'House of the Dragon': Everything You Need to Know about the 'Game of Thrones' Prequel

Who will star in House of the Dragon?

Get ready. This cast is epic. Australian Milly Alcock – star of The Gloaming and Upright – will star as a younger version of Princess Rhaenyra, who is the lead of the show. The cherished daughter of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), whose death kicks off the war of succession that will culminate in a bloody civil war.

Her uncle, Prince Daemon, known as a gifted warrior and close ally to his niece in the civil war, will be played by Matt Smith. You will definitely recognise him: you’ve seen him before as another Prince – Prince Philip in seasons one and two of The Crown. Daemon believes that he might be the heir to the throne after the death of his brother Viserys, but instead Viserys chooses his daughter Rhaenyra to assume the crown. As such, Daemon decides to get closer and closer to his niece – eventually marrying her, as is the Targaryen way. Playing Rhaenyra as an older woman will be Emma D’Arcy, a rising star English actor previously starred in Mothering Sunday with Olivia Colman and Colin Firth.

But it’s not all about the Targaryens in this sequel. Another high-powered family of the court is the Hightowers, and presiding over this dynasty is patriarch Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans. You’ll remember him from Notting Hill, where he played Hugh Grant’s underwear-sporting flatmate Spike. Otto is not only a powerful figure in the court from a high-ranking family, but he’s also Hand of the King. His daughter Alicent Hightower ends up becoming the second wife to King Viserys, and it is her son Aegon who attempts to challenge the throne. Alicent will be played by Olivia Cooke, who has starred in everything from indie dramas (Me, Earl and the Dying Girl) to sci-fi epics (Ready Player One) and spy series Slow Horses, streaming now on AppleTV+.

But wait, there’s more. Sonoya Mizuno, of Crazy Rich Asians fame, is playing a young woman named Mysaria, who is said to have come to Westeros with nothing but has risen through the ranks, courtesy of her ambition and deadly acumen until she became a trusted advisor to Prince Daemon. Also in the cast is Australian Ryan Corr, playing Ser Harwin Strong, Outlander’s Graham McTavish as Ser Harrold Westerling and Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon.