Emma D’Arcy: ‘There’s only one sexual violence incident in House of the Dragon’
Emma D’Arcy says there is only one incident of sexual violence in ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off ‘House of the Dragon’.
The actress, 30, said the new HBO series also focuses on “patriarchal structures from the point of view of women who have no control over those structures and for whom they were not made”.
Emma, who plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the prequel series, which started Sunday (21.08.22) on Sky Atlantic and Now TV, said when asked how she felt about the rape and bloodshed that made ‘Game of Thrones’ controversial: “This is sort of a spoiler, but since people keep raising it, I don’t know a better way to address it.
“There is one instance of sexual violence in this series. It happens off screen and the story focuses on the effect on the victim and on the perpetrator’s mother.
“The whole show attempts to deliver a different gaze – that’s what happens when you build a show around female leads. I think it’s a great reason for making a return to Westeros, to focus on the violence inherent in patriarchal structures.
“It investigates patriarchal structures from the point of view of women who have no control over those structures and for whom they were not made.
“It uses a different entry point to return to Westeros, asking questions about female leadership.
“I don’t think the show offers any answers, but I do think it interrogates how women have to try to persuade an electorate that you’re not ‘other’. It’s pertinent in an age where we still choose male leaders.”
The ‘House of the Dragon’ story takes place 200 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’, with Emma’s character the first-born child of King Viserys Targaryen (played by Paddy Considine) and Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke.)
Emma, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, said about identifying with her part: “Rhaenyra is deeply interested in gender dynamics; she has really keen awareness for the different space that men and women are afforded.
“She feels at odds with the way that she’s read. She feels like an inherent outsider that, despite their best efforts, and from a very young age, I think she’s seeking a way of living that feels authentic. I find that very moving.”
The actress added when Emma found out they had won the role of Rhaenyra, all other work had dried up amid the Covid pandemic.
She said: “It was very strange timing. I was just really delighted at having something to do again.”
