When Interview Magazine asked House of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy on their role as the adult version of Rhaenyra Targaryen with the assumption that the actress was a fan before landing the role, Emma replied they have never watched Game of Thrones before auditions.
“I hadn’t seen it before I auditioned, which I honestly think is the only reason I’m able to do the job. There’s no way I’d have made it through the audition process if, at that time, I had the love for the show that I have now. I think I’d have buckled under the pressure.”
Similar to Bella Ramsey being encouraged to not play Last of Us before they end shooting, Emma grounded themself to stay clear from the pressure, which immensely helped them in making the role and character their own. Had they gone through with the series first, they may have not been able to interpret the character from their perspective and be able to deliver as Emma fully intended it to be seen on screen. Emma continues that they had, in fact, turned into a GOT fan almost after the shooting.
“I was aware of the show as a cultural phenomenon. I haven’t lived under a rock and it was very much in my peripheral awareness. That (being a fan of GOT) came later. It came at the ideal time, actually, in the run-up to finally shooting.”
Emma’s answer completely reflected in their next question on how their experience went shooting on set. The actress shared one of the most striking things they realized was ‘the sheer scale of the thing’, referring to the size of the sets, length of shooting, various cast members working, and ‘thousands of people who are working on it across multiple departments.’
“The thing that I hadn’t anticipated before we started filming was the time that that scale affords. It was only after the first month of filming that I finally understood what my job was, which is to just show up, be present, and see what happens.”
The latest episode of House of the Dragon is now available on HBO Max. House of the Dragon Episode 9: The Green Council is set to premiere on Sunday, October 16, 2022, at 9:00 PM EST.
Also Read: House of the Dragon Episode 9 Preview Confirms Major Death as The Green Council Takes Over
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