Olivia Cooke and Freddie Fox reveal how Otto's beheading reshapes Alicent and Gwayne in House of the Dragon Season 3, as grief and anger drive new conflicts.
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NEW YORK, July 12 (UPI) – Olivia Cooke says her House of the Dragon character Alicent Hightower is stunned by two blows in Season 3: the public execution of her father Otto and her own decision to sacrifice her son Aegon.
The season picks up moments after Alicent surrendered her sons' claims to the throne, allowing Rhaenyra to take power. Rhaenyra's first act as queen is to behead Otto, the man she blames for the coup against her. New episodes air Sundays on HBO.
Cooke, 32, told UPI in a Zoom round-table that the death hits Alicent as both a personal loss and a calculated political humiliation.
Cooke added: "It's twofold. There's a great mourning that happens. There is also a lot of anger in the shocking, incredibly disrespectful way that was done."
The grief is compounded by Alicent's own role in the events. Cooke explained that the queen carefully weighed what Rhaenyra would accept in their peace bargain.
"It was a very, very long horse ride back to Westeros to contemplate what she's done."
Freddie Fox, 37, plays Alicent's older brother Gwayne. His character never truly knew Otto. Fox described a tangled mix of admiration and resentment.
"The news is deeply saddening and, yet, also bleh. There's a bleh quality to it."
Gwayne is on the battlefield alongside Alicent's lover Criston Cole, awaiting orders while Alicent and Rhaenyra plan the kingdom. Fox said the news of King's Landing's fall forces the two soldiers to confront their differences.
This season also introduces James Norton as Alicent and Gwayne's cousin. Fox said the character shares a history with Gwayne rooted in bullying and cautious respect. The two will compete for influence over a yet-unnamed figure.
The power struggle continues every Sunday on HBO.
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