“I was unmasking on set”: Emily Carey’s Hit Netflix Show Reveals a Deep Personal Truth About the Actress That ‘House of the Dragon’ Couldn’t

Emily Carey is better known for playing the young Alicent Hightower in the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. After garnering acclaim for her portrayal in the HBO series, the actress recently starred in the Netflix show, Geek Girl, which has turned out to be a certified hit. A teen drama unlike any other, the limited series has achieved incredible success ever since it premiered on the streaming platform.

While Carey is happy to headline such a show, the actress in a recent interview also remarked how much of a personal project the show has been for her, allowing her to come to terms with herself in a way that House of the Dragon did not allow her to.

Geek Girl Was A Personal Affair For House of the Dragon Star Emily Carey

Emily Carey has been in the industry for a long time, mainly starring as the younger version of a lot of different characters. While House of the Dragon was a similar affair for her, it was also her first real job as an adult. While she felt great to be starring in such a show and receiving the support of the crew, given the show’s premise, it was tough for her mentally (see Glamour).

But starring in the teen drama Geek Girl was relaxing for Carey, despite the series tackling issues like bullying, neurodiversity, and more. A fan of the book series the show is based on since childhood, Carey described her experience on set as similar to unmasking, given she too is autistic like the character she plays.

I was unmasking on set and to then portray that on camera was very new to me and difficult to navigate at times. But truthfully, the character is so much more than being autistic – Harriet is so many incredible things.

Stated Carey in a recent interview with BBC. While she did exclaim that it was a bit daunting coming to terms with her personality and confronting that, the House of the Dragon star is grateful for the opportunity to play a character as pivotal as Harriet Manners.

Emily Carey Deeply Relates With Her Geek Girl Character

Emily Carey, in her interview with Glamour, revealed her House of the Dragon character was very close to her and it was difficult for her to draw a line between her own personality and Alicent Hightower. But, when it came to Geek Girl, Carey feels Harriet Manners is a character that makes her feel seen and acknowledged.

A character that she has related with growing up and is fortunate to bring to live-action, Carey while conversing with BCC, remarked,

I was bullied and teased for similar reasons to Harriet in the show, for wanting to try hard in school and get good exam results… It felt comforting and healing to my inner child to play Harriet.

Not only did it help heal her inner child, but portraying Harriet also allowed her to understand why teenagers treat each other the way they do. And so while starring in Geek Girl has been instrumental for Emily Carey, fans of the show too feel that her portrayal has helped them come to terms with their own personality and struggles.

Geek Girl can be streamed on Netflix while House of the Dragon is available on HBO Max.