“Aemond likes being noticed by his idol”: Ewan Mitchell Exposes a Different Side to His Character’s “Romantic” Relationship With Daemon Targaryen That Changes Everything in ‘House of the Dragon’
- House of the Dragon's Aemond Targaryen is the biggest Daemon Targaryen stan, according to Ewan Mitchell.
- Ewan Mitchell says James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano inspired his character on the show.
- The young actor says Aemond Targaryen has a very similar code like Robert De Niro’s character, Neil McCauley from 1995's Heat.
Actor Ewan Mitchell stars as Prince Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon, created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal. The young prince is known as ‘Aemond One-Eye’ after he lost his left eye during a brawl with his nephews. Mitchell’s portrayal of the character is based on Martin’s Fire & Blood and has grown to be one of the most intriguing and impressive characters on the show.
House of the Dragon, which portrays the story of the events that led to the downfall of House Targaryen, is currently in its second season. The show has received critical acclaim for its character development, visual effects, background score, and, of course, the top-tier performances by the actors on the show. Ewan Mitchell discusses his character idolizing a fellow character on the show.
Ewan Mitchell says Aemond Targaryen ‘idolizes’ Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen
In a recent interview with Den of Geek, Ewan Mitchell revealed that his character, who, according to him is inspired by James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano, idolizes his uncle Daemon Targaryen the same way Tony looked up to his father Johnny.
Daemon Targaryen is played by The Crown actor Matt Smith on the show, who has been receiving all the attention and praise from critics and the audience for his exceptional performance on the show. Mitchell, who is also appreciated for his portrayal, adds that, according to him, there is almost this ‘romantic quality’ that Aemond feels with how close Daemon got to killing him.
He is referring to the fact that Daemon sent men to the Reed Keep to kill Aemond, but instead, they got Prince Jaehaerys. Talking about it further, Mitchell added,
Aemond likes being noticed by his idol.
The young actor also explained that what has kept Aemond up all night is the fact that either Daemon was too scared to carry out the mission to kill him by himself, or maybe he couldn’t bring himself to commit the act. But at the same time, according to Ewan Mitchell, Aemond does feel a sort of guilt for his nephew’s murder, adding that it is a domino effect that started with him killing Lucerys in the skies above storms and that this was retaliation. The publication added that Aemond feels this way because he believes that Daemon is the only one who can take on a fight with him.
In an interview with Total Film, Mitchell noted that what Aemond sees in that coin that he picked up in Episode 2 is the idea that he is now worthy enough for Daemon, played brilliantly by Matt Smith. He adds that Daemon is regarded as one of the most badass men, fighters, and dragon riders in the realm, and the fact that Aemond is not being pursued by Daemon, it feel like a romantic element is attached to it for the young prince.
Ewan Mitchell added that he made sure to keep the coin with him at all times in season 2, because Daemon lives rent-free in Aemond’s head. Mitchell’s Aemond Targaryen has been pretty intense in season two, and a lot of it makes sense with now context being laid down for the audience. He is very calculative and sharp-minded, always two steps ahead of the enemy, and waiting for whatever is to come. The actor avoided interacting with Smith while filming to intensify their characters’ tension on-screen.
Ewan Mitchell explains why he hasn’t watched Game of Thrones
House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones, which aired from 2011 to 2019. The young actor shared with ComicBook that he hasn’t watched the original series, but he has a very specific reason for it:
I have a confession to make. I’ve never seen it, and I didn’t want to watch it go into this role. I didn’t want it to inform my decisions in any way, shape, or form, you know, whether it be consciously or subconsciously. I wanted to bring something fresh. Aemond is one of a kind, you know.
The actor also shared with Total Film that the complicated nature of his character comes from a history of a complicated family and a difficult childhood. He added that Aemond always thought that he should have been the firstborn and the one to receive love from his mother, because being second born, he always felt neglected. Above that, Aemond was the only one who did not receive a dragon egg.
Ewan Mitchell continued that because of all this, Aemond had to find that unconditional love elsewhere, including with his dragon, Vhagar, and Madame Sylvi. During the interview, he shared a quote from Robert De Niro’s character, Neil McCauley, from 1995’s Heat directed by Michael Mann, that reads,
Don’t get attached to someone you’re not prepared to walk out on in twenty seconds flat when you feel the heat around the corner.
He explained that it is the code by which De Niro’s character lives to maneuver his world without getting caught by the police. Aemond has a very similar code, which in part protects him from feeling like the kid that he was, and never wants to be seen as that hurt boy again. Which is why he was able to walk out on Madame Sylvi in Episode 3. However, he wonders how would he react when it comes to his mother Alicent Hightower.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO.
