For Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy, the second season of Home of the Dragon is knowledgeable by grief and discovering a manner out of the darkness.
The celebs of the hit HBO fantasy collection attended the season two premiere on the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York Metropolis on Monday, they usually each spoke with ET about what’s in retailer for his or her respective characters as the brand new season picks up.
D’Arcy stars as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, who’s battling to ascend the throne after the dying of her father, Viserys, on the finish of season 1. In the meantime, Smith stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhaenyra’s husband, in addition to her uncle.
“We meet them each in a state of deep grief,” D’Arcy shared. “[And] they’re two bereaved individuals who actually wrestle to speak.”
“They are not good communicators,” D’Arcy mentioned of Rhaenyra and Daemon, “and really, I believe one thing about their dynamic implies that they don’t seem to be prepared to indicate weak point to at least one one other. That is type of a elementary flaw of their relationship. They do not wish to be seen to be weak.”
“So I believe… it is gonna be bumpy,” D’Arcy added.
Smith feels Daemon’s motivations are fueled by a way of obligation and honor, however they finally drive a wedge between him and Rhaenyra.
“We choose up in a really sophisticated state of affairs,” Smith mentioned of season 2. “There’s a variety of grief flying round within the air and I believe, you realize, Daemon is doing issues that he thinks are for the good thing about the household. [Things] he is type of obligation sure to do actually.”
Nonetheless, Smith mentioned that Daemon’s actions and ambition “invariably creates a deeper fragmentation between” them.
“In some ways, he is type of on his personal path,” Smith mentioned, including, “They seem to be a sophisticated bunch.”
“I believe grief is a significant motor for the present as an entire and positively for Rhaenyra’s type of narrative arc via the collection,” D’Arcy shared.
D’Arcy additionally defined that the “political designs have by no means felt extra personally essential” this season.
“I believe for Rhaenyra, notably, her inheritance, sitting the Iron Throne, her title within the Targaryen histories, all of those really feel like a strategy to stay nearer to her father. Her late father. So yeah, sitting on the throne is a elementary private want now, in addition to a type of political purpose,” D’Arcy defined.
Home of the Dragon is a prequel collection to HBO’s megahit Recreation of Thrones, and is customized from the novel Hearth and Blood by creator George R.R. Martin. It tells the historical past of Home Targaryen, the household dynasty that dominated the seven kingdoms of Westeros lots of of years earlier than the occasions of Recreation of Thrones.
Home of the Dragon‘s first season resulted in October 2022 with dramatic aptitude, as alliances have been cast within the battle between the Black Council — these supporting Rhaenyra’s declare to the throne — and Inexperienced Council — the conspirators who aided Aegon’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) ascension after the dying of King Viserys (performed by Paddy Considine).
Aside from Prince Daemon and his niece-turned-wife Princess Rhaenyra, different returning gamers embrace Queen Alicent (Cooke), her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), her kids, Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), King Aegon II (Glynn-Carney) and Helaena (Phia Saban), and her loyal servant, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). Princess Rhaenys (Eve Finest) and Corlys aka the Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint) may also be again.
Extra actors becoming a member of the collection are Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne, Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Robust, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, and Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull.
Season 2 of Home of the Dragon debuts June 16 on HBO.
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