Milly Alcock, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen in the series, House of the Dragon, is a 22-year-old Australian actress. She has undeniably become a fan favorite. Just three episodes in, fans already love her portrayal and have deemed her a worthy predecessor of Daenerys. Recently, on House of the Dragon Official Podcast Episode 3, she shared a few ways she relates to her on-screen character.
Read More: What Is House Of The Dragon About? The Targaryen Civil War Explained
How are Rhaenyra and Milly Similar?
Although the character and she are worlds apart, Milly says she found her and Rhaenyra’s story arcs similar in their experiences so far. She shares how she didn’t think she would get such a huge role. “We’re both young women who got thrusted into very public positions that we didn’t think would happen,” the actress says.
She continues, “Trying to navigate that space and learning when to speak up when not to speak up trying to wrestle with that idea, self-destructing because of that idea and then ultimately overcoming those kinds of thoughts and feelings and learning how to play The Game of Thrones, you could say.”
Alcock also talks about how she was an angry kid. She found acting cathartic by giving her characters some of that anger. “I didn’t know where to put all my feelings and put on my emotions, so as I got older, I would give the people that I was playing those feelings,” the actress shares. “It’s really unhealthy therapy,” she quips.
Additionally, we can see that Rhaenyra is angry as well, “She’s just angry that no one listens to her, no one takes her seriously. She’s just used as a prop for everybody else’s political [motives],” Alcock says. “She’s a chess piece, and that frustrates her.”
Milly Alcock was definitely the best choice to play Rhaenyra Targaryen. She brings subtle aspects of her personality into the character, making Rhaenyra much more relatable. A teenager, frustrated with the adults around her who don’t let her have a say in her life. What are your thoughts on Milly’s portrayal of Rhaenyra? Let us know in the comments.
