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The best TV shows and movies you might recognize the cast of ‘House of the Dragon’ from

Kim Renfro,Libby Torres

Sun, 2 October 2022 at 12:45 pm·5-min read

In this article:

Rhys IfansWelsh actor and musician
Milly AlcockAustralian actress
Olivia CookeEnglish actress (born 1993)

house of the dragon — “House of the Dragon.”HBO

HBO’s “House of the Dragon” follows the Targaryen family centuries before “Game of Thrones.”
The drama has plenty of actors you might recognize from other shows and movies.
Matt Smith previously starred on “The Crown,” and Rhys Ifans had a memorable role in “Notting Hill.”

Milly Alcock stars as young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.

This is Alcock’s first major role. She previously appeared on the Starz drama “The Gloaming,” Australian series “Upright,” and in the horror film “The School.”

Milly Alcock on the Australian show "Upright." — Milly Alcock on the Australian show “Upright.”Lingo Pictures/Sundance One

The role of young Alicent Hightower is played by Emily Carey.

House of the Dragon character guide — Alicent in the pilot episode of “House of the Dragon.”Ollie Upton / HBO

Carey played younger versions of the main characters in both “Wonder Woman (2017) and “Tomb Raider” (2018).

A young Lara Croft prepares to release an arrow from a bow in this still from "Tomb Raider." — Gal Gadot and Alicia Vikander starred as the elder versions of Diana and Lara, respectively.Warner Bros.

Paddy Considine plays King Viserys Targaryen.

Considine played Detective Wainwright in “Hot Fuzz.” He also starred in “The World’s End,” “The Bourne Ultimatum,” and period drama “Peaky Blinders.”

Paddy Considine in "The World's End." — Paddy Considine in “The World’s End.”Focus Features

Matt Smith stars as Rhaenyra’s uncle (and Viserys’ brother), Prince Daemon Targaryen.

Fans might know him best as the eleventh iteration of the Doctor on the BBC’s sci-fi series “Doctor Who.” Smith also notably played a young Prince Philip in “The Crown,” and appeared in “Last Night in Soho” and “Morbius.”

Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in "Doctor Who." — Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in “Doctor Who.”BBC

The older version of Princess Rhaenyra is played by Emma D’Arcy.

D’Arcy played Astrid on the Amazon series “Truth Seekers.” They also appeared in the film “Misbehaviour,” which also featured their “House of the Dragon” costar Rhys Ifans.

Emma D'Arcy in "Mothering Sunday." — Emma D’Arcy also appeared in “Mothering Sunday.”Sony Pictures Classics

Olivia Cooke plays the older version of Alicent Hightower.

A woman with reddish brown hair wearing a fur-lined coat sits in a carriage. — Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower.HBO

Cooke costarred in the 2018 film “Ready Player One.” She also played Emma on the “Psycho” prequel series “Bates Motel,” appeared on Amazon’s “Modern Love,” and had roles in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and “Life Itself.”

Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke in "Ready Player One." — Tye Sheridan and Olivia Cooke in “Ready Player One.”Warner Bros.

Ser Criston Cole, a knight of the Kingsguard, is played by Fabian Frankel.

Two men with shoulder-length hair stand side by side looking serious. — Joffrey and Criston in “House of the Dragon.”HBO

Frankel also appeared on the crime drama “The Serpent,” based on a series of real-life murders in the 1970s.

Fabien Frankel on "The Serpent." — Fabien Frankel on “The Serpent.”Netflix

Rhys Ifans plays Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King and father of Alicent.

Otto Hightower on "House of the Dragon." — Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower on “House of the Dragon.”Ollie Upton / HBO

Ifans has a long list of acting credits to his name. He played Xenophilius Lovegood in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” and starred as Dr. Curt Connors in “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021). He also had a small but memorable role as Spike in the 1999 rom-com “Notting Hill.”Story continues