Who is Aegon II Targaryen in House of the Dragon and who plays him?
Rhaenyra Targaryen isn't the only member of the family with a claim to the Iron Throne...
As House of the Dragon season 2 arrives, only one is sat on the Iron Throne – King Aegon Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney.
The son of Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and the late King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), Aegon was thrust onto the throne by his mother and grandfather, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), at the end of season 1, opposing Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) claim to the throne.
As season 2 begins, he's relishing his time on the throne – but already discovering some of the costs that come with the crown.
Actor Glynn-Carney told RadioTimes.com: "He's trying to take it in stride as best he can or just for appearances, at least for now. I think he's decided that he’s in this position now, and he can either embrace it or reject it.
"And it's a more fun option for him at this point to embrace it. And it's the first time we see him with any sort of purpose or responsibility and he’s relishing in that. I think he's getting a lot from that routine of having somewhere to be at a certain time."
So, who is King Aegon and who portrays him in House of the Dragon?
Who is King Aegon II Targaryen in House of the Dragon?
King Aegon Targaryen is the eldest son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower.
As he is the first-born son of King Viserys, Aegon has a claim to the Iron Throne after his father and is argued by some to be the rightful successor to the King.
However, Viserys named Aegon's older half-sister Princess Rhaenyra as his heir and made the lords of the kingdom swear obeisance to her, making her the Princess of Dragonstone.
During his later life, Viserys remained steadfast in naming Rhaenyra his successor. Viserys even rejected the proposal from Alicent's father Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) of marrying Aegon to Rhaenyra in the tradition of Old Valyria, accusing the Hand of the King of seeking to advance the influence of House Hightower.
However, moments before his death, Viserys caused a whole lot of confusion when he mistook Alicent, his wife and the mother of his children, for his daughter Rhaenyra.
He spoke of "the Prince who was promised," referring to a previous conversation they'd had about Aegon the Conquerer's dream and the Song of Ice and Fire, a story that had been passed down from king to heir.
Alicent, however, heard the name Aegon and the words "Prince who was promised" and assumed Viserys changed his mind at the last moment to name her son Aegon as his heir. Although Aegon did not want to be crowned at this point, he didn't have a choice.
Ser Criston Cole then crowned him with the crown of the Conqueror, usurping Rhaenyra.
Aegon married his sister, Princess Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) and the pair share two children, twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
Who plays King Aegon II Targaryen in House of the Dragon?
Well, a number of actors have portrayed Aegon Targaryen in the television series House of the Dragon, but we're only expecting to see one continue this season.
Following an uncredited infant actor portraying Aegon, two actors have played the role during his adolescence and adulthood – Tom Glynn-Carney and Ty Tennant.
Tom Glynn-Carney
Age: 29
Instagram: @mrglynncarney
Twitter: @TGlynnCarney
After further time passes in the series' narrative, King Aegon Targaryen is portrayed as an adult by actor Tom Glynn-Carney.
This is not the first time Glynn-Carney has shared a role with Tennant, having both played the historical figure Christopher Wiseman in the film Tolkien at different ages.
Glynn-Carney's previous credits include the role of Peter in Christopher Nolan's film Dunkirk and Henry "Hotspur" Percy in the Netflix historical drama The King.
He has also appeared in the television series The Last Post, Domina, and is due to star in the Steven Knight series SAS Rogue Heroes.
Speaking about the role to Wonderland magazine in spring 2022, Glynn-Carney said of playing Aegon: "It's definitely one of the darker roles I've played. It's a very, very complex character. One minute we love him, then the next we hate him, but I'm really enjoying that sort of back and forth aspect of the role. It's a tricky thing to play, but it's rewarding in so many ways."
Ty Tennant
Age: 20
Instagram: @ty__tennant
As a teenager in House of the Dragon, Prince Aegon Targaryen is portrayed by the actor Ty Tennant.
The son of David Tennant and Georgia Tennant, Ty is also the grandson of Peter Davison on his mother's side.
He is therefore the son and grandson of two actors to have played The Doctor in Doctor Who, while his mother portrayed 'The Doctor's Daughter', Jenny, in one episode of the series.
Ty Tennant's previous credits include Doom Patrol, War of the Worlds, and Tolkien.
House of the Dragon season 2 will air on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK from 17th June – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Lewis Knight is the Trends Editor for Radio Times, covering trending titles from TV, Film and more. He previously worked at The Mirror in TV, Film, and Showbiz coverage alongside work on SEO. Alongside his past work in advertising, he possesses a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Film Studies.
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
