With the first season of House of the Dragon containing several time jumps, the performers of some characters were replaced along the way. We take stock of the different faces. Warning, spoilers.
Warning, spoilers. It is advisable to have seen the eight available episodes of House of the Dragon before continuing to read this article.
The fans of Game Of Thrones meet each week for the episodes of its first spin-off House of the Dragon, which met with real success across the Atlantic on HBO and in France on OCS. From episode to episode, the public returns to Westeros and discovers characters from the past since this derivative series is centered on the Targaryens, approximately 170 before the events of Game of Thrones.
With Game of Thrones, viewers have seen the cast grow and evolve over eight seasons. But that’s not really the case for House of the Dragon, which is going to span several decades pretty quickly. The first season indeed contains several jumps in time, more or less long, and this has consequences on the cast.
Many characters are impacted by time jumps, including the ten-year-old in episode 6 and the six-year-old in episode 8. If you get lost, with the time jumps, changes, and all the kids, here’s a recap in pictures of the characters who changed cast during the inaugural season of House of the Dragon.
PODCAST – House of the Dragon: incest, marriage and change of actors … we take stock of the Game of Thrones spin-off mid-season:
House of the Dragon is available on OCS.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
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HBO
Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is played by Milly Alcock (seen in the series Reckoning) during his younger years, during the first half of the inaugural season of House of the Dragon. In the rest of the season (starting with episode 6), the princess is played by Emma d’Arcywhich we have seen in the series Hanna and Truth Seekers.
Alicent Hightower
HBO
Daughter of the King’s Hand and now Queen Alicent Hightower is played by Emily Carey (Wonder Woman, Tomb Raider) in her younger years, during the first half of House of the Dragon’s inaugural season. Like the character of Rhaenyra, Alicent changes interpreter from episode 6. She is now interpreted by Olivia Cookewhich we have seen in the series Bates Motel and in the blockbuster Ready Player One by Steven Spielberg.
Laenor Velaryon
HBO
Laenor Velaryon, the son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, is embodied as a child by Matthew Carver (Doctor Who) then teenager by Theo Nate (seen in the series Time with Sean Bean). From episode 6, he is camped by John Macmillan (seen in the series Chewing Gum, The Nevers and the movie The Dig) in adulthood.
Leana Velaryon
HBO
As with her twin brother Laenor, Leana Velaryon has three different performers during House of the Dragon Season 1. She is embodied by Nova Foueillis-Mosé when she was a child then briefly by Savannah Steyn (seen in the Tunnel and Intergalactic series and in Alexandre Aja’s film Crawl) when she was a teenager. From episode 6, she is camped as an adult by Nanna Blondell (seen in the Real Humans series and in the Marvel film Black Widow) until she kills herself when she realizes that her delivery will not go well.
Aegon II Targaryen
HBO
Aegon II Targaryen is the first son of King Viserys Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. Baby, he is embodied by the twins Jake and Rory Heard. From the sixth episode, after the time jump of a decade, Aegon II is embodied by Ty Tennant (seen in the Tolkien film and in the Doom Patrol series), who is none other than the son of actor David Tennant. From episode 8, the character once again changes performers after a six-year time jump. He is now camped by Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk, Tolkien, The King).
Aemond Targaryen
HBO
The second son of King Viserys Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower is named Aemond Targaryen. As a child, he is camped by Leo Ashton from episode 6. In the following episode, he loses an eye after a fight with the sons of Rhaenyra. But the loss of that eye was the price to pay to gain the dragon Vaghar. From episode 8, Aemond has grown well, to the point of overtaking his big brother Aegon. He is now embodied by Ewan Mitchell (known for his role as Osferth in the series The Last Kingdom),
Helaena Targaryen
HBO
Helaena Targaryen, the daughter of Queen Alicent Hightower and King Viserys Targaryen, appears for the first time as a baby in episode 4. We then find her as a young girl in the sixth episode in the guise of actress Evie Allen (Lost in London). From episode 8, Helaena is played by Phia Saban (known for her role as Aelfwynn in The Last Kingdom) as a teenager.
Jacaerys Velaryon
HBO
Rhaenyra Targaryen and Leanor Velaryon’s first child is named Jacaerys Velaryon. He is actually the biological son of Ser Harwing Strong, who was Rhaenyra’s lover. As a child, he is played by Leo Hart. Since episode 8, he is now played by Harry Collett (The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle), after a six-year time jump.
Lucerys Velaryon
Rhaenyra and Laenor’s second son is named Lucerys Velaryon. He too is the biological son of Ser Harwing Strong, who was Rhaenyra’s lover, in reality. He is played as a child by Harvey Sadler but, since episode 8, he is now played by Elliot Grihaultin his adolescent period.
Joffrey Velaryon
HBO
We meet the third son of Rhaenyra and Laenor in episode 6 when he has just been born. His name is Joffrey Velaryon and he is also the biological son of Ser Harwing Strong, who was Rhaenyra’s lover, in reality. The three children of Rhaenyra and Laenor are at the center of all court gossip, even though they are officially recognized as the sons of Laenor Velaryon. In episode 8, Joffrey is six years old.
Baela Targaryen
HBO
Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon had two daughters. The first of these is Baela Targaryen, who was played as a child by Shani Smethurst. The young woman is portrayed as a teenager by Bethany Antonia (Don’t walk away).
Rhaena Targaryen
HBO
The second daughter of Daemon Targaryen and Laena Velaryon is named Rhaena Targaryen. As a child, she is camped by Eva Ossei-Gerning. Now a teenager, Rhaena is played by Phoebe Campbell.
