Actress Milly Alcock stunned everyone with her brilliant performance as Young Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon

Actress Milly Alcock is one of the most talented young actresses in Hollywood and her performance in the comedy series Upright is proof of the same. However, Alcock gained wider recognition and impressed viewers with her ferocious and commanding performance as Young Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s fantasy-drama series House of the Dragon.

The series is a prequel to HBO’s acclaimed series Game of Thrones, which features Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Alcock plays an ancestor of Clarke’s Mother of Dragons and delivers an equally powerful performance as the Targaryen Princess. However, despite Clarke setting the template for powerful female leaders in Westeros, Alcock did not draw inspiration from her performance for a valid reason. Here is what Milly Alcock said about her role in House of the Dragon.

Milly Alcock Talks Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and Inspiration For House of the Dragon Role

In House of the Dragon, actress Milly Alcock plays the role of Young Rhaenyra Targaryen. The series serves as a prequel to Game of Thrones, making comparisons between Alcock and Emilia Clarke’s character in the parent series inevitable. Alcock discussed the similarities between the two characters in a 2022 interview with the New York Post.

“Obviously, there’s similarities in their fundamental morals as people, but ultimately they move throughout the world very differently.”

While Alcock admitted to admiring Clarke’s performance, she did not draw inspiration from it. Instead, Alcock stated that she was inspired by the performances of Cate Blanchett in The Golden Age and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.

“If you could combine those 2 women together, I think that is Rhaenyra. She’s witty, and cheeky, but she has to perform constantly, and live up to that regal role. But, you can see under the surface, she’s quite uncomfortable in her skin.”

Alcock made the above statement, explaining how she prepared for her role in House of the Dragon. The 23-year-old actress implied that while Rhaenyra can be as fierce as Daenerys, the characters are fundamentally different because of their experiences. While Daenerys is self-confident, Rhaenyra can at times struggle to live up to her role as a Princess.

Milly Alcock Not Returning For House of the Dragon Season 2, Moves on to James Gunn’s DCU

Milly Alcock played Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in five episodes of the House of the Dragon season 1. However, following the time jump midway through the first season, the character was aged up and actress Emma D’Arcy took over the part. As a result, Alcock is not expected to return for the show’s second season, which will premiere later this year..

Alcock addressed her exit from the series in an interview with Deadline in March 2023. The Australian actress squashed any hopes of reprising her role in season 2 by stating that her time on the show was done. However, Alcock remained grateful for the role as it changed her life.

In January 2024, it was announced that Alcock was cast as Kara Zor-El / Supergirl in James Gunn’s DCU. While Alcock will lead the solo film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, there are also rumors of her appearing in Superman: Legacy. While Gunn confirmed Alcock’s casting, he did not comment on her potentially appearing in the Superman-centric project Gunn is directing.