The Cast Of “House Of The Dragon”, Who They Play & What They Were Doing Before The Show

1. Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: Chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen - A kind hearted man who only wishes to carry on his grandfather's legacy.Where have you seen them before?

You might have seen him in the HBO miniseries he Outsider, or in movies Hot Fuzz and The World's End.

2. Emma D'Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play:

She’s the king’s first-born child, of pure Valyrian blood. Many say she was born with both reproductive organs...but she was born a female.Where have you seen them before?

The adult Princess Rhaenyra is played by Emma D'Arcy, who you might recognise from Prime Series Truth Seekers & Netflix original Wanderlust.

3. Milly Alcock as Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen

imagesource/lastminuteinstantnewsWho they play:

She’s the king’s first-born child, of pure Valyrian blood. Many say she was born with both reproductive organs...but she was born a female.Where have you seen them before?

Unlike, he older counterpart, This is actually Alcock's first major role & before landing the job, she was actually living in her grandmother's attic.

4. Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play:

Younger brother to King Viserys and heir to the throne. A fearless warrior who possesses true blood of the dragon.Where have you seen them before? 

The 'Eleventh Doctor' (if you're wondering who the Doctor is, I mean, Doctor Who) has also starred in The Crown, Last Night in Soho & Morbius.

5. Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: 

"The Queen Who Never Was" was passed off as heir to the throne because the realm favored her Cousin, Viserys, simply because he's a man.Where have you seen them before? 

Eve Best, who you may recognise from Nurse Jackie & Fate: The Winx Saga, plays "The Queen Who Never Was".

6. Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon a.k.a. “The Sea Snake”

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: 

With bloodline from Old House Targaryen, he's the most famed naval adventurer in Westeros and holds a powerful seat in his house. Even richer than a Lannister & claims the largest navy in the whole world.Where have you seen them before? 

"The Sea Snake" Steve Toussaint has quite an extensive filmography before his role in 'House of the Dragon'. You'll have seen him in films like Judge Dredd & Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

7. Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: 

The hand of the king, loyal and faithful to the realm and the greatest threat to the realm is the king's brother, Daemon.Where have you seen them before? 

Rhys is no stranger to cameras, he had a brief appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 as Xenophilius Lovegood & the villainour Dr Curt Connors in The Amazing Spider-Man.

8. Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play:

Daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King and prettiest woman in the kingdom. Raised in the Red Keep, she's been raised close to the king & his inner circle.Where have you seen them before?

Olivia Cooke has appeared in numerous horror and drama film & TV series including Bates Motel, Ouja, Sound of Metal and Ready Player One.

9. Emily Carey as Young Alicent Hightower

imagesource/hollywoodlifeWho they play:

Daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King and prettiest woman in the kingdom. Raised in the Red Keep, she's been raised close to the king & his inner circle.Where have you seen them before?

This isn't the first time Olivia Cooke has played a younger version of a powerful female. She appeared as 12-year-old version of Diana in Wonder Woman & 14-year-old Lara Croft in Tomb Raider.

10. Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: 

A common born son of the steward to the Lord of Blackhaven. Cole is of Dornish descent and has no claim to any land of titles. however, he is respected due to his skills with a sword.Where have you seen them before?

Fabien had a small role in Last Christmas with Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke and had a recurring role in BBC series The Serpent.

11. Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: 

Starting out in Westeros with nothing & sold more times than she came remember, Mysaria, rose to become a trusted and unlikely ally of Prince Daemon Targaryen, the heir to the throne.Where have you seen them before? 

You may recognise Sonoya from Ex Machina, Annihilation and Devs.

12. Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling

imagesource/denofgeekWho they play: 

He's served as Kings Guard since the days of King Jaeherys & known for his strength and chivalry.Where have you seen them before?

Now, if you think you recognise this face from somewhere, you are right! Graham's credits include The Hobbit, The Witcher, Outlander and Preacher.

13. Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin ‘Breakbones’ Strong

imagesource/winteriscomingWho they play:

Known to be the strongest man in Westeros, Harwin is the eldest son of the Master of Laws Lynol Strong and heir to Harrenhal.Where have you seen them before?

The Water Diviner and Mary Magdelene are among some of the movies Ryan Corr has starred in before House of the Dragon.

14. Jefferson Hall as Lord Jason Lannister and Tyland Lannister

imagesource/MEAWWWho they play:

Twin to Jason Lannister and crafty and calculating politician.Where have you seen them before?

Another cast member to appear in Hulu series, Devs, is Jefferson Hall. He also starred in the first season of GOT as Ser Hugh of the Vale.

15. David Horovitch as Grand Maester Mellos

imagesource/winteriscomingWho they play:

Trusted advisor to the king and voice of reason when things get rocky.Where have you seen them before?

Mellos, who is played by David Horovitch, an actor best known for his roles in Young Victoria, Cassandra's Dream & the live-action 102 Dalmatians.

16. Matthew Needham as Larys Strong

imagesource/IMDbWho they play: 

Younger son of Master of Laws Lyonel Strong.Where have you seen them before? 

Like co-star Matt Smith, Matthew Needham has appeared in Doctor Who as well as Sherlock, Chernobyl and period drama Sanditon.

17. Bill Paterson as Lord Lyman Beesbury

imagesource/thesunWho they play:

Master of Coin & Lord of Honeyholt on the King's council.Where have you seen them before? 

Best known for playing 'Fleabag's father' on the hugely popular BBC series 'Fleabag', he's also starred in The Sandman and Good Omens over the years.

18. Gavin Spokes as Lord Lyonel Strong

imagesource/peopleWho they play:

Master of Laws to King Viserys and Lord of Harrenhal.Where have you seen them before? 

If you've watched Peacock's original Hitmen or the TV series The Ipcress File, then you'll recognise Master of Laws actor, Gavin Spokes.

1. Things You May Have Missed From Episode 1

imagesource/buzzfeedIn the opening scene, where Viserys is chosen as Jaehaerys' heir, we see it take place at Harrenhal - which you might remember as the castle in which Arya, Hot Pie and Gendry are kept as prisoners - also where Arya becomes Tywins cupbearer.

2. Rhaenyra's flight over Kings Landing

imagesource/HBOThe last time we watched a Targaryen fly over King's Landing was in GOT when Daenerys torched the city. However, watching Rhaenyra's flight had us feeling a lot differently towards the Targaryen's. Rhaenyra's dragon flight was casual and fun, an occurance so mundane to the people of King's Landing that they don't even bother to look up at what's flying through the sky.

3. The Throne room

As we see the throne for the first time in House of the Dragon, it's much more intimidating and sharp (closer to the one described in George R R Martin's books), than the one we remember in Game of Thrones. The location still resembles the one seen 172 years before, but the version is understandably different as it's gone through many regimes over the coming years.

4. Princess Nymeria & her 10,000 ships

In this scene we see Rhaenyra and Alicent discussing Princess Nymeria and her 10,000 ships. Most of us probably recognised the name Nymeria but did anyone realise that was who Arya Stark named her direwolf after?

5. "Hatching an actual dragon"

imagesource/HBOWhen Aemma is in the bath and she says to her husband, Viserys, that she wouldn't be surprised if she was "hatching an actual dragon" after her "miserable pregnancy", this refers to what happened to Daenerys when she had a still birth with son Rhaego who was described to have had scales and wings.

6. Baelon was named after the King's father

imagesource/thewrapBaelon was Jaehaerys' younger son. Baelon died of a "burst belly" (appendicitus) before the events of the House of the Dragon series - hence why Viserys became heir to the throne.

7. Viserys' armour

imagesource/HBOViserys Targaryen's clothes and armour, are full of dragon motifs but if you take a closer look at his crown, you will see the sigils of all the great houses, reinforcing the fact that all the great houses in the Seven Kingdoms are at peace at the time.

8. Family connections

imagesource/HBOAt the tourney, there may have been a few family connections you'll have missed of Rhaenys Velaryon. She is Viserys' cousin on her father Aemon's side. She lost her right to the heir simply because she was a woman. She's also related the the Baratheon knight through her mother, Jocelyn Baratheon.