Why Olivia Cooke Has To Believe Her House Of The Dragon Character Isn’t A Villain – Looper

In an interview with Deadline, Cooke made it clear that her “House of the Dragon” character was never a villain in her eyes: “I know she makes morally questionable decisions and her reactions can be quite uncouth, to say the least. But I have to believe in what she does in order to play her with absolute honesty and truth.”

To the actress, the dispute between the Greens and the Blacks is not a matter of who’s evil and who’s good. The actress quotes, as she has in other interviews, a tweet she once read which she believes reflects the plot and characters of the award-winning series: “It’s not who’s good and evil, it’s who’s your favorite war criminal.”

Indeed, there are no saints in “House of the Dragon,” only sinners, and it’s up to the audience to decide which sins outweigh others. The morally gray areas and human beings’ inherent complexity are some of the most interesting aspects of “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Cooke understands this, noting that the internet debate about the “Game of Thrones” prequel series and its characters can sometimes be “a bit too black and white.”

Alicent is a complex character, and Cooke’s nuanced portrayal undeniably represents that. From Cooke’s viewpoint, she “played her as a woman of the patriarchy who completely believes in order and tradition.” Of course, for many viewers, that’s no excuse for Alicent’s actions. It is fair to choose a side in the upcoming Targaryen civil war, but it is all the more delightfully heartrending when you can see the humanity on both sides.