OLIVIA COOKE PHOTOGRAPHED BY EVELYN FREJA FOR LA TIMES.
RYAN CONDAL TALKING ABOUT ALICENT HIGHTOWER'S CHARACTER ARC IN S2.
Condal describes Alicent’s journey this season as “an ongoing expansion of the character,” although he admits the episodes “really put Alicent through her paces.”
That was something Cooke felt deeply.
OLIVIA COOKE TALKING ABOUT ALICENT HIGHTOWER IN S2.
“In this season, she’s so adrift,” Cooke says, joking that there are only so many miserable faces she can make.
“She’s losing her power. With Rhaenyra and Alicent, it’s like a butterfly effect, so as Rhaenyra is gaining power, the hourglass is turned over and the power is waning from Alicent, and her influence is waning as well. There’s an imaginary rope between [the two characters] that carries them throughout seasons.”
Cooke says Alicent “gets a massive dose of the reality” when her “psycho sons” take control of the realm.
On a more positive note, Alicent has the opportunity to explore her sexuality this season, coupling up with a character who will, for now, remain unnamed (let’s just say he matches her freak).
It’s a rare expression of freedom for a woman who has lacked agency, which Condal says has “greatly affected who her character is.”
“That was really important because you’ve not seen Alicent experience that in her adult life, and all of a sudden, she has all these teenage, passionate feelings toward someone,” Cooke says.
“I think that makes her feel insane.”
ABOUT FILMING 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON' S2.
After seven months of production, which wrapped in September, Cooke was “absolutely knackered” — a polite British way of saying the experience had completely depleted her.
“Last season, Emma and I were only in four episodes each, so we’d walk in and be full of beans when everyone else was at death’s door. Then I think we both really felt the enormity of the schedule. And it’s so emotional.”
“Both of us are just either sobbing or screaming all the time. I don’t know if I smile in Season 2.”
Despite the exhaustion, Cooke loves playing Alicent.
She’s a character of “so many subterranean levels of repression and anger and despair and passion,” which is a huge gift.
Has compassion and empathy for her, and she understands why Alicent does manipulative, devious things.
“She’s smarter than all the men as well and she could rule and she’d be really f— good at it.”
“It’s so frustrating that she can’t believe she would be this amazing ruler because she’s so indoctrinated by the patriarchy and by her father.”
“She’s been molded to talk sweetly into the ears of these powerful men, and it’s such a disservice to who she is and what she’s capable of.”
ABOUT HER PERSONAL LIFE.
Before Season 1 premiered, Cooke was worried that her personal life might become too public for comfort.
“I just didn’t want my life to change. It’s such a big TV show, and I hadn’t ever done anything to this scale before. Or if I had, it was a film that comes out and then goes away and doesn’t live in the culture for years and years and years.”
So far, Cooke’s fears have gone mostly unfounded. She’s recognized, sure, but not in a way that disrupts her daily life.
And when it does, fans are generally nice about it, like recently when she was on the London Underground going home and a group of drunken girls started shouting “Alicent” in her direction.
“It’s actually been all right. I think you notice an uptick as the show is about to come out because they’re promoting it more.”
ABOUT ACTING.
She calls herself a “catastrophizer” and admits she can be hard on herself when reflecting on a performance.
ABOUT THEIR UPCOMING PROJECTS.
She wants to “embark on more of the unknown,” something the actor is aiming to do with her production company Chippy Tea, which she formed two years ago.
Her first production, a romance film called “Takes One to Know One,” will shoot in Rome early next year and stars Jamie Bell alongside Cooke.
She also wants to try her hand at directing.
“When I’m on set, I’m always figuring out how things work and almost shadowing the director.”
“I find acting a lot of the time to be so insular. You can get in your own way. I like the collaborative process of making something from the ground up, and I want to do more of that.”
“It’s also taking control of my own destiny a little bit more.”
ABOUT ALICENT HIGHTOWER FOR 'HOUSE OF THE DRAGON' SEASON 3.
As for Alicent, well, she may not be so lucky. But, she wants to play her for as long as possible.
“I really want her to just go off and be in the forest with some chickens,” she says, jokingly.
“But really, there’s some good stuff for her for Season 3, if we get it. Really exciting stuff.”
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