HBO grabbed some actors with solid careers, like Matt Smith (Doctor Who) and Paddy Considine (The Outsider). For breakout star Milly Alcock, House of the Dragon is her first significant role. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she recalled how she found out and what shocked her the most about landing the gig.
It took multiple auditions through Zoom. She knew about House of the Dragon that it was a Game of Thrones prequel, but she was unsure of the character as she was mysteriously named YR. She never watched the original series as the 22-year-old was only 10 when it came out, but she recognized the gravity of the project. She was at a friend’s house when she got the call from her agent that she got the role of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. As exciting as it was, she had to hold her breath not to tell anyone until she was allowed to unveil the news to friends and family.
Breakout House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock talks about landing the role
Before becoming her breakout role in House of the Dragon, star Milly Alcock was gaining recognition in her homeland of Australia. She had won the Rising Star Award from the Casting Guild of Australia for the TV series Upright. Still, she lived in her mom’s attic before going into the world of dragons. By the time she got the role, she thought it would be small, like in a handful of flashbacks, but she got to lead a significant portion before it goes to the present to see a grown-up version of her character, played by Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers).-
Plenty of young actors get the feeling of being tossed into a massive world. It recently happened with Iman Vellani for Ms. Marvel and now the House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock. After a binge of Game of Thrones, she flew from Australia to London, where she was met with a complex 35,000-square-foot set for the Red Keep.
House of the Dragon just released its second episode on HBO Max. New episodes release every Sunday.
