One of the biggest shows of last year was House of the Dragon, the first Game of Thrones spinoff series, which follows House Targaryen and the events that led up to and transpire during the "Dance of the Dragons."
While we can look back now at House of the Dragon Season 1 and marvel at how epic and beautifully done it was, there were reservations when the show was first announced. Namely, fans were skeptical after the controversial (and disappointing) Game of Thrones series finale.
People wondered if House of the Dragon would live up to the hype of the original series, and honestly, so far it definitely has.
With so many eyes on House of the Dragon even before its premiere, Emma D'Arcy said that they did think long and hard about what it would be like to join such a massive and well-known TV franchise.
During the Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable, Emma talkeed about diving into the Game of Thrones universe, being worried about losing their "anonymity," and more while chatting with Jennifer Coolidge, Claire Danes, Dominique Fishback, Jennifer Garner, and Melanie Lynskey.
"I wrote a pros and cons list during the auditions process," Emma said. "The big one on the cons list was loss of anonymity, but probably that was a way of writing self-hate or something."
Emma's long blonde wig that they wear while playing Rhaenyra Targaryen has resulted in them keeping a bit of their anonymity, which they are grateful for.
"I'm also very lucky. That wig is a blessing; people don’t recognize me, so my day-to-day is broadly unchanged, which I feel very grateful for," Emma said. "I get asked if I’m me because I look quite different in real life, which actually presents a possible out because there’s a temptation to say, 'No, but I get that all the time.'"
They continued, saying, "I feel that the ability to observe others and not be the observed is so fundamentally important to our job. I guess I’ve just really worried about that."
Jennifer Garner, who has lived in the public eye for a long time now, chimed in, telling Emma, "It's an enormous loss when you are the person that the eyes are directed toward. The loss of just being able to smile at someone on the street and say hello as yourself is a really intense thing — something to mourn and not to be taken lightly."
Jennifer continued, saying, "And, probably, a natural outcropping of your success and your beauty and your work. So, it’s not something to be totally feared. But it’s something to know for yourself and to talk about. And then figure out where can you still observe and be quiet in yourself and make room for those places."
House of the Dragon also came at a point in Emma's life where they felt more confident after realizing they didn't have to "look more like a girl so [they] could be an actor." They decided to cut their hair after growing it out. Once they did, they noticed they were booking more jobs.
"I just realized that it was fundamental to be able to live in the gaps," Emma said. "I, too, was bullied to pieces — I just didn’t exist well, so I was a good target. And I spent a lot of time wondering how other people were managing it, and then I did a play at school and discovered that there was incredible freedom in being somebody else."
They continued, saying, "But there’s loads of other time [when you’re not acting], and, yeah, I probably felt more comfortable [when I stopped presenting as someone I wasn’t] and so I probably was better at my job and better in auditions and better at the interstices of the role of an actor, which mostly aren’t being on stage and doing the thing."
Their House of the Dragon audition came during this time, and Emma said it was extensive. They revealed that at one point, it felt like they "had taped every scene in the show" and they had one in-person audition that lasted four hours and then heard nothing back.
Emma said they felt like the House of the Dragon team "took a punt" on them because they "couldn't bring an audience." They continued, saying, "I just remember that it was good for a while and then it was awful."
After FINALLY booking House of the Dragon and while gearing up to star in such a massive TV project with a built-in fanbase, Emma said they spoke to Emilia Clarke before filming began, saying, "She was beautiful and so generous."
I cannot wait to see Emma in House of the Dragon Season 2 and can't wait to see them continue to absolutely crush every role they're in.
You can watch Emma's entire conversation as part of the Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actress Roundtable below:
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