HBO has unveiled more cast members for its long-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. On Dec. 11, Variety confirmed that Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Emma D’Arcy have all joined the lineup and will help bring the drama to life. The news came two months after the streaming service revealed the first cast member: Paddy Considine, the star of HBO’s The Outsider and The Third Day. According to Deadline, Considine was tapped to lead the aptly named series in the role of King Viserys Targaryen I.
HBO announced the Targaryen-focused prequel back in September 2019, giving it a 10-episode order and tapping Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal to serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. House of the Dragon is based on author George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and is currently slated to air sometime in 2022. With its first few costars secured, it looks like the series is officially on its way. Look ahead to read up on the cast and characters!
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Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen I
Chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen at the Great Council at Harrenhal, Viserys I is a warm, kind, and decent man who only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But we all know good men do not necessarily make for great kings. Fans of Game of Thrones remember that Viserys I ruled over Westeros for nearly 100 years after Aegon’s Conquest, and his children, Rhaenyra and Aegon II, ultimately fought a civil war over his throne that became known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Getty / David M. Benett
Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
D’Arcy is set to star as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, who is the king’s first-born, pure Valyrian-blooded child and a dragonrider. According to Variety, Rhaenyra was “born with everything . . . but she was not born a man.”
Getty / Jim Spellman
Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen
The Doctor Who and The Crown star will transform into Prince Daemon Targaryen – King Viserys’ younger brother and heir to the throne. Daemon is described as a “peerless warrior and a dragonrider” who possesses the true blood of the dragon.
Getty / Matt Winkelmeyer
Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
Cooke’s character is the daughter of Hand of the King Otto Hightower. She was raised in the Red Keep where the king and his inner circle often machinate. Alicent is known as “the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms” and has “courtly grace and a keen political acumen.”
