Olivia Cooke leapt to her death on her 21st birthday. That was how it felt, at least. In Oahu, she went skydiving with her family, closest friend, and then-boyfriend. One by one, they all leaped out of the plane and vanished from sight. The British actress was so nervous thousands of feet in the air that she thought steam would burst from her ears and felt a gnawing pressure in her head. But she gave in as she padded into the open door while still tethered to her guide, reported ELLE.
"I just remember this feeling of calm as I accepted my own death," I said, dipping my head out. Cooke tells me this on a recent Sunday morning at Locanda Verde in downtown Manhattan. "And I felt myself smiling." It was incredible, akin to diving inside a work of art. But never once more.
Although Cooke, 30, hasn't actually leaped out of an airplane, it wouldn't be too far off to fall free and into the world of Game of Thrones, which would be just as thrilling and dangerous. In 2022, when she made her screen debut as Alicent Hightower in HBO's prequel House of the Dragon, the franchise already had millions of devoted (and frequently loud) fans—many of whom were still stung by the highly debated series finale from three years earlier—as well as George R. R. Martin's renowned book series and globally successful TV adaptation. Furthermore, this program was unique; although being set 200 years earlier, House of the Dragon would primarily focus on two female characters and use more Black performers in response to accusations that Game of Thrones was excessively white and male-centric. Cooke notes that while there was some conservative pushback to it, there was also "some resistance" from the audience against creating "another story out of the world" in the first place. Nevertheless, the show maintained its ardent fan following, garnered a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination, and made its HBO debut with nearly 10 million viewers—the largest premiere ever at the time. A second season that takes place two years later opens tonight.
Cooke remarks, "That was crazy the last time, but I know what to expect now." "There was pressure to create a new spinoff within the Game of Thrones universe, and we really wanted it to be well received because we had put so much effort into it."
House of the Dragon, which is based on Martin's book Fire & Blood, chronicles the turmoil of House Targaryen nearly two centuries before Emilia Clarke's character Daenerys entered the picture. Cooke's Alicent is the widow of King Viserys I, the mother of the recently crowned young king Aegon, the daughter of the King's Hand, and the former closest friend of Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), the legitimate heir to the throne. While the tensions between the ladies gradually increase during the first season, by the time of the conclusion, Alicent's oldest son has usurped Rhaenyra's throne and her other son has killed one of Rhaenyra's children, making reconciliation seem unachievable. The uninitiated perceive an impending civil war. The two opposing sides? The Blacks were devoted to Rhaenyra, while the Greens supported Aegon, the son of Alicent. | BGNES