Have you ever wondered what a dragon would smell like? The smell of dragons was a hot topic in the new Game of Thrones spin-off series House of the Dragon, with characters mentioning it several times, but given how dragons, well, don't exist, it can be hard to envision what they're describing on the much-hyped TV series.
Fortunately for us, Milly Alcock, who plays Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen on House of the Dragon, has a little theory of her own about what dragons actually smell like. She revealed her theory during an episode of The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon.
“Want to get my theory? It’s wet dog,” she said. “But in a salt lake, salt lake specifically. So this dog has been in a salty lake, and it’s like mulling out, it’s wet, it’s a bit acidic, you know, it’s a hot day, and it’s like, leathery paws and nose. It’s that. Like, that’s what a dragon would smell like.”
Alcock was one of several actors who found herself recast after the first five episodes of House of the Dragon. This is to demonstrate a time jump in the series as several of the characters grow older. She will be replaced by Emily D’Arcy, who will play an older version of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the fantasy series.
“Me and Emma were like, ‘Let’s meet up,'” she recalled in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “We wanted to have a meeting with [director Miguel Sapochnik] and have a discussion about Rhaenyra’s progression as a character.And Miguel didn’t want us to meet – which was really interesting! So, we never had that discussion. Miguel was like, ‘Just trust that you that you both have it.’ I think he was aware we would be trying to mimic each other.”
House of Dragon airs weekly on HBO. But if you’ve found yourself curious about all things dragons, check out our guide to the best fantasy movies.