What The Cast Of House Of The Dragon Looks Like In Real Life

"Game of Thrones" is undeniably among the most successful television series in history, and its prequel, "House of the Dragon," has also garnered a huge following since its premiere in 2022. Thanks to its gripping storyline, the show has managed to continue HBO's legacy, ensuring loyal viewers who tune in for each new season. While the series' Season 4, set to release in 2028, will be its final, there is no denying that the cast played a significant role in its success.

Whether you loved how an unsuspecting cocktail took TikTok by storm, or you adore the intricate relationships among the series' characters, "House of the Dragon" has helped shape pop culture in the 2020s. And stars like Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke have become small-screen royalty, taking us back to Westeros for plenty of drama. Off-screen, the cast isn't much like their characters, and thanks to the wigs and costumes, many also look completely different. Here's what we know about the beauty, fashion, and friendships of the leading stars of "House of the Dragon."

Known as Rhaenyra Targaryen in "House of the Dragon," Emma D'Arcy has quickly become one of the most beloved actors on the show. Speaking to Vogue in 2022, D'Arcy revealed that playing Rhaenyra intrigued them from the moment they read about her. "She's grappling with these questions of identity and the restriction of womanhood from very early on," they explained, adding, "That was the aspect of the text that really spoke to me — reading someone on the page who's so young and already aware that the rules apply differently to men and women." 

On screen, D'Arcy sports icy blond braids and intricate dresses, but privately, the non-binary actor is all about rocking androgynous looks. In a conversation with Highsnobiety in 2023, D'Arcy revealed that for them, fashion has always been so much more than just clothing. "For gender-fluid or trans people, clothes play an even more fundamental role. I'm a trans-masc presenting person, and broadly, my instinct is to wear rigid shapes softly," they shared, adding, "Outfits are a very tangible way to control how people see you." 

Nailing androgynous dressing isn't always easy, but for D'Arcy, it's all about being true to who you are. The actor seems to feel most confident with shorter hair and structured masculine fashion. Accessories are truly where D'Arcy's look comes to life, as the actor loves using them to add dimension to their looks.

Known for her auburn red hair, Olivia Cooke was the perfect choice to portray Alicent Hightower in "House of the Dragon." While Cooke stuns in the spotlight, she revealed to Elle in 2026 that the glitz and glam of the entertainment industry aren't her favorite part of her job. "I'm not someone who can just throw on a whole 'look' and own it. I need some element of myself in there," she shared, adding, "Red carpets make me feel incredibly insecure. It's an odd experience where how you look is going to be dissected by all these different people." Nevertheless, Cooke always takes our breath away at industry events, as her makeup and fashion choices always enhance her beauty.

Back in 2015, Cooke opened up that her approach to skincare and beauty is rather simple, as she can get eczema flare-ups. "I only wash my face with a blemish controlling face wash and a toner and a moisturizer at night," she shared with Into the Gloss at the time. "Then in the morning I just rinse my face in the shower and leave it because I think, for me, less is more." 

Of course, using the right products is one of the things you can do to improve your eczema symptoms, so Cooke is right when being careful with mixing too many products. The actor added that she follows the same approach with makeup. "I don't really like to wear foundation, so I just dot concealer on my spots and around my eyes and put a bit of bronzer on for some shimmer," she shared with Into the Gloss, adding that she usually goes for "mascara and brown eyeliner."

Eve Best stunned as Rhaenys Targaryen in the first two seasons of "House of the Dragon," and in real life, the actor's beauty and charisma are even more captivating. Prior to saying yes to the role, Best wasn't familiar with the "Game of Thrones" universe. "I was a complete Game of Thrones virgin. I knew it was a big deal but was unprepared for the sheer, gobsmacking scale of it," she admitted to The Guardian in 2022.

The actor, who often rocks glamorous makeup and classic gowns for industry events, has been outspoken about the need for more gender equality in Hollywood, stressing that older women need to play a bigger variety of roles. "I'm longing to see more women of around my age taking leads in romances, adventures or dramas in which they're not being mothers, sidekicks or detectives," she shared, adding, "Sexy, interesting women who are over 40 – there are a lot of us out there and I'd like to see much more of us on screen."

While Best is no stranger to the glitz and glam of the industry, in her private life, she loves living off-grid. In fact, the actor moved from the United Kingdom to Italy, embracing a simpler lifestyle. "It's a very basic house in a remote rural area. I'm growing produce and making my own olive oil," she said, explaining, "It's hard work but a huge source of joy and peace. I wear overalls all day, my hands are dirty and I'm pretty feral, but a simpler way of life suits me for now."  Best prioritizes living among nature and working in her garden, as these are key elements when it comes to ways to live a slow life. 

Sonoya Mizuno portrays Mysaria in "House of the Dragon," where her natural-looking on-screen beauty has certainly caught the eyes of many. Off camera, Mizuno looks just as stunning, but unlike her character, she often has fun with her makeup look. "I used to wear loads of it for performances, so I can contour and apply fake eyelashes like a pro," the star, who used to be a ballerina, revealed to Glamour in 2018. "It's fun to channel a different mood and character through makeup," Mizuno added.

The actor revealed that while her makeup and beauty choices often change, she never skips one self-care ritual. "I drink a glass of water and half a lemon as soon as I wake up. I heard that it's supposed to balance your body's pH. Not sure if that's true, but to be honest, it really helps with bloating," she admitted. While lemon water is a popular morning drink choice, there are similar viral TikTok drinks that nutritionists are warning against.

Speaking of the character she plays on the HBO hit show, Mizuno shared with WWD that the process has been challenging. "My character veers quite far away from the character in the book," she shared in 2022. "That is both liberating and a challenge for me and the director. Liberating in the sense that we had more free rein, but also, it still had to have a kind of framework."

Phia Saban looks quite different from her "House of the Dragon" on-screen character, Helaena Targaryen. While Helaena rocks the signature Targaryen icy blond hair, Saban's hair color is darker, with the actor even rocking copper shades. Saban has worked with stylist Cher Coulter, and she revealed to WWD that having a team while getting ready for press tours has been a dream. "I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. But that creative element, especially working with an amazing hair and makeup team and with the clothes, I really found that playful joy of doing a play or something [in] getting ready every day," she shared in 2024.

The actor also revealed that she bonded with co-star Olivia Cooke, who plays her mother on the show, but is only five years older. "It's definitely a sisterly bond. I would also say women are kind of like mothers to each other," Saban said. "I feel like she holds me in so many ways, and there are times when I feel like I genuinely don't know what I'd do on this job if I didn't have Olivia talking me back to sense with worries and everything." Sharing that the cast is close in real life too, Saban's example shows how sisterhoods are often formed at work, and the fact that she and Cooke are on-set BFFS definitely warms our hearts.