SPOILER ALERT! This story incorporates particulars from episode 5 of Home of the Dragon on HBO.
The epic dance of the dragons in episode 4 led many viewers to consider that King Aegon, performed by Tom Glynn-Carney, wasn’t lengthy for this world after he and Sunfyre plunged to the bottom — no due to the evil Aemond (Ewan Mitchell).
However Glynn-Carney is right here to inform everybody that his unstable character may be very a lot alive … for now. Right here, the U.Okay. actor talks about that aerial battle, what it’s prefer to play such an annoying bloke, and whether or not his character actually reviles his youthful brother Aemond.
DEADLINE Is that you simply mendacity in mattress in episode 5, getting the burnt Valyrian metal peeled off of your physique?
TOM GLYNN-CARNEY It definitely is me.
DEADLINE I believed you have been lifeless. So that you’re not lifeless but?
GLYNN-CARNEY I say a phrase … except lifeless folks can communicate.
DEADLINE So are positive as you’re sitting right here, you aren’t lifeless.
GLYNN-CARNEY I’m not lifeless but.
DEADLINE Let’s again to the day whenever you shot that epic dragon combat.
GLYNN-CARNEY Nicely, that day was, in truth, in all probability about three weeks work, attempting to get all these sure angles and these set items collectively. It takes some time to coordinate one thing like that. And it was nice enjoyable. It was slightly totally different. The stuff I needed to do beforehand with the massive dialogue, the heavy council scenes and the moments within the pub … that felt extra theatrical. And by theatrical, I don’t imply hammy and stuff, I imply being in theater and doing a play. However this [dragon fight] felt very filmic, being strapped into this crane and having this large digital camera on a protracted hydraulic arm thrown in your face. There have been plenty of inexperienced screens and grey screens and tennis balls on sticks and wind machines. It was nice. It was an enormous studying curve for me as effectively, as a result of I’ve by no means finished something fairly as elaborate as that earlier than by way of CGI work.
DEADLINE What was the takeaway from that? That Aegon doesn’t belong in battle, particularly on the again of a dragon?
GLYNN-CARNEY We at all times knew that he wasn’t the fearless, brave warrior that lots of different characters within the present are. His strengths lie elsewhere. And I feel he was conscious of that. So going into it, he wanted to know for himself and to discover a coping mechanism to have the ability to show to those who he wasn’t weak and he wasn’t ineffective, that he’d been kindly reminded of by his mom.
DEADLINE Do you assume Criston noticed what Aemond did to Aegon’s dragon in that combat? That Aemond is responsible?
GLYNN-CARNEY Criston undoubtedly sees Aegon on the bottom and Aemond close to him together with his sword drawn. So he could make his personal thoughts up about Aemond’s intentions, which continues to be unclear even to me. I’m unsure the story was there. There could possibly be numerous outcomes.
DEADLINE What has it been prefer to play any individual who’s so bloody unlikable?
GLYNN-CARNEY So that you’re not staff Aegon, then? Who desires to be appreciated? The place’s the enjoyable in that? I feel it’s nice enjoying somebody like Aegon as a result of he’s so unpredictable. He’s so unstable. He’s not simply somebody who folks don’t like. He’s a tragic case. He’s a whole and utter tragedy of an individual, and I really feel deeply, deeply sorry for him. And I assume that’s type of why I’ve needed to analyze his vulnerabilities, his fragilities and his boyishness, all of the issues that he lacks in his life that type of inform his selections, which have given him a sure status. There’s lots to unpack in him. He’s far more layered and sophisticated than simply an unlikable character.
DEADLINE It’s been an attention-grabbing journey watching Aegon and Aemond as a result of they’re clearly dangerous children, which doesn’t make sense as a result of it’s not like their dad was an terrible man. So the place does that badness come from?
GLYNN-CARNEY I dunno. I imply, they’ve bought Targaryen blood working by way of them, so there’s going to be a component of insanity someplace. I feel if they’d a special upbringing and a special expertise of childhood, issues could have been totally different. If they’d the remedy that Rhaenyra bought, for instance, their lives could possibly be totally different. She was very a lot the golden little one. She got here first. She was the one whose image was on the fridge. So yeah, I feel that in some ways they’re a product of their historical past and their upbringing. However then once more, they’re spoiled as effectively. They’ve by no means needed to work for something and that may have its results. That’s in all probability a query for a psychologist, not for me.
DEADLINE Why does he dislike his brother a lot?
GLYNN-CARNEY I don’t assume he does.
DEADLINE However he was such a shit to him in that brothel scene.
GLYNN-CARNEY That’s brothers. Aegon was pissed off that for weeks that Aemond has been within the small council and he’d been conniving and plotting with Criston behind his again. That type of clique-ness and preserving Aegon out of the scenario for Aemond’s personal self-gain, understanding that Aegon would take over the place of King ought to he get the chance, Aegon wanted to deliver him down a peg. I don’t assume it come from a spot of disliking him. It comes from a spot of being like, ‘you’re my little brother, know your house.’ It’s dismissiveness and likewise, I’m from Manchester. From the place I’m from, there are such a lot of sibling relationships which can be utterly flawed and fractured. It’s very regular for me. I’m fortunate I’ve a terrific relationship with my sibling, but it surely’s very regular and never out of the abnormal in any respect so that you can see two siblings who actively need to harm one another. It doesn’t come from hatred. That’s simply the way in which folks behave.
