You must be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of House of the Dragon at this point.
The latest installment in the Game of Thrones saga, House of the Dragon, follows the dynastic Targaryen family throughout the earlier years in the kingdom of Westeros, and with any royal family and dynasty, there will always be bloodshed and interpersonal drama.
House of the Dragon deals with the beginning of the end of House Targaryen, 200 years before the events portrayed in Game of Thrones. King Viserys I (played by Paddy Considine) rules on the iron throne, although his rule is on uneven ground.
Eve Best, Emily Carey, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, and Lilly Alcock star in the American fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
His younger brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) is a popular member of his family, and his young daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Eve Best) has large shoes to fill as the heir apparent to the throne.
In classic Game of Thrones style, the story follows a large and diverse cast of characters, roles that are all filled with an array of talented actors and actresses.
The series has been in the works for quite some time following the success of Game of Thrones, with the planning for the show beginning in 2018.
Alexis Raben, Steve Toussaint, Olivia Cooke, Emily Carey in Prier de Saône, Fabien Frankel, Ryan Condal, Milly Alcock, Emma D’Arcy in Marni, and Matt Smith at the premiere of the new HBO series House of the Dragon on August 11, 2022, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Credit: Dutch Press Photo / Cover Images)
We don’t envy the job of the casting directors for this show, as it must’ve been a tall task to try to continue the successful casting that was enjoyed in the first series (which featured stars like Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, and Sophie Turner).
In this article, we’ll be looking at how House of the Dragon cast its young stars, including Sonoya Mizuno, Olivia Cooke, Milly Alcock, and Emily Carey.
1. How Sonoya Mizuno Was Cast as Mysaria
Cast as the mysterious Mysaria in House of the Dragon, Sonoya Mizuno is a Japanese-British actress born in 1986.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Sonoya was raised in Somerset, England, and initially pursued a career in ballet dancing before shifting her focus to acting.
Japanese-born British actress, model, and ballet dancer Sonoya Mizuno portrays Mysaria, a former prostitute who lives in Westeros (Credit: HBO)
She had her breakout film role as Kyoko, an android attendant in Alex Garland’s sci-fi horror film Ex Machina, and proceeded to follow that role up with small roles in large films such as La La Land, Beauty and the Beast, and Crazy Rich Asians.
Sonoya Mizuno in a Saint Laurent Fall 2022 gown at the House of the Dragon Sky Group Premiere at Leicester Square on August 15, 2022, in London, England (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
Her capabilities of working within these roles definitely allowed her to be cast in House of the Dragon as Lady Mysaria, the love interest of Prince Daemon.
2. How Olivia Cooke Was Cast as Lady Alicent Hightower
An English actress, Olivia Cooke was born in 1993 and is currently 28 years old.
A Manchester native, Cooke had her sights on being an actress from a very young age and began her acting journey 1t the age of 8 at the Oldham Theatre Workshop before attending Royton and Crompton Academy and Oldham Sixth Form College.
Olivia Cooke in a red velvet John Galliano gown and Garrard jewelry at the House of the Dragon Sky Group Premiere at Leicester Square on August 15, 2022, in London, England (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
Olivia Cooke had her breakout role as a childhood friend of Norman Bates in the popular television show Bates Motel (2013) before moving on to higher profile film roles like her role as Rachel Kushner in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015), and Samantha Cooke in Ready Player One (2018).
Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke as Lady Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones (Credit: HBO)
At such a young age with such high-profile work under her belt, it’s clear to see why the casting directors of House of the Dragon were confident that she’d be able to play the role of Lady Alicent Hightower in the show.
Like we were saying, Olivia Cooke plays the role of Lady Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Otto Hightower, the hand of King Viserys I.
Olivia Cooke in a deep blue sequined Thom Browne off-the-shoulder dress HBO Original Drama Series “House of the Dragon” World Premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on July 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: BauerGriffin / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
Alicent is a dear childhood friend of princess Rhaenyra, although her allegiance may be tested as the show continues (don’t worry, we won’t spoil anything!).
3. How Milly Alcock Was Cast as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
Born in 2000 in Sydney, Australia, Milly Alcock has been working in the industry since her teenage years, and her first notable role was Cindi Jackson in the Australian series Janet King (2017) when she was 17 years old.
Milly Alcock in an Alexander McQueen Spring 2006 dress with a Cartier necklace at the HBO Original Drama Series “House of the Dragon” World Premiere at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on July 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, California (Credit: DFree / Shutterstock)
She followed up that role with the role of Meg in Upright (2019), an Australian crime-drama series where she stars opposite popular comedian Tim Minchin.
Milly Alcock in a black Saint Laurent Fall 2022 gown at the “House of the Dragon” Sky Group Premiere at Leicester Square on August 15, 2022, in London, England (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
The casting directors seemingly have a knack for mining young, up-and-coming stars for shows within the Westeros universe, and the casting of Milly Alcock seems to be no exception to this trend.
Milly Alcock as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the American fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon (Credit: HBO)
In the two episodes we’ve seen of House of the Dragon, she steals the show as the young and beautiful Princess Rhaenyra, who seeks to become the first ever queen of Westeros in a dynasty that only allows male heirs to sit on the throne.
4. How Emily Carey was Cast as Lady Alicent Hightower
Born in 2003 in the Barnet area of London, Emily Carey is the youngest actress in the main cast of House of the Dragon. Her first role came as the young version of Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) in the 2017 version of the movie.
She seemingly has a knack for playing young versions of other characters, as she followed this role up with playing the role of young Alicia Vikander’s Lara Croft in the 2018 Tomb Raider film as well.
Emily Carey in a stunning Fendi Spring 2022 Couture gown at the House of the Dragon Sky Group Premiere at Leicester Square on August 15, 2022, in London, England (Credit: Ian West / PA Images / INSTARimages / Cover Images)
In 2020, Carey managed to land the role of Mika Cavanaugh in the Netflix series Get Even, which centers around a group of schoolgirls who suddenly find themselves framed for a grisly murder.
Emily Carey in a green Prier de Saône cutout dress with silver metallic square-toe Jimmy Choo heels at the premiere of the new HBO series House of the Dragon on August 11, 2022, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (Credit: Dutch Press Photo / Cover Images)
In House of the Dragon, Emily Carey again plays a younger version of another character, this time as the young version of Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower, the childhood friend of Princess Rhaenyra.
Emily Carey (teenage) as Lady Alicent Hightower and Milly Alcock as teenage Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon (Credit: HBO)
No matter how you slice it, it seems this young cast of stars was destined for great things, and what’s better than being a lead role in a new Game of Thrones series?
We’re excited to see how the events of the show will unfold and how each actor/actress will be able to explore their respective characters by the time the show eventually concludes. We’re sure that by the time the show wraps up, these actresses will be household names.