While we now know Emma D’Arcy as our Negroni-loving icon that portrays the heart and soul of Team Black, Rhaenyra Targaryen, there was a time when they scrambled to look the part. As much as the Targaryens serve flawless hair on the screen, it’s the Hair and Makeup department that deserves the credit. Auditions, though, might be a different story.
And for D’Arcy, auditions were a mess, unlike their character’s easy-flowing hair. Adding to their trouble was a comedy of errors. The search for an adult Rhaenyra meant D’Arcy HAD to look the part, but their makeshift pandemic wig was a real headscratcher.
House of The Dragon? Well, that sounds like a rip-off!
In a world where anything and everything has a parody simply for existing, we can’t fault Emma D’Arcy‘s thought process here. Game of Thrones was such a world-shattering phenomenon, and its characters even more so. Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys’ forced descent into madness is still widely talked about. So, when House of The Dragon knocked on D’Arcy’s door, it’s no surprise they’d think it’s a knockoff show.
In an exclusive with EW, D’Arcy revealed how they hustled to look the part. The signature Targaryen hair was met with a malfunction- the pandemic cutting off D’Arcy from finding an appropriate wig.
When showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal questioned if they owned a wig to look the part on virtual auditions, D’Arcy, sporting their short hair, crisply responded, “Do I look like I own a wig?” They recalled-
All I had were some hair extensions left over from a job. No way of attaching them to me, no idea how to do that. For 24 hours, me and my partner just ‘tried’ — I can’t put more emphasis behind that word. My hair was about as long as it is now. We hot glued these hair extensions to these wig grips.
Of course, the hair troubles didn’t end there. Sapochnik was sent photos of each extension add-on, only for D’Arcy to hear if they could keep trying.
We kept trying until we found something that gave me the illusion I had long hair. And then, every time we taped after that, I would sit in front of the telly, and my partner would do my hair extensions for an hour and a half before we taped anything.
Luckily, that was that, and Team Black had found its Queen.
The Blacks appear to be winning the people’s hearts
With Mysaria aiding Rhaenyra Targaryen to sow the seeds of dissent amongst the common folk, their latest move curried favor. Having the Greens appear almost tyrannical and in disregard of their subjects, Team Black has now shown it still cares for its people. Though the episode still left viewers wanting for more, it sets up the events to come.
With Seasmoke basically just saying “Fine, I’ll do it myself” and finding its rider in Addam of Hull, it appears the tides maybe shifting in favor of the Blacks. Meanwhile, Rhaena discovered a large dragon hiding around the Vale. Though not seen on-screen yet, this beast is likely Sheepstealer.
While readers of the books might know his rider to be Nettles, the show might be departing from the source and having Rhaena be his rider. Rhaena has time and again been seen as one to want a large and powerful dragon, and this mutton-loving dragon might just be her ticket to win one for the Blacks.
With only 2 episodes left to wrap this season, things are starting to bring viewers to the edge of their seats.
Watch House of The Dragon on Max.
