Ewan Mitchell has emerged as a promising talent in the entertainment world with his performances in The Last Kingdom and World on Fire. Since 2022, he garnered widespread acclaim for portraying the pivotal role of Prince Aemond Targaryen in the House of the Dragon series.
As the ongoing season has already dropped several interesting scenes, one, in particular, features the actor showcasing his physique in the earlier episodes. In a recent interview, he delved into the specifics of preparing for such a demanding sequence.
Ewan Mitchell Reveals How He Achieved his Toned Physique in House of the Dragon Season 2
In the third episode of House of the Dragon Season 2, his character, Aemond Targaryen gets fully naked during a brothel scene after facing insults from his brother, Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney).
The particular sequence created an immense buzz online with many expressing that it completely surprised them. However, Ewan Mitchell was aware of what he wanted to portray to the camera, as he delved into preparing to tone his body for that particular scene.
Since, his n*de scene in the HBO series required him to appear in a vulnerable and exposed state, both physically and emotionally, he wanted to stay true to it.
In an interview with Esquire UK, he revealed it to be “a beautiful challenge but also an opportunity to offer a very rare glimpse into Aemond’s vulnerability that we’ve never really seen before.”
He expressed that he felt “protected” thanks to the intimacy coordinator as he further delved into the decision-making process to flash himself on-screen.
He revealed that the team considered less revealing options like Aemond covering himself with a blanket or his hands, but ultimately chose full n-dity to give justice to the character.
The whole point of Aemond is that he doesn’t care about anyone. He can walk into any room, be humiliated in it, and when he walks out, he still retains the power.
Apart from preparing himself mentally for the challenge, he also reflected on preparing his body for the episode.
I very much wanted to cultivate this, especially with my body. I ate lots of chicken, did lots of CrossFit, did lots of boxing, and ate a lot of chicken. I just very much wanted to cut the image of someone who, even without armor, is completely lethal. Just because he hasn’t got that, he still doesn’t care.
The scene’s success is a collaborative effort of the production team, who ensured a respectful and comfortable environment on set, and the actor’s professionalism who remained dedicated to his craft to deliver a nuanced portrayal of his character.
Ewan Mitchell Faced Challenges While Filming the Naked Sequence in House of the Dragon Season 2
In an episode of The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, the 27-year-old actor admitted that he was quite excited to bare it all on-screen as he was wearing hot green leather whole day while filming season 2.
However, he was unaware of what awaited him, as the actor revealed that both the brothel sequences were filmed in “fridge freezer” temperatures, which was not easy to film, especially for him.
He reflected,
I had a nude scene in episode 2 and 3, so I thought I’d walk it and that’d be like the perfect temperature for those scenes. But 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.
He added,
Yeah, it was a shock to the system. A shock to the naked body. I hope you enjoyed it — and I hope my mother is okay with it. It was crazy.
Despite the challenges, he remained committed to delivering a remarkable performance for audiences, which is a testament to the amount of hard work needed in the acting world.
House of the Dragon can be streamed on HBO Max.
