Emma D’Arcy’s reign onHouse of the Dragonhas just begun. To mark the occasion, they spoke candidly about their anxieties about the increased attention they will soon face, the camaraderie they feel with their co-stars, and their personal feelings about the relationship between Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and the much-younger Rhaenyra Targaryen (formerly Milly Alcock).
WhenHouse of the Dragonpremiered, it was with Milly Alcock in the lead role of Rhaenyra Targaryen. For five episodes, audiences saw her grow from a teenager to a young woman, losing much of her innocence in the process. This was just a prelude for events to come, however, as it was always intended for D’Arcy to play an older version of the character, and they were actually cast first in the role. While it was necessary to establish the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent (Emily Carey, then Olivia Cooke), and to explain the events that lead to the main story,the Dance of the Dragonsthat the series covers occurs during Rhaenyra’s thirties, so some sort of time jump was inevitable.
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In an interview with theIndependent, D’Arcy covers how fans might feel about their new take on the character, as opposed to Alcock’s. “It’s complicated, isn’t it?” They say. “It’s a difficult point at which to meet an audience. They only get me when they lose Milly, so they meet me in a place of grief, of losing someone they just spent five hours with. I’m… I’m well aware of that.” But D’Arcy also conceded that they found some comfort with co-star Matt Smith, explaining, “I had a nice chat with Matt, the other day, and he said it’s like the Doctor Who curse. You’ve got to regenerate. And yeah, unfortunately, Rhaenyra is going to completely change body and face in a couple of hours [at the time of the interview, episode six had yet to air].”
On the topic of Matt Smith, D’Arcy also touched on their thoughts about the relationship between Daemon Targaryen and his niece, Rhaenyra, who is much younger than the rogue prince and who almost slept with him inHouse of the Dragonepisode 4. While D’Arcy says, “This isn’t something I know a lot about, but I do know that something very electric and erotic can happen between people who share genetic material and don’t grow up together,” they also bluntly say, “This is essentially a grooming scenario. The idea that a teenage girl is in any way able to consent to that sexual interaction is a mess. There is no way that power can be equally distributed in that relationship.” Their thoughts have been echoed by many analysts and inquisitive fans who scour apart every detail of the show and novels, eager to dissect the character motivations.
The piece paints D’Arcy as a committed thespian, ready to take on alead role inHouse of the Dragon, but also humble, and prepared to continue their work on the stage. They even refuse to discuss their opinions on certain matters in case of spoilers. When pressed for more on Daemon and Rhaenyra, they respond, “I can’t give you that answer because I know what happens! Best to leave that to the fan-fiction writers. I’ll be reading!”
Interestingly, D’Arcy also briefly touches onHouse of the Dragon co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik’s departure from season 2 of the hit show. They cautiously say, “Uhhh, yeah, I had a conversation with some members of the team, and yeah, it’s a shame. It is what it is.” It’s a curious response, but not necessarily one which points to bad blood between Sapochnik and HBO. Still, it’s a perfect summation of D’Arcy: cautiously cryptic, diplomatic; perfect for their regal turn onHouse of the Dragon.
House of the Dragonairs Sundays at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max.
