Early into the production of House of the Dragon, Alicent Hightower's Olivia Cooke was told to interpret the character as "a woman for Trump" by showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal – but she chose to play her a little differently. Now, the actor has explained why she pushed back against that initial characterization.
"I just didn't want to give them any more mental real estate than they already had," Cooke recently told Entertainment Weekly, referencing the former US president and his family. "So I tried to find a different route into her. I could see what they were saying with this complete indoctrination and denial of her own autonomy and rights. I just couldn't be asked to go down that road."
Cooke, who is perhaps best known for her roles in Me, Earl and the Dying Girl and Bates Motel, is set to make her debut on the Game of Thrones spin-off in its upcoming sixth episode. Until now, Alicent, a young woman who makes her own play for power by marrying the ailing King Viserys (Paddy Considine), has been portrayed by 19-year-old Emily Carey. But with a ten-year time jump set to take place between House of the Dragon episode 5 and episode 6, the 28-year-old will be taking over.
When we meet older Alicent, fans will quickly see "how she's been bittered and twisted over time", Cooke said elsewhere in the interview. The latter half of the season will also explore "moralistically where she stands" when she doesn't have her father Otto (Rhys Ifans) to advise her.
"Alicent has been completely bred to breed, and to breed powerful men. That's her only function in this life," she continued. "She can tell herself that she's going to sway and nurture and persuade in a very womanly, feminine way, but it's all fucking bullshit. Unless you're fighting the men, you'll never be heard. It's learning to live within this straightjacket of oppression. How do I move inch by inch every single day to loosen the straps?"
House of the Dragon is set to continue on Sunday, September 25 on HBO in the US, and the following day on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. To ensure you never miss an episode, keep up to date with our House of the Dragon release schedule.
