Even though we've only seen five episodes of 'House of the Dragon', there's already a huge sense of familiarity between viewers and the cast. That, however, may all be about to change.
Milly Alcock and Emily Carey are done with 'House of the Dragon'. The stars, aged 22 and 19 respectively, won't be back as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen or Queen Alicent Hightower as they pass the baton onto their older counterparts from next week.
Episode six (which airs from next Sunday/Monday) will see a 10-year time jump take place in the world of Westeros, meaning that the actors are done and dusted with their characters after just five episodes.
In a New York Times interview this week, the young stars admitted to feeling some pressure on the set of the production, purely because they are both young women working in a world where they've both only had minor roles on screen thus far. Taking on the burden of starring in the follow-up to HBO's biggest show wasn't that easy.
After joking about both of them being similar to their on-screen characters, Carey said the "closeness" we see between the former BFFs "is definitely a reflection of ours in real life".
Alcock elaborated further by saying they both hung onto each other "for dear life": "Me and Em went through a very similar experience that our characters went through: We were both thrown into this massive role, and when it actually happened, you don’t know how to react. We’re two very young women who haven’t done massive projects before, in an environment full of men, having to live up to this opportunity. We were forced to hang on to each other for dear life."
Another interesting nugget the stars revealed was that they never once interacted with their older on-screen counterparts who they were handing the reigns over in the latter half of season one - Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke. They also don't have the foggiest clue what happens next (unless they read the book on which the series is based, of course).
When asked how closely they got to work with Emma and Olivia, Alcock revealed: "We didn’t, at all. Nothing. Zero.
"We weren’t given [the scripts]. I’ve asked for them so much, and they were like, 'No, you cannot.' I’m going to be watching on the edge of my seat, because I want to know what’s going to happen.
"I'm so excited to see what Emma did with Rhaenyra. There’s no way I could have played her in the later stages of her life because I don’t have the same lived experience that Emma has. So I’m so keen."
Carey added: "I love the way you worded that, Mil. That’s so true. When people say, 'Do you wish you could do the rest of it?,' I’m always like, 'I don’t know.' I don’t think I have the capacity.
"But I will be honest: It’s strange handing off a character that is so personal. As actors, we put so much of ourselves into the people we play. So it’s strange having to leave someone’s story halfway through."
'House of the Dragon' continues next Monday on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
