Since the first seeds of discontent between the Blacks and the Greens were sown in the first season of House of the Dragon, fans knew that Aemond Targaryen would end up being a key player in this dance. After actor Ewan Mitchell took over the role following the time jump, he quickly became a fan favourite thanks to the mercurial quality he brought to the unpredictable, zany Aemond.
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, the actor talks about his method for keeping Aemond unpredictable and spontaneous on screen, and also opens up about the fan art and fan fiction centred on his character.
Keeping Aemond spontaneous
House of the Dragon is based on George RR Martin’s Fire and Blood, a novel written as a history book within his world of ice and fire (which inspired Game of Thrones). Even the book fans labelled Aemond as one of their favourites. But in the series, Ewan faces the challenge of not only meeting expectations but also keeping the character fresh. How does he go about it? “I think by just having faith on the day and really being open to things as they come your way. You might have an idea, but there also might be an idea that someone else has with what you do in a scene that really just inspires you,” says the actor.
Is it challenging to keep the character spontaneous and unpredictable, given that the source material has existed for years? Ewan responds, “I do that by not over-prepping the dialogue or the scenes, but really by just coming in with the same kind of spontaneous energy.”
Ewan awestruck by fan fiction
Fire and Blood was written at a time when online fan fiction was at its peak. Fans writing additional lore and alternative histories for their favourite characters is nothing new. But Martin’s books have seen that reach a new high. Aemond is one character to have inspired many such fan fictions, some of which ‘pair’ him with rival Daemon Targaryen in a ‘friends-to-lovers’ trope, while others see him in a relationship with Lucerys, the prince he accidentally killed. “I knew of fan fiction, but I didn’t know to what extent it was present,” laughs Ewan as we share some examples.
Acknowledging that he is honoured to read the fan fiction and look at the fan art, Ewan is amazed at how all fan fiction presents Aemond as a lover, not a fighter. “It raises the important question: Can a character be fixed? I don’t know if Aemond can be fixed.” His co-star Gayle Rankin, who plays Alys Rivers on the show, adds, “He is a lover; I think that is what is being exposed here.”
House of the Dragon season 3
The third season of House of the Dragon premieres on June 21 on HBO and HBO Max worldwide. In India, the show will stream on JioHotstar. The eight-episode season 3 will conclude on August 9.