Eve Best talks about what made her want to join the “House of the Dragon” cast. The forthcoming HBO series, scheduled to debut on August 21, has been developing since late 2019. The series is based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, which serves as a prequel to his original series, A Song of Ice and Fire. It is directed by showrunners Ryan J. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik.
The new show chronicles the Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryen civil war that occurred 200 years before Game of Thrones. The conflict in the television series “House of the Dragon,” in which Paddy Considine plays the current King Viserys I Targaryen, starts when he names his daughter Rhaenyra (played by Emma D’Arcy and Milly Alcock) as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, usurping the claims of his brother Daemon (Matt Smith) and his sons with Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke and Emily Carey). Best as Princess Rhaenys, a dragon rider wedded to the illustrious Lord Corlys Velaryon, completes the ruling Targaryen family (Steve Toussaint). Rhaenys, sometimes known as the Queen Who Never Was, was the eldest son of the former king, Aemon Targaryen, and the only one whose claim to the Iron Throne was rejected in favor of her male cousin, Viserys.
Best now discusses the “House of the Dragon” casting process and her motivations for joining the show in an interview with The Observer. Initially cloaked in mystery, the concept soon drew Best in and fuelled her desire to appear on the show. Rhaenys’ experience as a dragon rider was helpful. See her complete remarks below:
“Everything was so secretive. The audition, we were initially sent a scene from the original Game of Thrones with the names changed. We weren’t even told the title of the new show. When eventually I was sent a real script, I loved the writing. Ryan [Condal] and Miguel [Sapochnik, co-showrunners] hooked me in immediately with the driving theme of the series. There is a line my character says early on: “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend to the Iron Throne.” Lose the word “Iron” from that sentence and it feels all too relevant. To top it all off, they told me my character was a dragon rider. I was in!”
Best’s character appears to be one of the fortunate members of House Targaryen to ride one. The show promises to wow Game of Thrones viewers with no less than 17 new dragons. Rhaenys was portrayed in the books as having a kinship with the dragon Meleys, also known as Red Queen, despite not being visible in official trailers or photographs up to this point. By the time of “House of the Dragon,” she might not be a contender for the Iron Throne, but based on the source material, it can be assumed that Rhaenys and her husband Corlys Velaryon will still hold a prominent position in the television series, especially given that Best’s comments suggest she will ride a dragon at least once.
HBO is known for going to great lengths to keep Game of Thrones a secret, so it should be no surprise that the network wanted to keep the prequel’s existence a secret even from its own cast. The purported departures from Martin’s original writing will keep fans interested and on their toes, even though further plot details have since been hinted at as the debut date approaches. While many details are yet unknown, Best’s remarks support the notion that “House of the Dragon” will emphasize the issue of misogyny in Westeros… and dragons.