Ewan Mitchell bared it all in the second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon, and while fans were utterly shocked by his full-frontal n*de, the actor was even more shaken by the process of filming it behind the scenes.
His character, Aemond Targaryen, has always put up a façade of a ruthless and devil-may-care attitude. However, in Episodes 2 and 3 of the series, the viewers were able to see his vulnerable side.
Ewan Mitchell On His Uncomfortable N*de Scene In House of the Dragon
While appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with co-star Fabien Frankel, actor Ewan Mitchell discussed Aemond’s controversial scene in House of the Dragon.
I had a n*de scene in episode 2 and 3. I thought I’d walk it, and that’d be, like, the perfect temperature for those scenes. But, like, during the shoot day, we went past our normal studio. We went to a different studio, studio F, and it’s like a fridge freezer. It was a shock to the system, a shock to the n*ked body.
Mitchell said the n*de scene was a decision that he and director Geeta Vasant Patel talked through. After deliberation, they arrived at the resolution to do what was best for the character. In his conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Mitchell explained:
It was a decision that we didn’t make lightly. Every scene starts with a conversation — how far are you comfortably prepared to go? Me and Geeta Patel, our director, we were very like-minded in the sense that we wanted to be true to Aemond in that moment.
Aemond was humiliated, and he needed to show that he wasn’t affected by the bullying at all. For that scene, Mitchell believed Aemond would put up his façade again and walk out like nothing happened.
Despite the temperature issues in the production room, Mitchell was able to handle it as well as the act of baring his body in front of the camera.
House of the Dragon Director Says Ewan Mitchell Understood The Assignment
Director Geeta Vasant Patel praised Ewan Mitchell for his brave and bold portrayal of Aemond in House of the Dragon. She told Variety how the young star “understands what he needs to do in order to portray Aemond.” Patel added:
He starts putting on his armor and when he stands up, the fact that he doesn’t care that you see his p—s is such a strong visceral shift. And so, of course, Ewan was like, ‘I want to be fully n*de in that moment. It’s important to me because that’s who my character is. That’s what he would do.’
Aemond’s state of vulnerability has become one of the most talked about scenes from Season 2. Still, the character remains a formidable force to reckon with, especially after the pivotal events in Episode 4.
Now that the Dance of the Dragons has finally begun, there will be more tension between the Blacks and the Greens.
House of the Dragon Season 2 is now streaming on HBO.
