The ‘House of the Dragon’ Cast Members IRL vs. Their Characters

Wondering what the Crabfeeder looks like under that mask? Same.

By Mehera BonnerPublished: Jun 14, 2024 2:23 PM EDT

getty images//HBO

House of the Dragon has a huge ensemble cast, some of whom you’ve probably seen before (hello, Matt Smith) and some of whom are relatively new to the scene. The ~scene~ being big-budget HBO shows that are poised to take over pop culture for the next several years. And considering House of the Dragon went alllll the way out when it comes to hair, makeup, and costumes, you might be wondering what everyone looks like offscreen. Answer: shockingly different! Check out the cast members compared to their onscreen counterparts (yes, including the Crabfeeder), and FYI, we’ll be adding to this list each week as new characters emerge because this show takes “ensemble” to a whole new level.

Note: House of the Dragon recast several key characters midway through the season, which is why you’ll be seeing multiple Alicent Hightowers and Rhaenyra Targaryens on this list. If this comes as a shock to you/is brand-new information, cocreator Ryan Condal told Insider the decision was actually made “early on” in production, explaining, “It’s a conceit but I think it does work, having watched it a bunch of times. The people that are truly children in this are the ones that get recast. And the people that are already adults when we meet them, we age them up through hair and makeup and sometimes the actors change their voice.”

On that note…

Emily Carey as Alicent Hightower

Ollie Upton / HBO

Emily Carey plays Alicent Hightower, second wife of King Viserys I Targaryen, daughter of Ser Otto Hightower, and former BFF of Rhaenyra.

Emily Carey IRL

british vogue netflix celebrate the bafta television awards at dovetale at 1 hotel mayfair

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Emily filmed House of the Dragon in April 2021, and this is her in 2024. The show ended up recasting the character of Alicent midway through the series, which brings us to…

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Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

Ollie Upton / HBO

Olivia plays grown-up Alicent, and it’s truly wild how much she looks like Emily—at least on House of the Dragon.

Olivia Cooke IRL

house of the dragon season 2 premiere at theatre du chatelet

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Her vibes are impeccable, and by that I mean I’m about to run to the bathroom and give myself some ill-advised bangs thanks to this photo.

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Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra Targaryen

Ollie Upton / HBO

Milly plays King Viserys’s eldest daughter and heir Rhaenyra Targaryen, who has some major competition when it comes to securing her place on the Iron Throne.

Milly Alcock IRL

house of the dragon uk premiere after party

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The Targaryen vibes are still strong, TBH. Also, while Millie was 21 when HotD started production, she was also recast midway through the season as her character aged.

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Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen

Ollie Upton / HBO

Behold, adult Rhaenyra!

Emma D’Arcy IRL

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Wow, been searching for my summer mood and here it is.

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Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen

Ollie Upton / HBO

Matt Smith plays Daemon Targaryen, the somewhat petulant and pretty violent younger brother of King Viserys who is less than thrilled when his niece is named heir to the Iron Throne.