Who are the House of the Dragon cast? House of the Dragon has officially reignited the Game of Thrones hype like… well, a dragon. Although we all know how their tragic story ends, the fantasy series fleshes out the Dance of the Dragons civil war referenced several times in the original Game of Thrones TV series.
Taking place between 129 and 131 AC, the Dance 0f the Dragons focuses on warring factions that emerged within the House of Targaryen after Viserys I passed away. The Greens, led by Viserys’ second wife Alicent Hightower and Otto Hightower, claimed that the true successor and rightful heir to the Iron Throne was Aegon II — her son with Viserys.
Meanwhile, the Blacks, led by Aegon’s half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen, claimed that she was the true heir to the Throne as the child of Viserys and his first wife, Aemma Arryn. The civil war involved a lot of bloodshed and greatly weakened the Targaryens, but the seeds for the epic battle are still being sown in House of the Dragon. So, let me introduce you to the House of the Dragon cast.
Who’s in the House of the Dragon cast?
- Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower
- Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen
- Paddy Considine as Viserys Targaryen
- Matthew Needham as Larys Strong
- Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon
- Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole
- Ty Tennant as Aegon Targaryen II
- Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen (young)
- Emily Carey as Alicent Hightower (young)
Emma D’Arcy — Rhaenyra Targaryen
As well as appearing in several theatre productions, 30-year-old D’Arcy has been lighting up our televisions for years before they debuted — to much acclaim — as an all-grown-up Rhaenyra Targaryen from House of the Dragon episode 6 onwards. Highlights of their career so far include leading roles in the drama series Wanderlust and the horror comedy series Truth Seekers on Amazon Prime Video.
Olivia Cooke — Alicent Hightower
28-year-old Olivia Cooke might be in it for the long haul (she’s the aged-up Alicent Hightower from episode 6 onwards), but you probably know her best from her work in the movies biz, from the science fiction movie Ready Player One to the weepy teen movie Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. With such a varied portfolio, tackling a Targaryen must be no problem for her.
Matt Smith — Daemon Targaryen
As the conniving Dameon Targaryen, this isn’t Matt Smith’s first stab at playing the bad guy. He might want to forget, but we all remember him (and his infamous dance) from the Sony Marvel movie Morbius, where he played Loxius Crown. This also isn’t Smith’s first time playing a prince, as he portrayed the late Prince Phillip in the first two seasons of Netflix series The Crown. And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten — the 39-year-old is, arguably, most well-known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in sci-fi series Doctor Who.
Paddy Considine — Viserys Targaryen
At this point, Viserys literally looks like he’s clinging onto life by a single thread, and that thread is 49-year-old actor Paddy Considine. Bringing a sense of comic relief to his role as the hapless King, people might recognise him from his role in comedy movie Hot Fuzz — or, more recently, from his time in the Peaky Blinders cast, where he played the sinister Father John Hughes.
Matthew Needham — Larys Strong
With his unhinged scheming and ambition, Larys Strong makes Littlefinger look like Winnie the Pooh. Any good villain needs a level of theatricality, which makes 38-year-old Matthew Needham perfect for the role — after all, he’s performed on-stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the Royal National Theatre, to name a few. He’s also acted in British daytime soap Casualty and played the lead in the Oscar-winning short film Stutterer.
Steve Toussaint — Corlys Velaryon
The legendary Sea Snake, Corlys Velaryon, is set to play a major role in House of the Dragon. Fans of the books know that Corlys ends up aligning with Rhaenyra Targaryen, later adopting the title of Hand of the Queen.
High-stakes drama doesn’t faze 57-year-old Steve Toussaint because as well as writing several short films of his own, he’s also acted in plenty. Not only that, but Toussaint has also appeared in blockbusters like the Disney movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and is set to appear in the Amazon Prime thriller movie Gassed Up in 2023.
Fabien Frankel — Ser Criston Cole
If you think you can’t handle rejection well, you can comfort yourself by remembering that you can, at least, handle it better than Criston Cole. He went from forlorn lover to bitter incel pretty fast. It’s a testament to 28-year-old actor Fabian Frankel that the character has compelled fans so much.
You’ll probably recognise him from the dark and grisly mini-series The Serpent, but this isn’t the first time he’s crossed paths with a Targaryen. He also had a role in the Christmas movie Last Christmas, which starred Game of Thrones actor Emilia Clarke. Someone must’ve been manifesting.
Ty Tennant — Aegon Targaryen II
Awkwardly enough for Matt Smith, his on-screen wife’s main rival for the Iron Throne, isn’t just the stepson of the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) but is also the grandson of the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davidson). At 20 years old, Aegon Targaryen is probably Ty Tennant’s biggest role to date, but he’s also appeared in movies based on a true story like Tolkein.
Milly Alcock — Rhaenyra Targaryen (young)
For the first five episodes of House of the Dragon, Milly Alcock’s portrayal as a young Rhaenyra Targaryen was a highlight, and although her time in the series was brief, it’s clear her star is on the rise.
In 2018, when she was just 18 years old, she was presented with the Casting Guild of Australia’s Rising Star Award for her portrayal as a teenage runaway in the dramedy series Upright. A second season of Upright is currently in production, and as a main character, it seems likely Alcock will return.
Emily Carey — Alicent Hightower (young)
Emily Carey enchanted audiences as a younger, more sympathetic Alicent Hightower in the first five episodes of House of the Dragon, but this isn’t the first time she’s played royalty. In 2020, she played a very-fictionalised version of the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov in a fantasy movie entitled, Anastasia: Once Upon a Time. She also voiced Anne Frank in the critically-acclaimed animated movie Where is Anne Frank in 2021.
House of the Dragon airs every Sunday on Sky Atlantic and is available to stream on NOW TV in the UK. If you’re in the US, you can watch House of the Dragon on HBO and stream it on HBO Max. If you want to know more about the future of Westeros check out our guide to the House of the Dragon season 2 release date.
