‘I’m lucky playing a Targaryen — no one recognises me in real life!’
HOUSE of the Dragon star Emma D’Arcy says they got “lucky” in their break-out role — as most fans do not recognise them out of costume.
The 31-year-old plays Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in the show, a prequel to hit fantasy series Game of Thrones. D’Arcy returns to the role, alongside Matt Smith, in the second series next month.
The actor told ES Magazine: “I’m very lucky, I look very different in the show. The blonde wig is a piece of armour that protects me. I have a very normal, ordinary day-to-day life and it suits me.”
D’Arcy, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress for the show’s first series, identifies as non-binary and says there are “problems” with awards categories in the face of a new generation of non gender-conforming talent, such as Emma Corrin and Bella Ramsey.
They told ES Magazine: “There are multiple awards that are already finding new ways of categorising, and what feels beautifully evident about that very exciting, very talented [up and coming] generation that you speak of, is that those people are constantly revealing that the current structure is somewhat redundant.”
The star, who is also about to appear with Ben Whishaw at the Royal Court Theatre in play Bluets, said they are happy to be a role model for other queer actors.
They said: “I feel it to be a role of privilege because I suppose I wouldn’t have known when I was younger that I would necessarily be out and visible … I feel deeply fortunate to be in this position.”
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