mention one change: “People’s parents are nicer to me.”
House of the Dragon’s premiere episode is currently streaming on HBO Max.
