House of the Dragon actor explains key difference between Joffrey and Aegon

It’s a comparison even the show’s creators had noticed

Monday 17 October 2022 14:53 EDT

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House of the Dragon star Tom Glynn-Carney has opened up about the comparisons between his character and infamous Game of Thrones villain Joffrey Baratheon.

Joffrey, as played by Jack Gleeson on the hit HBO fantasy series, became king as a child, and was renowned for his cruelty and violence.

In House of the Dragon, Glynn-Carney plays Aegon Targaryen, a character who has drawn some comparisons to Joffrey among fans – as well as, it turns out, the series’s creators.

Spoilers follow for House of the Dragon season one...

In the latest episode of House of the Dragon, Aegon was named king, taking over from Paddy Considine’s late Viserys.

However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Glynn-Carney outlined the key difference between Aegon and Joffrey.

“[Showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik] said if we could make any comparisons to [Thrones characters], that he’s the closest to Joffrey,” he said. “However, he is not an out-and-out psychopath. He’s much more complex. His decisions are due to insecurities and confusion and rage. He’s just bitterly confused and mentally unwell.”

“As much of a nightmare as Aegon is and how he plays against any form of rules and discipline, he’s pretty defenseless,” the actor continued.

“He’s so reliant on alcohol that he’s a confused, tangled mess of a man who doesn’t yet know himself. He’s incapable of making decisions that aid him. His entire life, he’s relied on people around him to make sure he’s doing the right thing. But he makes awful decisions, and now those decisions are going to be made on a mass scale.”

Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen (HBO)

He added that Aegon had “grown up with the idea that he didn’t want power”, and that he had foster “resentment” because his “father didn’t want him to have it” either.

“He’s a very selfish person because he wants to escape. I think if he was a modern-day person, he’d leave his family and go traveling around Australia and grow some dreadlocks,” Glynn-Carney said.

You can read The Independent’s recap of everything that went down in House of the Dragon episode nine here.

The episode left viewers in shock thanks to one unexpected scene involving Alicent and Larys.

Fans were also confused by the “bizarre” ending of the episode, though the conclusion was in fact given an explanation by one of the show’s creators.

Elsewhere, George RR Martin also recently cleared up a lingering viewer question from the first season of House of the Dragon, while TV host John Oliver enjoyed a dig at the show’s much-criticised lighting.

House of the Dragon is available to watch now on Sky and NOW in the UK.