While Game of Thrones took place in a world where dragons had died years ago with Daenerys Targaryen later bringing them back to life, House of the Dragon was set years before Daenerys’ birth, making dragons a part of everyday life. Thus, with dragons being in the scene, it needed actors to ride them, which was apparently the worst part for the cast.
But hold on, while most actors absolutely hated riding a fake dragon during the shoots, Emma D’Arcy had no issues with those scenes. Although riding the mechanical dragon rig for mind-numbing hours made Game of Thrones actors miserable, D’Arcy, who played Rhaenyra Targaryen in the HBO prequel, “loved” it.
Riding the Mechanical Dragon Rig Made Actors Miserable
The uber-popular HBO show Game of Thrones has hooked fans to the screen for years, following its release in 2011. Throughout the eight-season run, the show featured several iconic moments and introduced viewers to the land of dragons, like they had never witnessed before. But while the scenes look magnificent to fans, it was incredibly difficult for the actors behind the scenes.
Adapted from George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire, the series was initially shot in a world where dragons had died out years. However, later on in the show, they were revived by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). This introduction of dragons apparently made it difficult for actors to shoot the scenes, for it required them to ride the mechanical dragon rig for mind-numbing hours.
Several Game of Thrones actors have expressed their frustration and misery related to riding a fake dragon. But, they weren’t the only ones who didn’t like those scenes. Apparently, even actors from House of the Dragon, the HBO show’s prequel, disliked the shots where they had to ride a fake dragon. Well, most actors except Emma D’Arcy claimed to appreciate those scenes.
Emma D’Arcy Loved Riding a Fake Dragon While Shooting
Emma D’Arcy, who played the role of the older Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, claimed to love the scenes involving a fake dragon ride. During their interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor recalled the times from set when they had to ride a fake dragon. Witnessing their character “fly” through the skies after editing, made them appreciate those scenes even more.
“From everything I’ve heard, it’s radically different from what people on Thrones had to put up with. I loved it. It’s like going to an Ikea and trying all the kitchen taps.”
Discussing how different it was for them to ride a mechanical dragon rig, Emma D’Arcy appreciated the presence of dragons in the show, from the very beginning, unlike Game of Thrones. Even showrunner Ryan Condal stated that the presence of dragons from the beginning of the show made it easy for them to build an infrastructure best suited.
“The biggest difference about this series is the fact that dragons exist in this [era], whereas they were an extinct species that came back to life in the original show. So there’s an infrastructure built around them. There’s a dragon pit, saddles, and dragon keepers — this monk-like order that takes care of them.”
House of the Dragon had a dramatic number of dragons throughout the show. According to reports, there were apparently 17 dragons who received considerable effort from the designing team to have a unique look and personality.
