Milly Alcock on Misogyny in 'House of the Dragon' On and Off Screen: It's 'Ironic'

From the bloody battle scene to the terrifying prospect of child marriage, the universe of "Game of Thrones" depicts a world of patriarchy, misogyny and violence. But according to Milly Alcock, who plays Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in 'House of the Dragon', some of this misogyny is also found in online fandom.

Alcock has a unique take on both the misogyny in the show's storyline and the dialogue surrounding it. Before landing the role of Rhaenyra Targaryen, she had never even seen "Game of Thrones," and now she finds herself at the center of one of the most elaborate and intense fandoms in the world. "It's like a part-time job," she recently told Nylon while observing the conversation about herself and her character on the internet. "It's an incredibly difficult space to navigate."

As well as just adapting to seeing his face all over the internet, the Aussie actor also believes the show's content adds an extra layer to him to process emotionally. One of the show's central themes is Rhaenyra's relationship with her close friend and father's eventual wife, Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey). She says commenting on this relationship is where she sees fan misogyny playing out in real time.

"House of the Dragon" highlights yes, patriarchy, yes, misogyny, but also the internalized misogyny that these two women are forced to contend with. They are forced to be pitted against each other by male choices,” Alcock said. "But what I found quite hilarious is that the fan base also puts the actors, young Alicent and young Rhaenyra at odds with each other, and chooses who is the best, also by decision of most men. So I think it's really just f *it's ironic."

Carey and Alcock also spoke to POPSUGAR about their characters' intimate relationship on the show. "Another thing that we've played with throughout the show is that the jealousy between the two girls when it comes to talking about marriage and