What was your experience like shooting the big dragon fight scene?
Cool, man. It’s kind of a little boy’s dream. It’s just something that you think of when you’re a child as being the coolest thing in the world. And it really was. They basically build a screen around you so you know where to look: what’s expected, what’s coming at you, what’s leaving you. Your entire perspective is quite clear. And then amongst that, you’re clad in all this armor that has been expertly crafted by some amazing workmanship. But then again, you’re crouched over this big saddle, strapped in, feeling like you can’t move. That crane has really got a lot of work to do to make it look like you’re moving.
At the beginning of the season, Aegon says that Aemond is his closest confidant, and by episode four, Aemond has basically tried to kill him. Where do they stand now? And what’s your relationship with Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond?
Oh, Aegon and Aemond’s relationship is very different to Tom and Ewan’s relationship. Let’s put that out there [laughs].
Look, that is sibling rivalry on a very intense scale, isn’t it? It’s the flip of the switch that can happen when somebody feels pushed out or somebody feels like there’s been injustice. I always felt like Aemond saw himself being in that position of power and dealing with it better than Aegon would deal with it. But then again, his birth certificate states otherwise. It was bound to happen at some point, wasn’t it?
Was there a particular scene that you felt extra challenged by or invigorated by?
He’s never in the same frame of mind twice in one day. He’s all over the place. Keeping up with his erratic mood swings was the hard part, and was this thing that I was having to stay really focused on. There wasn’t particularly one scene that I thought, Oh God, not this one, because all of them are challenging in different ways. Even the ones where he’s still and more focused are difficult, because you’ve got that sort of inner Aegon rhythm that is rapid. It’s very different to mine. It’s maintaining that, but still keeping the tension of the scene. I relished the opportunity to play someone with such range and creative potential from an acting point of view.
Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, has noted that you two are not very far apart in age at all, and yet are playing mother and son. How did you guys work together to create that filial dynamic?
Every scene that I’ve had with Olivia, there is never a moment that isn’t filled. Everything is just so complex and deeply entrenched in her. She means everything she says. It’s a rare skill to have. As an actor, she has that in truckloads. It’s a gift to be able to work with her, to play her son.
Yeah, [it’s] hilarious. She’s only a year older than me. I think we manage it because we get on so well. We’re pals as well, you know. I love Olivia to bits. Trust her wholeheartedly. We have a laugh. We don’t take it too seriously. We have common ground on that. But then in the moments where the work is happening, it’s all we care about. We care immensely. It’s one of those things where in the downtime, after we wrap, we can go for a drink. We can have a laugh. We connect on a personal level as well as a professional level. I think that’s what sort of breeds a healthy and believable performance thing relationship-wise.
There’s an amusing scene where Aegon is sitting around with the lads and talking about what his sobriquet should be. Should he be “Aegon the Brave,” “Aegon the Whatever,” etc. What do you think he should be called?
Aegon Toast, probably.