When Jamie Kenna acquired off the telephone along with his agent following an audition for season two of Home of the Dragon, he was devastated. He hadn’t booked the function.
Ser Alfred Broome, who serves as a knight on Queen Rhaenyra’s black council – and, because the British actor describes, is a “Targaryen by employment” – had escaped him. “I used to be completely gutted as a result of I actually, desperately needed it. I assumed the audition had gone effectively,” Kenna tells The Hollywood Reporter.
However three weeks later, casting administrators for HBO‘s hit Sport of Thrones prequel modified their minds. Per week after that, Kenna was in costume and on set, surrounded by fellow castmembers Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Eve Greatest. Having initially misplaced out, he got here to grasp that this was the function of a lifetime.
“I knew it was the most important, it was the subsequent stage that I’d all the time needed,” he says. “That is the job I’d been ready for. Whereas I used to be so elated once I did get it, I didn’t notice, even then, the dimensions of [House of the Dragon]. There’s home banners on among the world’s most iconic buildings, dragons on the Empire State Constructing. They didn’t try this for Coronation Avenue.”
Till now, Kenna’s résumé has been a combination of British soaps, akin to Coronation Avenue, Casualty and Silent Witness, with a number of greater tasks like The Crown and His Darkish Supplies. However Dragonstone is a world away from what he’s used to.
A glimpse of what’s to return from Kenna’s character was supplied up in episode two, which aired Sunday evening. Ser Alfred acquired a swift telling off from Rhaenys (Greatest) when he implied Rhaenyra had been answerable for the slaughter of a younger boy (who, for Crew Inexperienced, was additionally inheritor to the Iron Throne). It’s a well-established truth Sport of Thrones and Home of the Dragon followers are accustomed to grotesque tales of bloodshed and homicide, however Kenna was integral in maintaining issues mild whereas filming.
“You’re doing dour, bleak scenes the place there’s been the decapitation of a kid and then you definately yell ‘Minimize!’ and there’s a lot enjoyable and video games and messing round,” he says. “There was loads of laughter, loads of banter, which is far wanted if you’re shedding kilos by the hour in that leather-based armor.” At this second, his publicist interjects to make clear it was Kenna offering the set with these enjoyable moments, in line with lead star D’Arcy.
Jamie Kenna
Courtesy of Jemima Marriott
Regardless of the large names round and the monstrous set earlier than him, Kenna wasn’t intimidated. “My first day, I walked on set, and I’m with Matt Smith on the set of Harrenhal – which is mind-boggling, how they construct these units out of wooden – and he couldn’t have been friendlier. He couldn’t have been extra welcoming. Matt Smith is a really, very beneficiant actor. So the entire expertise exceeded expectations… The environment is so pleasant,” he provides. “Everybody’s simply so blissful to be there. It appears like a small job, which is beautiful.”
Warfare is brewing in Westeros, and with each episode, the violence is escalating. Kenna can’t reveal an excessive amount of however guarantees “pleasure, controversy, battle and naughtiness – nonetheless you interpret that — ” is coming. Ser Alfred will get a narrative of his personal this season. “[Episode two] was a very nice introduction to his method, to how he feels,” Kenna says. “As a result of I feel even in that tiny little bit, they did a really good second the place they targeted on the guards looking at me and Rhaenys will get me in line. If you happen to watch it once more, it units it as much as present that this man’s not afraid to say one thing. And that’s very a lot the place the journey goes, with the climax of that within the final episode. No spoilers, however he tries to take issues into his personal arms just a little bit.”
“It’s all a large number,” Kenna says of the looming civil battle. “Individuals are making an attempt to understand management. So [Ser Alfred] very a lot desires to go in and stamp. He thinks we needs to be going all weapons blazing, sending out messages. He’s a normal, so he’s not rash. He desires to construct a military, and he desires to do issues the best method, in a useful method.”
The prospect to struggle for the Targaryens is a dream come true for Kenna, who grew up in a working-class household with an ambition to behave. He has cherished this expertise a lot that the Home Broome crest is now tattooed on the actor’s leg. “I like being on set. I like actors, I like being round individuals. I’m fortunate to have performed among the most wonderful jobs. And I’m riddled with imposter syndrome each time,” he confesses. “[House of the Dragon] was undoubtedly up there, I’m going, ‘What am I doing right here? How did I get right here?’ And so I’m very optimistic, I’m very jolly, and I’ll crack a lot of jokes.”
However crucially, everybody on this set went together with Kenna’s quips and high-spirited nature. “It’s the most effective job I’ve ever had.”