One of the faces you may now recognize thanks to House of the Dragon is Emma D’Arcy. The actor, whose favorite drink order has been blown up all over the internet, plays Rhaneyra Targaryen, the heir to the Iron Throne. Speak with Interview MagazineD’Arcy had this to say about what makes a Targaryen:
“What makes a Targaryen fundamental is an inner fire that’s somehow in your genetics. She runs hot, she’s volatile. She’s got this inner burning fuel that she needs to master, trust, and temper every now and then. Fire is a very dangerous ally, but it can also be a profitable one.”
D’Arcy is non-binary, which was previously the subject of a subtext-laden joke in one of their earlier works, truth seekers. However, House of the Dragon was D’Arcy’s first job where they could put their identity to work – and part of it was because HBO asked D’Arcy what pronouns they use.
“And I thought a lot about whether this was the right time. The reason it’s important is that there was a point earlier in my career where I was really worried that it wasn’t possible to be an actor if you’re not cisgender. Usually within casting sites there are two columns, and I wondered if those two identities would have to live separately to have a career. The reason I decided to be professionally honest in my presentation is that I really hope that younger people who want to do this work know that there is definitely space and space is being created.”
The moment D’Arcy knew they were an actor was during a children’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They played Titania, and that was the first time D’Arcy had “ever had that incredible adrenaline rush” that comes with performing for someone else. Later, D’Arcy would play with form more in college, but that was the beginning.
“It had songs in it and the language was less complicated. But I remember coming off the stage – you know, I say the stage, I mean the trestles in our school hall – and going into the playing field and just running and running and running. And so I got a taste of the drug, I guess.”
More about House of the Dragon
Previously, before joining the world of Westeros, D’Arcy had never seen Game of Thrones before auditioning. Not having been living under a rock, D’Arcy was aware that it was a cultural phenomenon, but it was in their peripheral consciousness. D’Arcy thinks they would have succumbed to the pressure during the audition process if they had the love for the show they have now.
“That came later. It actually came at the ideal time, leading up to finally shooting.”
When asked what it was like to film House of the Dragon, D’Arcy’s response harks back to something fellow cast member Emily Carey has already said — how one of the most notable things about the show was the scale of everything. D’Arcy thought that sounded obvious, but the sheer magnitude of what was around them was inescapable in every way.
“The size of those sets, the length of the shoots, the size of the cast, the thousands of people working on it across multiple departments. What I didn’t expect before we started filming was the time that that scale provides. It was only after the first month of filming that I finally understood what my job was, which was to just show up, be there and see what happens.”
According to D’Arcy, the ultimate challenge in making the show was having the necessary stamina. They played a high emotional stake during these huge scenes with at least 20 to 30 cast members with hordes of supporting performers in these huge rooms. And they’ve been doing that for maybe two weeks.
“It’s challenging to find new resources to mine after ten days of an emotionally demanding scene.”
Although D’Arcy is not all A song of ice and fire books by George RR Martin, they have read the book related to the show they are making, Fire & Blood. According to D’Arcy, that’s not least because it’s so exciting to read ahead and get spoilers about your own story. That was something they highly recommended.
House of the Dragon airs on HBO at 9 p.m. ET before HBO Max airs at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. You are currently watching episodes of House of the Dragons before the new Sunday airs. If you can’t get enough of D’Arcy on that show, you can also watch all episodes of truth seekers on Prime Video.