May Garland

READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN WONDERLAND’S SUMMER 22 ISSUE

Bleary-eyed and recovering from the bank holiday weekend hangover, I open Zoom to be instantly met by Milly Alcock’s radiant smile and vivacious energy. “The endorphins are incredible!” says the 22-year-old Aussie actor, as she speaks to me about the transformative process of playing a new character. The character in question is, of course, icy-blonde Targaryen royalty: Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon. The highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel derived from George R.R. Martin’s best-seller, Fire & Blood, that follows the legendary conflict in the house of Targaryen set 200 years before GOT. 

After musing over my poor knowledge of Australian geography, we instantly bond over our shared experiences in the Cornish icy sea. Growing up in Cornwall, I could only admire Alcock for braving the cold temperatures when the House of the Dragon cast shot scenes on a beach in the seaside county. “It was freezing!” Alice laughs. “But I was desperate to go in [the sea] so I stole undies from the costume department to swim in!” 

Cornish pasties and sea frolicking chats aside, we delve deeper into Alcock’s upcoming project, in which she stars alongside a star-studded cast including Matt Smith, Steve Toussaint and Paddy Considine, AKA King Viserys Targaryen, as his daughter and heir to the throne. “My character is pretty cool and a badass who goes against the grain,” she shares. I wanted to know everything – naturally – but at the time of this interview only the trailer has dropped, and a heavy veil of secrecy surrounds the series. Noticing me on the edge of my seat, Alcock does tease that we will see “lots of dragons” and “the quality of the acting is outstanding, we have such a great cast and everything was done with a lot of care and attention to detail.” But Alcock wasn’t going to give anything away about what she hopes is – and has already  become – a life-altering role.

Alcock found out she got the role whilst washing dishes at a restaurant in Sydney, as she exclaimed: “Oh my God my life is gonna change forever!” And change it quickly did, as Alcock had to quickly relocate to England to film for the series, and along with that move came an onset of nerves about her upcoming performance. “It was a big change but I just told myself, ‘Okay for whatever reason they believe in me, so I have to believe in myself,’” she says. “I tried not to let myself become consumed with all the frills and fluff of what could happen after the show because whatever I did was going to be on screens forever, so I wanted to put down the best performance I could.”

She begins to reflect on her first memorable performance, one that spurred on her love for acting. “I was first drawn to the entertainment industry when I was five or six and acting in a school play,” Alcock shares. “I played Little Red Riding Hood and I remember getting the feeling that this is what I wanted to do.” Alcock then went on to attend a performing arts high school and dropped out to play Meg in the award-winning drama, Upright. The star believes this role helped her in getting the part of the Targaryen princess. “It definitely gave me confidence in myself to understand that I’m capable of doing this and to find what process works for me, when to take a break and when to challenge myself.” The actor also feels like she’s gained a lot from playing Meg, and is now returning to the role to film a second series. “It feels like I’ve come full circle.”

One would assume from Alcock’s down-to-earth and cool demeanour that acting success has come easy to her; however the success she enjoys now wasn’t always easily in her grasp. “I auditioned for years and years and didn’t get anything, but I think the acting industry is competitive because it can afford to be,” she reflects. “Art is subjective and most of the time it’s out of your control. So every time I go in for an audition, I think ‘I either get this and things will change or I don’t and things stay the same. There’s no point worrying about it.’”

With pressures and rejections far too familiar for many trying to make it onto the big screen, Alcock believes it’s all worth it in the pursuit of doing what she loves. Whether it’s playing fiery Meg in the Australian outback or a dragon rider decked out in opulent gowns, the actor gives her all to each role. “There’s something so liberating about losing yourself in the character. For me, it’s a very cathartic experience,” she continues. “You can forget yourself a bit when you’re stripped of everything that’s you, but it’s an amazing process.” And for Alcock, this process has only just begun.