Emma D’Arcy learned a lot promoting House of the Dragon the first time around, way-back-when, in 2022. First and foremost, they found the newfound attention terrifying. And can you blame them? It’s the Faustian bargain that any megawatt actor signs, with varying degrees of willingness: along with the paycheque, flung-open doors and red-carpet invites comes the obligation of press tours, and the attendant scrutiny of life in the public eye.
“The idea that a version of you is gonna live in public space is so hard to get your head around,” D’Arcy says now. “I was really frightened. I did a lot of preparation, constantly.
I think, in lieu of confidence, I did preparation.” Promoting a show is a lot of work: back-to-back interviews, the same questions hundreds of times. Nowadays there’s also the “fun” stuff, the game-style interviews with co-stars, the quizzes and ask-me-anythings.
“I feel like sometimes a lot of press endeavour to stage some sort of fun. And it’s actually OK to not find it that fun,” they continue. “I suppose the lesson is that it’s OK to not enjoy doing that stuff, necessarily.
It’s a job, you’re not supposed to like it.” Their other major lesson seems to have come as little surprise. “[I learned] that I haven’t been a closeted extrovert all this time.
I am, in fact, still deeply introverted,” D’Arcy says, with a laugh. Top by Bottega Veneta You might pick up on such thoughtfulness in House of the Dragon , wherein D’.
