Home of the Dragon’s Ewan Mitchell needs to search out Aemond’s breaking level

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the end of season 2 of House of the Dragon.]

Nobody is sitting fortunately within the season 2 finale of Home of the Dragon. Rhaenyra and Alicent have a contemporary, uneasy alliance; Aegon is on the run with Larys; Daemon and Criston are getting ready to face one another in battle; Otto is caught in a dungeon someplace. And but few folks have seen as meteoric an increase and tumble as Aemond, who throughout this season rose from prince to prince regent, critically maimed his brother, and took out two dragons (with Vhagar’s assist). Then he bought blindsided by dragonseed, burned a city out of anger, and bought dressed down by his sister.

Actor Ewan Mitchell says that attending to play these sorts of huge, dramatic swings is what he’s at all times relished in his function as Aemond.

“I do assume Aemond is — he has curated this exterior that could be a little bit bigger than life,” Mitchell stated going into the season, at a roundtable interview with press. “The inspiration that I discovered in ’80s horror-movie icons — they’re simply so fascinating with out saying a phrase; they transfer so gradual within the areas that they inhabit. […] And simply that concept of inevitability, it’s fairly scary. , when somebody believes that a lot, as a lot as Aemond does.”

Technically, not one of the dangerous issues that occur to him within the finale notably wound his station. However Aemond has at all times been slightly softer underneath the powerful cypher that makes up his exterior. Regardless of theoretically being one of the crucial highly effective males in Westeros, Aemond feels weak.

Because the season finale approached, Mitchell talked to Polygon about Aemond’s stress factors, the place the tip of season 2 leaves him, and the issues he’s trying ahead to in season 3 — whether or not or not Helaena (Phia Saban) is true about Aemond.

[Ed. note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.]

Polygon: You’ve spoken earlier than in regards to the influences you took in when crafting your method to Aemond — you might have Prometheus; you might have Warmth; Halloween; Lawrence of Arabia. I’m curious what you have been looking for as you have been researching to play Aemond in season 2.

Ewan Mitchell: Characters who possess an incredible quantity of energy, and see it as a way to do issues nobody else can do. Related with Lawrence of Arabia — one thing in Lawrence of Arabia that I like, he says “The trick, William Potter, shouldn’t be minding that it hurts.” , the concept he sort of tempers himself — similar to Aemond — to ache. He places obligation over love. And [similarly,] the concept Aemond might be liked, however he additionally is aware of that he can obtain extra if he’s prepared to be feared, and do the required sort of evil. [I sought] characters who have been sort of marginalized, and so they possibly begin off their story on their again foot, and over time change into the hero of their story. There are setbacks, however they bounce again even stronger. These sorts of characters.

Did you’re feeling such as you have been lifting the power of those performances, the philosophy, or simply their physicality?

Something — I imply, I attempt to watch a movie a day. Though just lately, with press, I’ve typically needed to do two a day, as a result of I miss a day. However something, something: Inspiration can come at any time. I’m at all times looking ahead to it. I used to be watching Break up the opposite day, M. Evening Shyamalan’s Break up, and it sort of raises the concept the damaged are the extra developed.

And that’s actually true with Aemond; from the second he had his eye taken from him, he’s used it as motivation to develop himself and manufacture himself into this deadly weapon. I used to be chatting with a reporter earlier, and he had a Rutger Hauer T-shirt from Blade Runner. That’s additionally one thing that I’d use as inspiration going into season 3. Simply sort of depart my arms open, take something.

Do you discover you might have completely different influences for various moments in Aemond’s life, and even simply completely different relationships, like Alicent versus Helaena?

Yeah, finally, after the elevating of the dragonseeds in “The Pink Sowing,” it’s undoubtedly made Aemond much more determined going into episode 8, and he’s dropping that composure that he’s recognized for [in] the earlier episodes. And so there was at all times one thing actually fascinating in exploring that sort of fractured Aemond, seeing that scared boy rise to the floor once more, that he’s tried to maintain a lid on for therefore a few years.

I like Phia’s efficiency in that — she’s so scary! When he goes to her and begs her to affix him on dragonback and take Harrenhal and destroy Daemon and all of the affect that he has over the Riverlands, and he or she rebukes him — she makes Aemond really feel that small, and he or she’s so highly effective in that second as properly.

It’s the type of relationship that makes complete sense even once you don’t see them collectively. In fact she’s the one who sees him and places him in his place. And he simply has nothing to say to that.

Her phrases simply reduce him in half. He at all times has this concept of the place and the way issues will pan out. She simply challenges that, and it breaks him slightly bit.

In a present that’s a lot about interrogating folks’s quest for energy, their relationship to it, and the way it may be each wielded and corrupting as a drive, how do you see Aemond becoming into that? What’s his mindset?

I believe he raises that query of whether or not Aemond is inherently evil, or whether or not energy does corrupt, whether or not it was nurture versus nature. Was it the upbringing that [he] acquired from Otto Hightower and his mom, or was it simply being within the Pink Hold and being a product of his surroundings there?

I believe Aemond — he’s at all times had that quest for energy. He’s at all times wished to be referred to as that warfare hero. And right here on the council desk, for the primary half of the sequence, he’s very a lot serving within the warfare from one finish. After which when he will get into energy and turns into prince regent, he goes to the opposite finish. And all of those folks, he now has a totally new perspective on, and it’s like, OK, so how can every of you serve me? And for those who can’t serve me, you’re gone. It’s that sort of very black-and-white pursuit that Aemond has in his quest for energy, which I believe is sort of scary. It’s formidable. It doesn’t actually take anyone else’s perspective under consideration. “It’s what I need.” So what’s his relationship with energy? It’s not a reasonably one.

Do you see his quest for energy as coming from that scared little boy who simply needs some safety and insulation, and to be above reproach? Or do you see it as him pondering I truthfully consider I can do that higher than anybody else right here?

I imply across the council desk, all these different characters, they’re dropping their composure, they’re elevating their voices, they’re arguing. Aemond’s simply sitting again. He’s calculated, he’s cool. He strikes when the second arises.

I’m simply going to get actually tacky now however: It’s like “With nice energy comes nice accountability.” He has the most important, baddest, oldest dragon within the recognized world. He must be seen as somebody who can wield that energy successfully. He must be seen as somebody who can lead. He can change into that warfare hero. Whether or not or not he needs to sit down the Iron Throne — I don’t know; I don’t wish to reply that! However he undoubtedly needs the same sort of popularity as Daemon Targaryen. He needs to be like Daemon Targaryen, however he additionally needs to raised him. He needs to be referred to as that rogue prince, who you understand all the realm respects. Or possibly he doesn’t actually care what anybody thinks — that’s sort of what I like in regards to the character. He may very well be many issues.

Inform me about the way you approached the arc for him over the season — to return to influences for a sec, I used to be pondering quite a bit about Streetcar Named Want, and having a personality who doesn’t know they’re that near a breakdown, principally, and doesn’t know they’re one dangerous day away from that. They’re simply holding themselves collectively even when folks round you’ll be able to see That is dangerous information.

Aemond… if he has a breaking level, I don’t assume he’s discovered it but. It’s fascinating. Perhaps he discovered it there, when Helaena challenged every little thing he thought his life would quantity to, and the way issues would pan out. I believe Aemond at all times considered himself because the captain of his personal destiny and his personal future. And so when Helaena shares that information — on one hand, it may make an enemy out of him. However however, it may additionally make Helaena a tremendously invaluable ally. In the event you’re capable of harness that sort of foresight and that energy that Helaena possesses, you possibly can see a blow coming earlier than it lands.

I believe that would definitely be one thing fascinating to discover: The place is Aemond’s breaking level? I imply we’ve seen every little thing he’s performed thus far. He sort of needed to abandon humanity in season 2, with what he did to his brother. Helaena raises that: Was it well worth the value, and what did he lose in that second?

How do you’re feeling about the place he finally ends up this season? In some ways, it seems like an in any other case triumphant season places him in precisely the best place to have her pop that balloon for him.

Yeah, that’s a great way of it. I believe he’s bought to sit down with that info now, and sit with that realization. However as we all know for Aemond, he can’t sit nonetheless for lengthy. He’s going to be on the again of that dragon. As much as no good, you understand. And yeah, I can’t wait to see the place it goes in season 3.

I believe he’s bought to vary once more. I believe just like when he had his eye taken out as a child, it served as this motivation to change into one thing else fully. After which with this new realization on the finish of season 2, he’s gonna should evolve once more, or in any other case threat being damaged once more.