Two new actors have joined the star-studded line-up for HBO’s upcoming epic fantasy show, House of the Dragon.
Milly Alcock and Emily Carey are set to have recurring roles in the drama series that is billed as a prequel to Game of Thrones.
Based on the character descriptions, the assumption is that fans will get to see some major flashbacks of two previously announced characters.
House of the Dragon is set to tell the story of House Targaryen and is set some 300 years prior to the events that unfolded in HBO’s original series.
Milly Alcock as younger Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
Australian actor Milly Alcock is set to portray a younger version of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Previously, it had been reported that Emma D’Arcy would play the character as an adult and HBO has already released some official on-set photos of her in this role.
Rhaenyra is a pure-blood Targaryen and the king’s firstborn child. According to HBO’s official website, Rhaenyra is also a dragonrider, and that “many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything — but she was not born a man.”
Emily Carey will play a younger version of Alicent Hightower
Along with Alcock’s casting as a younger Targaryen, Emily Carey will also portray a younger version of Alicent Hightower, whose adult counterpart is to be played by Olivia Cooke.
Alicent is “the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms,” according to her bio. She was also raised in the Red Keep, so has a good understanding of courtly airs and graces.
With the arrival of the two younger counterparts being cast in recurring roles in House of the Dragon, it seems likely that viewers will get plenty of flashbacks during the main storyline, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While the original series did not do a lot of this, it was sometimes used to convey important plots points, such as the reveal involving Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) birth mother. This will make the new series somewhat unique from Game of Thrones.
These cast announcements add to a long list of actors already appearing in House of the Dragon.
Paddy Considine will star as King Viserys Targaryen, Matt Smith will portray Prince Daemon Targaryen, and Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon aka “The Sea Snake.” joining them will be Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, and Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole.
Graham McTavish from Starz’s Outlander has also been listed as starring in House of the Dragon. As yet, there has been no official announcement regarding which character he will play, but many suspect that he will portray Harrold Westerling.
Season 1 of House of the Dragon will premiere on HBO in 2022.