The debut episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon aired on August 21, 2022 at 8 p.m. CST, starring Milly Alcock as the young Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game of Thrones spin-off. Emma D’Arcy will play the adult princess Rhaenyra Targaryen from the second episode, The Rogue Prince. Both shows are based on George RR Martin’s novels, although House of the Dragon delves more into Daenerys Targaryen’s lineage as the latter Targaryen and Mother of Dragons. The current drama takes place 200 years before Game of Thrones and 172 years before Daenerys’ birth. It begins with the reign of King Jaehaerys Targaryen and how Viserys I Targaryen was anointed king when both sons of Jaehaerys perished.
While the denial of the council to recognize a woman, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, as the Iron Throne successor led to the decision to crown Viserys king, Viserys himself was obliged to crown his firstborn, Rhaenyra, as queen. -designated in the absence of a male heir. Read on to learn more about Emma D’Arcy, who will play the older version of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
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Who is Emma D’Arcy, or the elder Rhaenyra Targaryen?
Emma D’Arcy has yet to appear in HBO’s new drama. In the second episode, titled The Rogue Prince, they appear as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. D’Arcy was born in London, England, and is an English film, television and stage actor. Prior to the Game of Thrones spin-off, D’Arcy participated in notable television projects such as Truth Seekers, an Amazon Prime Video horror comedy series set to premiere in 2020.
Their relationship with Amazon Prime Video grew with the 2019 action series Hanna. They also appeared on BBC One and Netflix’s Wanderlust. D’Arcy identifies as non-binary, and House of the Dragons has become one of the rare series with a non-binary protagonist.
Expectations for Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
Milly Alcock set a standard by portraying Rhaenyra in the first episode of House of the Dragon, which ended with the princess being crowned queen before the Iron Throne.
As implied by the show’s promos, characters and interpersonal dynamics will evolve with D’Arcy taking the lead in the second episode. For example, on social media, both Alcock and Emily Carey were praised for their performances as Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower, as well as their on-screen romance. Future episodes, however, will focus on the animosity between Rhaenyra, the heir to the throne, and the king’s new bride, Alicent, played by Olivia Cooke. On August 28, ET/18 PM, new episodes of House of the Dragon will be available on HBO and HBO Max. The first episode is now available on Disney+ Hotstar in India.
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