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One of House of the Dragon’s most terrifying characters, Aemond Targaryen, is a chip off the block of some of Game of Thrones’ most chilling villains. However, it turns out that the actor behind him has never seen the original fantasy juggernaut.
Speaking to ComicBook.com, Ewan Mitchell explained his reasoning behind the choice. "I haven't seen the original Game of Thrones," he said. "I have a confession to make. I've never seen it and I didn't want to watch it going into this role. I didn't want it to inform my decisions in any way, shape, or form, you know, whether it be consciously or subconsciously. I wanted to bring something fresh. Aemond is one of a kind, you know."
House of the Dragon season 2 begins right in the crosshairs of Aemond’s climactic season 1 decision. In the season finale, he killed Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon as revenge for the young boy taking his eye when they were children. The new episodes follow the impact on the realm of that decision as war beckons between the Greens and the Blacks.
While Mitchell hasn’t seen Thrones, he explained another unusual inspiration for his character. "I see Michael Myers from Halloween," he added to the publication. "Just through his physicality, you know, no matter how slow he walks, he always catches up with Jamie Lee Curtis. You know, he doesn't have to say much. He's just super scary. The way he inhabits space was something that I used with Aemond for sure."
Speaking to Total Film recently, Mitchell also teased that his character is the most "insidious" in the franchise. "I don't think we've seen anyone as insidious as Aemond in Westeros. He's going to play you like a violin, and you're either with him or against him. You can either be on Rhaenyra's side or you can stay in one piece."
House of the Dragon season 2 begins on June 16 in the US and June 17 in the UK. For more, check out our House of the Dragon season 2 review for our verdict on the first four episodes.
