Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen are played by different actors in House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 6. There are several reasons for this. Rhaenyra and Alicent were played by Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, who did outstanding work during the first five episodes of House of the Dragon.
It’s a big change for House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 6 to replace two of the show’s best actors and most interesting characters with older actors, but it makes sense. After the shocking ending of Season 1, Episode 5, which had several twists and turns at the wedding of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velarion, House of the Dragon jumped forward 10 years and changed the actors who played Rhaenyra and Alison.
This time jump requires rework because it changes Rhaenyra and Alicent the most. They go from young women or characters who are still children to fully grown adults whose rivalries and resentments have grown over the years. Most of the characters in House of the Dragon were already much older, so the changes weren’t as big as going from a teenager to someone in their late 20s.
This meant they didn’t have to be redone. Switching the actors playing Alicent and Rhaenyra is a better way to show the break in the show’s timeline and the different versions of the characters viewers will see.
This was backed up by Ryan Condall, co-showrunner of House of the Dragon, who told Insider: “The people who are really kids in this are the ones who are being remade.”
Who are the new members of Rhaenyra and Alicent?
After Alicent and Rhaenyra were recast, Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy took over their roles. Cooke played Allison and D’Arcy played Rhaenyra. At the beginning of House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 1, Rhaenyra’s voice narration was done by D’Arcy.
The pair will play the characters together starting with episode 6 until (henceforth) their stories end. Cook played Samantha/Art3mis in the movie Ready Player One, Becky Sharp in the movie Vanity Fair, and Emma Decody in the movie Bates Motel. D’Arcy played Naomi in Wanderlust and Astrid in Truth Seekers.
Who else was replaced in House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 6?
Along with Alicent and Rhaenyra, the actors playing Laenor and Laena Velaryon have also been changed. Again, this is because they were children before the time jump and adults after it.
Matthew Carver played Lenore as a young child for a short time, but he was replaced by Theo Nate for House of the Dragon season 1, episodes 3 and 5. In episode 6, Nate was replaced by John McMillan (The Nevers, Bubblegum), who would go on to plays the role in subsequent episodes as well.
Nova Foueillis-Mose played Laena when she was to marry King Viserys. In episode 5, Savannah Stein took over the role, and then Nana Blondell (Black Widow, Twin) took over after that.
Will the younger cast of Rhaenyra & Alicent return?
Millie Alcock and Emily Carey currently have no concrete plans to return to the House of the Dragon, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Alcock said there had been talk of House of the Dragon Season 2 with young actors Rhaenyra and Alicent, but she had “no idea” if that would happen.
Due to the time change, they won’t be reprising the roles in a big way, but it would be possible to bring back the younger cast through flashbacks or dream-like scenes given how popular they were. But again, after the recast in House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 6, Rhaenyra and Alicent will be played by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke going forward.
Only follow us on Lee Daily for more news like this.