Variety; ‘House of the Dragon’ Star Milly Alcock: Fans Pitting Rhaenyra and Alicent Against Each Other Is ‘F—ing Ironic’

Story from Variety:

Aside from Westerosi politics and fire-breathing beasts, HBO’s “House of the Dragon” plots the demise of a friendship between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), who marries Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), and threatens her friend’s claim to the Iron Throne with a newborn son.

As Alcock noted in an interview with Nylon, “‘House of the Dragon’ highlights, yes, the patriarchy, yes, misogyny, but also the internalized misogyny that these two women are forced to face. They’re forced to be put at odds with one another by the choices by men.”

Since the characters are set in opposition due to decisions made by their fathers, Alcock added that she finds it “ironic” that the show’s fan base — which she says skews more toward men — is simultaneously pitting the characters against each other.

“What I found quite hilarious is that the fan base is also putting the actors, the Young Alicent and the Young Rhaenyra, at odds with each other, and choosing who’s better, also by decision of mostly men. So I think that it’s really just fucking ironic,” Alcock said.

Elsewhere in the interview, Alcock teased what she’d like to do next after “House of the Dragon,” saying she’d want to act in something “completely different” than the “Game of Thrones” prequel.

“Ultimately, I don’t want to go into another big franchise or a big series,” she said. “I want to do something very intimate and personal.”

Since there will be a big time jump in “House of the Dragon,” Alcock and Carey will be replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, respectively, after Sunday’s upcoming episode.