When do Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy appear in House of the Dragon?
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Lady Alicent Hightower have multiple actors.
Two young women are at the centre of House of the Dragon.
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is the eldest living child of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and is a fierce young woman who will do what it takes to defend herself and her family.
Growing up in the Red Keep, Rhaenyra’s closest friend is Lady Alicent Hightower, the daughter of Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the Hand of the King.
However, the politics of the court and the demands of each of their families threaten to tear this friendship apart.
Emma D’Arcy portrays an adult Princess Rhaenyra, while Olivia Cooke portrays the adult Alicent.
Watching the first episode, you will notice that neither of these actors appears, so, when can we expect them to appear in House of the Dragon?
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When do Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy appear in House of the Dragon?
Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy will not appear in House of the Dragon until midway through House of the Dragon season 1.
The actors make their on-screen debut in House of the Dragon season 1 episode 6, The Princess and the Queen.
For a substantial part of the season, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is portrayed by Milly Alcock, while Lady Alicent Hightower is played by Emily Carey.
Midway through the season, the story jumps ahead 10 years and this is when Cooke and D’Arcy take over the roles.
This is also not the only time jump to take place during the first season of House of the Dragon.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, co-showrunner Ryan Condal explained: "This is how you tell this story correctly. We’re telling a story of a generational war. We set everything up so by the time that first sword stroke falls, you understand all the players."
HBO and HBO Max content chief Casey Bloys added: "It made me nervous because it’s hard enough to cast any role, but if you’re casting two characters of different ages, you have to be right four times.
"Now that I’ve seen the result, I feel really good about it."
So, fans should really sit back and enjoy the performances of Milly Alcock and Emily Carey but know that they will eventually be replaced later in the run.
Read More:
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- Matt Smith says “daunting” Doctor Who prepared him for House of the Dragon
- House of the Dragon planned to last three or four seasons
- House of the Dragon review: Game of Thrones prequel soars
- Meet the cast of House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series
House of the Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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