With the sixth episode of House of the Dragon set to air on OCS, it’s time to focus on the cast changes that are taking place as the series continues its ten-year leap.
So say goodbye to Millie Alcock, who steps down as Emma d’Arcy’s role as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Like Game of Thrones, over eight seasons, the portrayal of female characters is central to the series as it charts the rise of women to power.
At the center of the story we find Rhaenyra, now played by Emma D’Arcy in a grown-up version of the character. “This is the show’s most important role, in many ways.– says Miguel Sapochnik, co-showrunner of the first season Entertainment Weekly. Before D’Arcy—who identifies as non-binary and uses the pronoun “iel”—could shoe Rhaenyra, she first had to find a way to make a makeshift wig.
Renira’s interpreter recalls that he prepared “A very quick audition video“In the middle of a pandemic for a series that seemed to him”A copy of Game of Thrones”, without knowing that it was a Game of Thrones prequel series.
Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
Emma D’Arcy had to record herself on an iPhone leaning on a pack of chips, send the video and tell herself it would be over. What followed was a series of taped auditions and eventually a Zoom conversation with Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, where the showrunners asked D’Arcy. If he had a wig.
The question recalls Emma D’Arcy’s answer: “Do I look like I’m wearing a wig?“Due to the pandemic, most stores were closed, so D’Arcy had to improvise.
“I only had hair extensions from my previous job. I didn’t have them tied and I had no idea how to do it,” recalls D’Arcy, who wears his hair short and shaved on the sides. I tried for 24 hours. I cannot put more emphasis on this word.
My hair was about as long as it is now. I hot glued these hair extensions to the wig clips. I sent the photos to Miguel, thinking I had succeeded. And he said, “Can you try again?” I kept going until I found something that gave me the illusion of long hair.
And then after each recording, I’d sit in front of the TV and my partner would do my hair extensions for an hour and a half before he recorded anything.“The wigs work paid off. A global casting call to find the adult Renira, which involved dozens of actors, has finally ended.
Emma D’Arcy, 30, was born in London and studied fine art at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University School of Art. Played in several theater productions, including Romeo and Juliet. On the small screen, her career took off in the horror comedy Truth Seekers, but also in the excellent mini-series Wanderlust on Netflix, where she plays the daughter of a drifting couple.
Although D’Arcy wasn’t following Game of Thrones when he was cast, the actor has long been a fan of fantasy and sci-fi, and not just costumes, big-budget wigs and effects. What attracts him most to these genres is that they hold a mirror up to society.
“It’s a series that explores patriarchal violence instead of using it as a fundamental landscape for a fantasy story.“, explained Emma D’Arcy Fashion. “I don’t think it glorifies or idealizes predatory and oppressive characters. But it defines their presence.“
Dragon House is available on OCS.
Source: allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
