British actor Ewan Mitchell has established his name as a villain through his portrayal of Aemond Targaryen on the HBO series "House of the Dragon."
Critics have described Ewan as a "dashing young sociopath." However, Ewan's portrayal of Aemond is captivating the audience. As a Game of Thrones fan, I personally believe Aemond's character is even worse than Cersei Lannister.
Episode 4, which aired last Monday (Manila time, via HBO GO and HBO Asia), entitled "A Dance of Dragons," features the most awaited battle between the dragons, with Rhaenys (Eve Best) and Meleys falling to Aemond and Vhagar.
King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) unexpectedly joins the battlefield with his dragon Sunfyre. When Rhaenys’s dragon grabs Sunfyre by his neck, Aemond makes a pivotal decision for the entire series moving forward. Vhagar blasts Rhaenys with dragon fire, even though Aegon may take the brunt of the attack.
After falling shortly, the king looks burnt to a crisp. Cole spies Aemond with his sword in the body and calls to him. It’s unclear what action Aemond is taking here.
Reflecting on how he prepared for the scene, Ewan told the international press, including Manila Bulletin Entertainment, during a virtual interview:
"What I love about that battle scene in Episode 4 is that it raises a question if Aemond is going burn Aegon and Rhaenys or was it just because he is in the way, or was it intentional that he would both kill them at the same time, and I think that was compelling for me."
"And also the trajectory of the characters, their relationship throughout the series, and I think that episode 4 was the turning point, and I think Aemond is aware that there is no turning back after what he did."
With his compelling performance as Aemond, Ewan shared what he likes about the character and what inspired him to portray it.
"I think that is what makes George R.R. Martin's more compelling character is that the characters are either black, white, or gray. You know, there's the thing that you love, hate, or despise. With Aemond, I always carry the character of the young, neglected, bullied boy that we see in the first season and what he ultimately achieves in clinging to Vhagar. it's a tremendous feat of courage, and I always try to hold on to that."
"I've taken inspiration from many other things to help me find those lighter areas in Aemond. You know he's a very multifaceted character."
He said he took inspiration from a multitude of things, including a painting called "The Fallen Angel" and Brad Pitt in "Fight Club."
Ewan also mentioned that he has drawn inspiration from James Gandolfini's character in "The Sopranos."
"What I love about Aemond, and I also think that is terrifying, is that he doesn't care what people think about it. He's not bothered about public opinion; it's like the Cyclops in Greek mythology with the idea that they can only see the world from their perspective, without taking other people's account or consideration. It is a similar thing with Aemond; he sees the world very black and white, and he doesn't consider the consequences.''
When asked how he handled his character development from season 1 to season 2, the British actor shared that he still wants to show the audience that Aemond still feels that vulnerability within.
"In season 1, I wanted to present a character in episodes 8, 9, and 10 that is a screaming villain; I wanted to lean on that as much as possible, only to contradict that theory at the end of the season. You see the look of regret on Aemond's face; you know he made a mistake, he lost control, and he let the emotion take control."
"In season 2, what's been exciting for me to explore is that shadow side, seeing that vulnerability behind the facade, you know, this hard exterior that he manufactured over the years. You know, have a little peek behind it, see if that kid is still the neglected bullied boy, and explore the nuance on the upcoming episodes," he said.
Catch "House of the Dragon" Season 2 on HBO and HBO GO.