House of the Dragon is about to recast your favorite characters – here's what to expect
House of the Dragon's Emily Carey and Milly Alcock are earning praise for their performances as Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game of Thrones' prequel – but the duo's stint on the HBO fantasy drama is almost over. In a couple of weeks, episode 6 will see two different actors take over their roles (and they're not the only ones being replaced).
The reason behind the shake-up is the show's upcoming time-jump. As it adapts parts of George R. R. Martin's 2018 novel Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon season 1 spans 28 years overall, with several months passing with each episode but between episodes 5 and 6 – which airs in the US on September 25 – ten years will have passed. We reveal who will be stepping in to play Alicent, Rhaenyra, and more instead below, so keep scrolling if shock recastings aren't your thing...
From episode 6 onwards, Rhaenyra, Princess of Dragonstone, will be portrayed by Emma D'Arcy. The actor is eight years older than Alcock, so it's fitting that they take over the role as the storyline jumps forward a decade.
D'Arcy past credits include Wanderlust, Misbehavior, Mothering Sunday, Hanna, and comedy horror Truth Seekers, in which they played Astrid, a reclusive young woman who is being haunted by a bunch of ghosts. Desperate to rid herself of the spirits, she reaches out to broadband installer-turned-paranormal investigator Gus Roberts (Nick Frost) and his new business partner Elton John (Samson Kayo) for help.
Having spent the first half of House of the Dragon season 1 grieving her mother, living up to her status as named heir, and batting off potential suitors, the second half is set to see the older version of the character continue to navigate the Targaryen civil war, known as the
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