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Emma Darcy She shot to fame for her portrayal of the mysterious Rhaenyra Targaryen in the hit HBO series, Dragon house. D’Arcy’s entry was fashionably late, as the character was introduced in the latter half of the first season. But as soon as they took the screen, it was as if the sky parted and a star was born.
Rainera Targaryen was initially portrayed by young actress Millie Alcock. He was then transferred to D’Arcy after a major time jump in the series. Their portrayal was so poignant that it left no doubt that they were a formidable contender for the coveted acting awards.
Recently, in a roundtable discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, D’Arcy spilled the beans on the grueling audition process that ultimately culminated in Rhaenyra’s name. This gathering of dramatists was not an ordinary one. It has been honored by the likes of Jennifer Coolidge, Jennifer Garner, Dominic Fishback, Melanie Lynskey, and Claire Danes.
How Emma Darcy was crowned as Rainera Targaryen
D’Arcy’s path to Westeros was extraordinary. The testing phase spanned over three long months and was conducted via self-tape due to the pandemic that swept the world. In a reflective moment, D’Arcy shared that they drafted a list of pros and cons during the auditions.
One significant flaw was the loss of anonymity, which they believe may have been an expression of self-doubt. D’Arcy has been relentlessly tested for three months, which he credits with being handcuffed, and missing a year of work due to the pandemic.
Darcy explained.
“I wrote a list of pros and cons during the auditioning process. The biggest one in the list of cons was the loss of anonymity, but maybe that was a way of writing self-loathing or something. Then I auditioned [via self-tape] For three months during the pandemic after losing a year of work, so in some ways I think my hands were tied. Halfway through the process, then-model Miguel Sapochnik called to ask if I owned a wig. The right person would have sought advice from someone who does hairdressing.”
This arduous task took nearly two hours for each tape they made. Darcy said:
At the end of that, I took a personal test for four hours, and then heard nothing. I feel like by the end of the three months, I’ve recorded every single scene in the show. Because they took a gamble I guess, because I couldn’t get an audience. I just remember it being good for a while and then it was terrible. Then a few hours later, they said, “Great, you can go home and get drunk, and we’ll be in touch.” Then Miguel came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulder and said, ‘Can we do another one?’ “
Emma D’Arcy’s story is one of perseverance, innovation and the sheer will to seize the day.
“I spoke to Emilia Clarke before I started filming, and she was so lovely and gracious. [She told me] Lots of stuff, which I’ll honestly keep to myself. I am also very lucky. This wig is a blessing. People don’t recognize me, so my daily life hasn’t changed on a massive scale, which I’m very grateful for, not least because this is probably also a question, I feel the ability to observe others and not be noticed is very important to our work. I guess I really worried about that.”
Dragon house The second season is expected to start next year.
