“House of the Dragon ”Cast: See the Actors Side-by-Side with Their Characters

Meet the cast of the 'Game of Thrones' prequel series – set 200 years before the original HBO show – which stars Emma D'Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke and more

House of the Dragon is back.

Westeros is at the brink of war as the Targaryens, the Hightowers and the Velaryons – and their dragons – find themselves backing opposing claims to the Iron Throne.

The Game of Thrones prequel series — which is based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood — takes place 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) vied for the throne, and tells the story of the end of the Targaryen rule – which begins with a civil war between the family, which season 2 is set to produce.

As season 2 begins, here's your guide to the real stars behind some of Westeros' fearless leaders, soldiers and dragon riders.

Emma D'Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen

Emma D'Arcy plays Rhaenyra Targaryen – the one true Queen of Westeros, and the daughter of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine). She is married to her uncle, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), and the mother of four boys, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryon, with her late husband Laenor Velaryon, and Aegon Targaryen, her only child with Daemon.

In the first half of season 1, a younger version of Rhaenyra was played by Milly Alcock, and D'Arcy, who uses they/them pronouns, joined as an older version of the heir to the Iron Throne beginning in episode six.

House of the Dragon was a breakout role for D'Arcy, 31, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a drama series in 2023. It was a "beautifully ironic" moment, they said, as at the start of their career, "I really felt that I had to pretend, to present as a woman in order to find success in this industry."

"Anyway, it wasn't sustainable, and I stopped pretending, and weirdly, it's at that point that I got nominated for best actress at the Golden Globes," D'Arcy told E! on the red carpet at the awards ceremony.

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen

Matt Smith plays one of the series' most controversial character, Prince Daemon Targaryen. Daemon went from King Viserys' misbehaving younger brother to a temptation to his young niece, Rhaenyra (Alcock), and eventually, became her husband — despite his brother's continued disapproval.

Smith, 41, describes Daemon as "an agent of chaos," as he told Variety ahead of the premiere of season 2: “You never really know which way he’s going to go."

House of the Dragon's creator, Ryan Condal, had the actor — who he called "dazzling" — specifically in mind for the role. "It was one of those rare instances where you have an actor's headshot up on the writers' board," Condal told the outlet.

Outside of playing the dangerous dragon-riding prince, Smith is best known for portraying Doctor Who on the long-running BBC series from 2010 to 2014, followed by the role of Prince Philip in the first two seasons of The Crown, alongside Claire Foy's Queen Elizabeth.

Related: House of the Dragon Cast Teases Season 2 at NYC Premiere: 'We're All Nervous Hoping People Like It' (Exclusive)

Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II

Tom Glynn-Carney sits on the Iron Throne as King Aegon II, son of King Viserys (Considine) and Queen Alicent (Cooke), and the older brother to Aemond (Mitchell), wife to his sister, Helaena (Phia Saban) and a father to four children.

In season 2, Aegon is "floundering," Glynn-Carney told PEOPLE at the New York City premiere.

"He's thrown into the fray, headfirst, unable to swim," the 29-year-old actor said. "But also, there is a guise of his that — he's trying to wear it well. He's got a bit of a spring in his step. He's also walking two inches taller than he would do, I think. For the start anyway."

"He's finding it exciting. It's the first time we've seen Aegon with purpose. He's never had purpose before. He gets p-----, he stays in bed until midday, he gets p----- again and he does the same thing the next day. So this is the first time he's had a reason to get out of bed and he's a family man now, or the closest to his version of a family man."

Prior to House of the Dragon, Glynn-Carney starred in Dunkirk, The King and Tolkien.

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower

Olivia Cooke portrays one of the few House of the Dragon protagonists that does not ride a dragon. As Alicent Hightower, Cooke, 30, is the mother of the king (Glynn-Carney), the daughter of the Hand of the King (Rhys Ifans) and the former best friend of Rhaenyra Targaryen (D'Arcy). Following Alicent's wedding to Rhaenyra's father, King Viserys (Considine), things between the friends became tense, and in season 2, they find themselves on opposite sides of a war.

Regardless of their distance, Alicent and Rhaenyra remain connected. Cooke compared it to a "ripple effect" between the women. "Rhaenyra is a phantom to Alicent at this point," she told Vogue. "She gets bigger and bigger and bigger in Alicen'ts mind and she's desperate to reconnect and have some sort of face time with Rhaenyra to commune and say sorry but also try and put a plaster over this huge chasm."

The role was originated – like Rhaenyra's – by a younger actress, Emily Carey, who played Alicent until episode six, when Cooke took over.

Cooke's previous leading role was in 2018's Ready Player One alongside Tye Sheridan, which she told PEOPLE was a "magical and purely terrifying" experience, as the film was helmed by Steven Spielberg. She explained, "I almost had a panic attack in the toilet, it was truly just a pinch-me experience. I didn't come down from that moment for a good couple of days."

Related: 'House of the Dragon' Creator Teases 'a Very Bloody Feast' in Season 2 After Heartbreaking Finale Death

Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen

As Aemond Targaryen — second son of Alicent and King Viserys — and ever-eager for revenge after a bloody battle to earn the right to ride Westeros' biggest dragon, Vhagar, Mitchell plays perhaps the most-feared character in House of the Dragon.

Mitchell, 27, told PEOPLE at the New York City premiere that Aemond "wished he was treated as the first [son]," despite being younger than Aegon, and that resentment informs a lot of his behavior.

"He's the one who goes out and fights the war. He feels that Aegon lacks the perseverance to be king. He was the one who squandered his inheritance and Aemond, he was training with Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) in the Red Keep yard."

Mitchell teased of his character, who he said "drew first blood" in season 1, "He becomes the most wanted man in the realm."

Prior to House of the Dragon, Mitchell had previously starred in several British dramas including ITV's The Halcyon and BBC's World on Fire, and played Barry Keoghan's fellow nerdy friend (who is quickly abandoned) in Saltburn.

Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen

Phia Saban stars as Helaena Targaryen, the Queen of Westeros, as she was wed to her brother, King Aegon II (Glynn-Carney). The siblings share four children together, and Helaena is often muttering seemingly cryptic phrases that only make sense days – or sometimes episodes – later.

Teasing what fans can expect from her family in season 2, Saban, 25, told PEOPLE at the New York City premiere, "I think that you're gonna feel for us this season."

"I think that we do some shit — but we regret it. And hopefully you'll see some tenderness as well."

She previously starred in Netflix's The Last Kingdom.

Related: Inside HBO's House of the Dragon NYC Premiere, from Dragon-Inspired Cocktails to an Iron Throne: All the Details

Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen

Eve Best stars as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Once a contender for the Iron Throne before it went to King Viserys, Rhaenys and her husband, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), are some of Rhaenyra's closest allies.

Both of her children – Laenor and Laena – were married. Laenor and Rhaenyra (D'Arcy) were together before he fled Westeros while Laena, who died during childbirth, was married to Daemon (Smith), leaving Rhaenys as a grandmother to five children: Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Baela and Rhaena.

At the end of season 1, Rhaenys proved her loyalty to Rhaenyra when she fled Kings Landing on dragonback to inform her of the death of King Viserys – and the Hightower's wrongful ascent to the throne.

Best, 52, is known for The King's Speech and for playing Dr. Eleanor O'Hara on the first five seasons of Nurse Jackie

Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower

Rhys Ifans plays Otto Hightower, a scheming, politically ambitious strategist who has sat beside the Iron Throne through three kings' reign in Westeros. Otto's schemes were apparent right off the bat in season 1, as he encouraged his young daughter, Alicent (Cooke), to comfort King Viserys following the death of his wife during childbirth. Alicent ended up marrying King Viserys (Considine) and birthing the future king, Aegon II, securing continued power and influence for Otto.

"Otto is a chess player," Ifans told German outlet MovieZine at the Paris premiere. "Otto can predict what his enemies are gonna do before they even know what they're gonna do themselves, which served him well in season 1, but in season 2, I don't know whether his chess skills are entirely gonna be helpful, because in season 2, the world is falling apart."

The Welsh actor, 56, is best known for his role as Hugh Grant's hilarious roommate in Notting Hill, a dangerous enemy to Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man and as the Earl of Oxford in 2010's Anonymous.

Related: House of the Dragon Drops Dueling Season 2 Trailers as Rhaenyra and Alicent Prepare for a Brutal War

Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole

Fabien Frankel portrays Ser Criston Cole, who despite being common-born has worked his way up to be Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. In season 1, Ser Criston and Rhaenyra (Alcock) had somewhat of a romantic edge to their relationship – after she'd advocated for him to be added to the Kingsguard – but he later switched his loyalties, and now stands by Alicent's side.

Frankel, 30, previously starred in Netflix's The Serpent.

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Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon

Harry Collett plays Prince Jacaerys, Rhaenyra's oldest son — who is believed to be a bastard whom she fathered with Ser Harwin Strong, rather than her then-husband, Laenor Velaryon.

As the rightful Queen's oldest son and heir, Jace is on a mission to "prove that he is right for the throne — to people in the outside world as much as inside the castle," Collett, 20, tells PEOPLE at the New York City premiere.

"There's a lot of determination with Jace, which I really, really love," he said, adding that in season 2, he "got to explore new heights with Jace, emotionally and with the character arc" as the season picks up with a grief-stricken family.

"He's lost his brother, and those two were really close," Collett said of the death of Lucerys at Aemond's hands at the end of season 1. "Obviously, Jace is just demolished by the whole thing. And he knows it's Aemond. And I feel like Aemond's always been his target, but even more so now."

Collett starred in Doolittle and the BBC medical series Casualty prior to House of the Dragon.

Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon

Steve Toussaint takes on the role of Lord Corlys Velaryon, who is also known and often referred to as the Sea Snake. Husband to Princess Rhaenys, he had two children, and is the grandfather to five children, all of whom descend from either Rhaenyra or Daemon: Jacaerys, Lucerys, Joffrey, Baela and Rhaena.

At the New York City premiere, Toussaint, 59, told PEOPLE that he and the cast were "all nervous" ahead of the release of season 2 after such a wildly successful debut.

"We're all nervous now, because we're hoping that people like it. We think that we've done a good job, but it's possible the audience might just go, 'Oh my God, what have you done?'"

During filming, though, they weren't thinking that way. "In the process, at the beginning as we rehearsed, yes, there was talk about, 'Oh my God, we did so well, oh my God.' But, actually, once you get down to the actual acting, the job is the job, because we can't play people's expectations."

Prior to House of the Dragon, Toussaint starred in ITV's The Knock, Before We Die and was in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.

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Season 2 of House of the Dragon premieres Sunday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, and season 1 is now streaming on HBO Max.

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