“He would put a stone in his shoe”: Ewan Mitchell Based Aemond Targaryen on Tony Soprano for an Unusual Reason That Pays off in ‘House of the Dragon’
- Ewan Mitchell admits James Gandolfini's Tony Soprano inspired his character on House of the Dragon.
- The young actor says he avoided interacting with Matt Smith to intensify the tension between their characters.
- The show runner revealed Ewan Mitchell was impressive in his audition.
Created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal, House of the Dragon is one of the most popular and successful ongoing shows on HBO. Starring Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Ewan Mitchell, Fabien Frankel, and more, House of the Dragon is the second television show in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire franchise.
Serving as the prequel to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon’s second season that is currently on air has received positive responses from the audience and critics. The show goes on to show the events that led to the decline of the House Targaryen. Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond Targaryen, has been lauded for his performance on the show, and he reveals whom his character is inspired by.
Ewan Mitchell’s Aemond Targaryen has The Sopranos connection
Actor Ewan Mitchell has been gaining attention as well as praise for his exceptional work as Aemond Targaryen on House of the Dragon. He recently shared with Den of Geek that he thinks his character is inspired by James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano from The Sopranos. He said,
If Gandolfini wanted to feel intense in a scene or to have something simmering underneath the surface, he would put a stone in his shoe, if I recall correctly. That was something I wanted to do with Aemond—putting this coin in my shoes.
The coin Mitchell mentions is the one Aemond found when Daemon Targaryen sent people to kill him, but they killed Prince Jahaerys instead. The young actor notes that the coin is a constant reminder for Aemond that Daemon sent men to kill him, and they got close.
Tony Soprano, a fictional character, is also known to be intimidating, much like Aemond, who is often seen being calm and composed in the most tense situations. His ice-cold face communicates that he is already two steps ahead of the enemy and is ready for whatever comes his way. Using a coin in the shoe is to bring out the character’s persona, as it’s an uncomfortable feeling that works well for both characters.
Mitchell’s Aemond Targaryen, inspired by Tony Soprano, does not come off as a brassy copy of the iconic character, but instead works well with his storyline and intensity on the show. Aemond Targaryen does not have to try to look like an antagonist; his ice-piercing looks are enough to portray that, and with that, he became one of the most fearsome and intriguing characters on the show.
Ewan Mitchell says, catching himself in the mirror as Aemond Targaryen scares him a bit
In his cover story for the NY Times, the young actor who has now garnered attention as a one-eyed, dragon-riding warrior on House of the Dragon admits that seeing himself as Aemond sometimes scares him. The young prince has a chiseled chin, long white Targaryen hair, and, of course, those icy looks, as if he could see deep into someone’s soul and know exactly what their next move is going to be.
The actor, however, in real life, is soft-spoken and very private, although he does have Aemond’s seriousness and intensity. He shared,
Once you lose the mystery, you can’t really get it back. There is a point where you have to go. Now’s the time to pull back the curtain. Since landing him, I feel like I’m now able to steer the course of my career.
The show-runner, Ryan Condal, recalled during the conversation that Mitchell left a lasting impression on him during his audition. He explained,
When Ewan came into the room, he just had this presence that I can best describe as unsettling. It was kind of quietly terrifying the way he performed it, and it was totally different from everybody else. And then he thanked us very politely and left the room.
Ewan Mitchell has read portions of Fire & Blood, along with studying the performances of Michael Fassbender in Prometheus and Peter O’Toole in Lawrence of Arabia for his character. He also shared that he avoided interacting with Matt Smith, who plays Daemon Taragaryen on the show, to heighten the tension between their characters.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO.
