Before the prequel comes to Sky Atlantic and Now, Rachael Davis catches up with Matt Smith, Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy and the rest of the cast

Fans of Game of Thrones will be more than familiar with Daenerys and the rest of House Targaryen, the dragon-riding noble family who once ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel series created by George RR Martin and Ryan Condal, dives deep into the history of Westeros some 200 years before the events of the original series, telling the Targaryens' bloody tale of civil war, rivalry, betrayal and a thirst for power.

Here's everything you need to know about the eagerly-awaited prequel.

THE CAST

Death of Stalin and Peaky Blinders' Paddy Considine is King Viserys I Targaryen, the fifth king of the Seven Kingdoms.

Viserys is troubled by thoughts of who will succeed him on the throne: he has no male heir, and his charismatic but unpredictable brother Prince Daemon - played by Doctor Who's Matt Smith - is next in line.

"He was not somebody that abused his privilege in any way - he took his role as King very responsibly," says Considine, 48.

"It was my job to imbue him with as much humanity as I possibly could. I thought that was refreshing, from the world that we knew of Game of Thrones, that he wasn't somebody who was driven by power. And he wasn't a tyrant. He was a reasonable man."

Prince Daemon, the heir presumptive to the Iron Throne, is almost the opposite to his brother Viserys. Charismatic but violently unpredictable, he's a fearsome warrior and dragonrider who, Smith says, is "dark, compulsive, complex".

"I found it allowed me to be quite instinctual on the day with Daemon, you're sort of always on the precipice of something, so you never know what side he's going to fall on. Or what side of the coin you're gonna get from moment to moment," Smith, 39, says.

Emma D'Arcy, who has had roles in 2020's Misbehaviour and 2021's Mothering Sunday, plays King Viserys' firstborn child, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, with the younger version of the princess played by 22-year-old Milly Alcock.

A dragonrider who the King says embodies all the best parts of her mother, Rhaenyra could become the Seven Kingdoms' first Queen - but it's not so simple in Westeros.

"Rhaenyra is the sort of wayward royal child, she doesn't expect to inherit power," says D'Arcy, 30.

"She's impulsive, she flouts convention with relish, she forms incredibly strong friendships. And all of her relationships tend to be explosive to a greater or lesser extent.

"She's best friend to Alicent Hightower," D'Arcy adds, referring to the daughter of Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, played by Olivia Cooke and Emily Carey as her younger self.

"I think Alicent is able to kind of make sense of the court in a way that Rhaenyra struggles and in that regard, becomes like a translator or something to Rhaenyra, like an access point, at least.

"I think, broadly, Rhaenyra is someone who's looking to press at the kind of boundaries, the restrictions that she finds herself in and seeks a way of living that feels authentic."

POWERFUL WOMEN IN A PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY

When we find the Targaryens, the house is at the height of its strength. Boasting a legion of dragons, the family is basically untouchable - in fact, the only thing that could take down the house would be itself.

This theme of power permeates the narrative of the show: whether it's a lust for power, a desire to maintain a benevolent figure of power, or a frustration at lack of power, it's something many of the characters are preoccupied by.

Patriarchy and misogyny are integral to propping up the society of Westeros, where it's generally considered better to have any man on the Iron Throne, no matter how unpredictable or tyrannical, than a woman - as the female potential heirs know all too well.

"Fundamentally, men within this universe are able to create their own conditions for living, whereas women in this universe are forced to live within a structure that they did not create, and was not made for them," says D'Arcy.

"I think the structure of the show is really successful, because suddenly you have a woman who has a path to an ultimate position of power. And the same person has very little agency.

"I think it's a really smart way of analysing the nuanced control that patriarchal structures look to exert over women, and the multiple ways in which patriarchy looks to consolidate male power."

"It's very, very relevant," adds 19-year-old Emily Carey, who plays young Alicent Hightower.

"People think that it's so far-fetched and extravagant, this show, and it's not. It's exactly the same."

DRAGON RIDERS

As the title of the show suggests, there are mythical creatures aplenty in House of the Dragon. In fact, at the height of the story there are 17 dragons, each with their own distinct look from size to colour to silhouette.

The dragons were created in post-production, so it took the actors a lot of imagination and physical work to create a convincing dragon-riding performance.

A huge motion base, which the production called 'the buck', was built at the studio at Leavesden to simulate the motions of a flying dragon, and while it worked fantastically for the final product, it was hard work for the actors.

"You are on this big plinth and they hurl rain and wind at you," says Smith, whose character Daemon is a skilled dragonrider.

"It does give you a sense of riding an animal because there is something tangible that's moving, and also having the elements, the wind and the rain, helps too.

"But, you know, after 10 hours the novelty can wear off!"

"It was my least favourite thing to do," adds Milly Alcock.

"You're by yourself on a soundstage for like, six to eight hours. I didn't know what to do with my face. You're harnessed up, there's guys on the floor, with leaf blowers blowing in your face.

"You don't want to look like you're holding on for dear life. Rhaenrya, like all the Targaryens, has grown up with dragons, so she is completely at home riding one."

CONTINUING A LEGACY

The stars of House of the Dragon had big shoes to fill from Game of Thrones, a series that was full of rich characters and incredible acting performances and was beloved by fans around the world despite controversy over its final series in 2019.

Although they felt the pressure, the actors were also thrilled to be involved with such an impressive, entertaining and culturally-important series.

"It's exciting, I'm excited for people to see it," says Smith.

"There's a huge legacy, we're never going to recreate the gargantuan success of that show, it's its own moment in time, it's its own cultural phenomenon. But hopefully we can add something to the pot."

House of the Dragon is on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Monday, 8.30pm.