There’s a reason why critics and fans alike are applauding Tom Glynn-Carney’s role as Aegon Targaryen II in HBO’s House of the Dragon.
Over the last few weeks, Manchester actor Tom Glynn-Carney has been on an extensive media tour for HBO’s House of the Dragon, the adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood that is set 200 years before Game of Thrones. But when reading every interview he’s done so far, it seems like he’s been on a justice campaign for his character, Aegon Targaryen II, who he has described in a myriad of interviews as being misunderstood (and he’s right.) What separates the 29-year-old actor and the character he plays is the way they approach their work. Where King Aegon Targaryen II spent most of his teens drinking and embracing a hedonistic lifestyle, Glynn-Carney has been working away for over a decade. He made his film debut in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 World War II epic Dunkirk and starred in shows like SAS: Rogue Heroes, each role completely different from the next — deftly selecting projects that force him to explore new and uncovered facets of himself.
Ascending to the throne in House of the Dragon required one single audition after meeting the show’s season one showrunners, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, who offered him the role shortly after meeting. Sitting down with him, it’s clear why he was selected so quickly — he’s equal parts assured and eloquent, thoughtfully speaking about his character as if he’s a friend. Glynn-Carney knows that Aegon isn’t exactly the kindest of characters, but it seems like he does understand Aegon on another level. And despite being the “villain” of the show, Aegon has found his own burgeoning fanbase — with fans and critics alike crediting Glynn-Carney’s adept portrayal of him as the reason.
On paper, everyone would immediately loathe Aegon — he’s full of pent-up teenage petulance and reeks of entitlement which are projections for a severe case of self-doubt. Still, rather than leaning into stereotypical tropes of “bad guy” characters, Glynn-Carney’s insightful and informed approach to Aegon forces audiences to think deeply about why, exactly, Aegon is seen as the villain. In Glynn-Carney’s mind, everyone is a product of their environment and, despite being a prince, Aegon didn’t grow up in the greatest of circumstances. Empathy is the throughline that brings Aegon and Glynn-Carney together and that’s exactly why his layered portrayal has received acclaim across the board.
Speaking with Tom Glynn-Carney from his peaceful home in Manchester, 1883 Magazine’s Editor Kelsey Barnes sits down with him to discuss his approach to the seemingly hedonistic yet multifaceted Aegon, what exactly connects him to the character, his love for sustainability and vintage clothing, and more.
Download Tom’s full cover story.
Tom, you’ve been acting now for over a decade. When you look back at your time between then and now, how would you describe your personal growth as an actor?
Oh, God, it doesn’t even compare. What was it in 2013?
Good question, let me pull it up. It was Casualty.
Wow, that was before I went to drama school or anything like that. I think that was one of the moments where it was a test of whether I wanted to do this properly or not, whether I wanted to dedicate my whole life to seeking a fulfilling career in acting or not. It definitely didn’t put me off, that’s for sure. I think I’ve grown a lot and hope I’ve grown an awful lot since then. I’ve learned a lot about my taste, my own creative drive, and what gets me ticking. The way I like to work, the projects I like to take on, my day-to-day on set, how my routine can ebb and flow depending on how I’m feeling that day. In so many ways I’m just trying to get as close as I can to finding something that lends itself to longevity and sustainability.
Is your growth something that you’re even aware of while it’s happening or is it something that you can only recognize when someone asks you about it?
I think so, I think so. It’s not something I’ve consciously thought about. I think the idea of acting in this career is that you never stop learning. You never stop changing. You always have to be malleable and be able to mould into the shapes that people need from you. You have to be a chameleon in more ways than one. Even the idea that you just kind of stop and find a routine that works for you is an archaic way of thinking.
It depends on the character.
Exactly. Aegon, for example, has no routine. He doesn’t have a purpose. Historically, he’s never had a to-do list. I try and blend into the characters I play as much as possible. I try not to let it be the other way around and then blend into me because then I end up taking it home and that’s a nightmare.
Especially for someone like him!
Game over, game over. But I find it helpful. I find people talking about their process insufferable but whatever my process might be in terms of figuring out the character, that would be it. Aegon’s lack of direction affects the way that I play them. I was never coming in with any sort of preconceived ideas about what the scene would be like. I’d come in knowing my lines and everything like that, but they’d be in my brain. I wouldn’t be able to jump in halfway through the scene, I’d need to take a full run at it. It’s really a difficult thing to describe, but I wouldn’t want them to be too rehearsed. Ageon keeps people just on the brink of not knowing. With other characters, depending on their personality traits, I might play them differently and not someone that is just on the brink of total collapse like he is.
I’m intrigued as to why you hate talking about your process. I think I wouldn’t love talking about it because it seems a bit personal and not everyone would get it.
I just hear other actors talk about it and I’m just like, you know what? I’m glad that works for you. [Laughs]
It’s just not that deep! [Laughs]
It’s not that deep. We’re not saving lives at the end of the day. What we do is important, we tell stories. We offer escapes for people. I know I’ve been pulled out of the trenches before from watching people’s performances on the screen. I know there is a service there to be had. But when people talk about the process of getting into character as if they’re doing open brain surgery or solving world hunger… We just need a little bit of perspective here! [Laughs] Also, the idea of talking about the process is like giving the game away. Why is the magician telling everyone else to do his trick? Just turn it off and do it and let the audience enjoy it. It’s the equivalent to me of listening to a song that really hits you deep in the chest and has a massive profound effect on you and then the singer songwriter who wrote that song tells you beat by beat what it’s about.
It changes your personal connection with the song.
Yeah, I’ve decided what that means to me. Almost like… I have decided that it means something way more profound than you’re about to tell me about your experience so don’t ruin it for me. That’s why I don’t like talking about processes because why does everyone need to know the ins and outs of it? Just enjoy what you see.
While growing up, can you think of a specific fairytale or childhood movie that resonated with you as a kid that made you want to step into a career in make-believe?
That’s a good question. I always did have a wildly overactive imagination and I still do. As a kid I was always doing voices and playing little characters. To be honest, without getting too deep, it was definitely an escape for me to kind of go into my own little make believe world. In terms of characters and stories, I was lucky — there were a lot of books in my house and my parents would read bedtime stories. I remember going to sleep and having really vivid dreams about all these worlds that I’d heard about before going to sleep. I’m actually going to Google the book I’m thinking of — it was a book and all the park rangers were animals. Percy the Park Keeper, it’s all down to Percy.
Thank god for Percy.
That was just one example of something that had a profound impact on me and I still remember it. That sort of fictional world that I created as reality in my head was a big key in the door for the rest of what my imagination would do further down the line.
Talking about escapism, do you see acting as a form of play?
Yeah, for sure. You learn so much about the world we live in because you play characters that have different experiences to you and you’re trying to get close to that. You kind of feel like you’re living under different lives. If you are lucky enough to play 100 different characters, it’s a real privilege that you get a taste of so many things that you’ve never experienced. You get to try all the different colours of a palette. I feel like it can go one of two ways: it can either make you an absolute lunatic or it can really give you an appreciation of humanity and the importance of things.
There’s a few scenes this season where Aegon is basically destroying rooms, breaking stuff, and just inciting chaos. As an actor, are those moments freeing or do you find yourself restrained at all?
No, I don’t think you can ever go in there with any sort of restraint. That’s the danger to him, I think, because Aegon can be so impulsive. When he sees red, that red descends into something else entirely. It’s very liberating to play someone like Aegon. It’s exhausting because his inner rhythm is rapid and mine’s a lot slower than his, so it’s a challenge to keep up with him, but I feel very, very free in those moments when I can smash a room to bits [laughs].
Something I love this season is the layers you see of Aegon — there are scenes where he’s destroying rooms and the next he’s weeping alone about the death of his son. I think my favourite line so far is “Fuck dignity, I want revenge”. What was it like to play those varying juxtapositions?
He’s a pendulum isn’t he? He is just constantly flitting from one side to the next. With the other character I’ve played, there is a spectrum of range. He regularly slips from one end of the spectrum to the other. That empty space in the middle isn’t actually empty — it’s jam packed with all sorts of different things. He’s so layered and such a great character to play because he’s always keeping me guessing and working him out. It feels like teamwork, which is a weird thing to say, but it’s good. Those extremes are great to play because what you don’t often get to do in contemporary pieces you can in things like House of the Dragon, like exploring those extremes.
There’s another scene where he’s speaking with the people of the kingdom and someone asks him to give back their sheep and he immediately says yes, almost like he’s a people pleaser. How did moments like that inform your portrayal of Aegon?
That was a day when I was like, “See! He’s not a villain!” An obvious choice to make when you’re playing somebody like Aegon is just playing him like a villain, and I wanted to question that and offer something else up. The way the writers have beautifully written him really leans into that idea that he’s way more complex and layered than just a cold psychopath. He’s capable of behaving like that for sure, but there’s more to him. I think at this point he’s just stepped into the shoes of the king. He’s wearing this sort of new skin where he’s wanting to make an impression. He wants people to like him, essentially. He wants the respect that his dad had. He is becoming increasingly aware that he’s not his father, and won’t be the king his father was, and will have to work 100 times harder to achieve 50% of what his father had. We leaned into that and how he’s sort of questioning himself, almost like he wants to redesign himself through this new responsibility.
Yeah, even in the scene where he’s sitting around the table and no one is paying attention to him despite him wanting to get involved and take ownership.
I’m sorry to say I’ve been in positions like this in the past. I won’t tell you when and where, but you just feel invisible. It just feels like, what’s the point? I might as well not be here, actually, because everything I say either gets bulldozed or is just not considered in the slightest. It’s a gut wrenching feeling because you just feel invincible. So that moment around the table where they are talking and trying to plot things and he’s just sat there like someone flipping caretaker….
He’s the head of the table and no one is even looking at him!
He is sitting there twiddling his thumbs. Of course, he then says that he’d rather be getting pissed and causing havoc in King’s Landing.
There are a few scenes in the first episode that I know everyone will love, but in particular, the pony-riding scene at the table with Aegon’s son was particularly hilarious. It’s a stark contrast to the way the episode ends, but there’s a moment there where I believe you see Aegon show affection and love for someone. Was that obvious in the script?
For sure. But this is why he’s so complex because he can’t channel it in a way that is healthy or useful. It’s the two ends of the spectrum again — he either deals with something in a psychopathic way or he is feeling everything so deeply in the nucleus of each cell in the skin. He can’t channel it because it’s overwhelming. It’s too much.
He can’t contain himself because he’s just catatonic.
He is constantly bursting. I think that love [for his children] is a new thing for him. He’s never loved anything before. This is the first time he’s had something in his life where he’s consistently besotted and also quite confused. How has this happened? With Helaena, of course, but how has this 50% come from me? And why are they so pure and smiley?
Especially with him knowing that he’s going to be the heir… Well, rest in peace, he was going to be the heir.
Yeah, and seeing how unstained they are by the world, I always wanted to play into that. He was rebuilding himself through his own children, giving them the chance, love, and attention as much as he was physically able to. Which, to be perfectly honest, isn’t very much, but by God, he tries. He tries to rebuild himself through them. I just think it’s a more interesting choice to show that he loved them and was invested in a way that was more than just the typical absent father figure, you know?
I feel like you’ve really approached this character with a lot of genuine empathy and care, which I really appreciate because I don’t know if a lot of actors do that with villains. I think villains are very black and white.
Yeah, which can be a bit boring.
I always think there is a thread that ties an actor to every character they play. What do you think is the thing that ties you to Aegon?
I think he and I are very similar in the way that when we feel, we feel deeply. I, as Tom, often have issues with digesting that level of feeling and can often get quite overwhelmed with it and can act impulsively. There are definitely parallels but so many differences too.
Thankfully [laughs].
Thank god, yeah. We’re very different. I think there has to be some form of parallel or some form of comparison that syncs up when you play any character. The list of differences is too long to carry on, though.
Empathy, I think, is a good thing to tie you to somebody.
I think so. And I think that’s like you said, I think what was important was not playing him as a sort of cold, black and white villain.
I read that you feel exposed and vulnerable as Aegon, which I found interesting as I know you’re also a songwriter which means everything is coming from you. How do these different forms of vulnerability differ in your mind?
To be honest, probably this season especially because his ribcage has been cracked open and it’s showing everything. I think that’s what I’ve meant in the past when I’ve said I felt vulnerable playing him because I do feel like I expose myself a lot. It doesn’t feel safe playing someone like Aegon because he’s not safe. He’s his own worst enemy in many ways. Just the levels of up and down that he’s gone through this season, the deep darkest depths of grief and loss and that burning hatred in him… He’s on a rapid downward spiral. I’m kind of reluctant to take him on that journey that just increases in speed as it rapidly goes down because I want to keep him afloat. My gut instinct as a friend is to keep him afloat.
Well, with that in mind, if you could give a piece of advice to Aegon, what would it be?
Knowing what we know right now?
Yeah, given the circumstances after episode 4.
Oh, God. Hypothetically, if I didn’t know how it was going to go, I’d say: Stay off the booze. Get some sleep. Trust no one. If it was in today’s world, I’d say speak to people and get your problems out there. But if he did that in his world, it would just come back and bite him. So trust no one.
I like to ask actors how they escape, but I know you love being in the countryside up north with your dog. After you’re playing a character for a few months, does returning to your cottage feel like returning back to yourself in a way?
Yeah, very much so. It gives me the space and quiet that I’ve been craving. There’s no sirens, no busy pavements. It’s not London, it’s not Paris, it’s not New York. Although I love those places a lot, especially New York. But I do need this, and it’s becoming more and more apparent as time goes on and as the show gains traction. It is glaringly obvious that this was the right thing for me to do—getting away from that.
While I lived in London for the best part of 11 years, moving there when I was 18 to go to drama school, I was lucky enough to start working just before I officially left drama school. It was just the done thing — you stayed in London because that’s where the work was. I’m very passionate about theatre and intend to keep it a big part of what I do. I wouldn’t be able to be an actor without theatre. It grounds me and makes me feel sharper, quicker, bolder, and braver. I thrive off that sort of danger and immediate impending doom.
The electricity in the theatre is amazing.
It is, you’re right. That’s why I ended up staying in London. But I’ve also worked abroad a lot and lived in New York for the best part of a year, doing a play out there. As amazing as all those things are, they have to be in bite-sized chunks for me. I can’t sustain that level of time in busy environments. So, somewhere like here is essential. Sometimes I only get to spend a week here before going away again, but that week is golden. I protect it with my life.
I spoke with your friend and fellow actor Dónal Finn last week and we started talking about him being left-handed and learning how to play the guitar upside down because of your time together on set, and now he has a new skill. We thought it might be fun for you to explain that story.
[Laughs] First of all, Dónal is one of the greatest human beings on planet Earth. I love that man so much, deep in my bones. I’d take my guitar out to the desert where we were shooting Rogue Heroes a few years ago. It was a tough job; everybody was dropping like flies. It was too hot. We probably shouldn’t have been there at that time of year, especially wearing woollen uniforms in 50-degree heat. But we were out there, and it was a testosterone fest, which is not particularly my usual environment. I’m not the most “guy’s guy,” and I don’t think it’s Dónal’s environment either. We’re quite similar in that sense, but we tried our best to fit in.
It was the culture every night to sit around the fire, have a few beers, play some cards, and have a sing-along. I’d get my guitar out, and Jack O’Connell would join in — he’s a lovely guitarist. We had a few other instruments as well, and we’d sit around playing old Irish tunes and folk songs that I was brought up on. Dónal was too, and it was really special.
Dónal plays the guitar left-handed. I remember thinking, “Oh my god, that’s amazing.” I wish I had a left-handed guitar so he could play it properly. But he took my guitar and managed to play three or four chords upside down. I was thinking, “What the hell?” He was completely reversing all the chord shapes, and they were all upside down. It was amazing. There were a couple of bar chords he was trying to find, and he figured his way around it. I was just in awe of him. Dónal is the gift that keeps on giving. For anyone who has not seen him in Hadestown… Well, you’re missing out.
It’s such a good show! On the flipside of that, is there any unique skill or talent that you’ve learned from a past job?
Good question. I mean, I’ve definitely learned a lot of skills by doing this job. For instance, I’ve learned how to horse ride and advanced driving because of acting. Do you know what a diabolo is? It’s two sticks with a string, and there’s this chunk of wood or plastic that looks like an hourglass. You put the string in the narrow bit in the middle, and you can do all sorts of tricks with it. You can flick it up and catch it, among other things.
Have you watched, read, or listened to anything lately that has resonated with you?
Yeah, I watched a film called Short Term 12, which was gut-wrenching. It’s sad, raw, and claustrophobic, but it’s held together by this glue that is love, hope, and selflessness. I found it to be a beautiful film to watch. There’s also a song I heard the other day called “Bless the Telephone.”
Okay, that sounds familiar.
It’s beautiful. The words and lyrics are just… how do you do that? It’s gorgeous. It really slapped me in the chest. Let’s go with that for now.
I’d like to chat with you about sustainability and our shared love of vintage clothing; you worked with Tom O’dell to pull from vintage pieces for your press run. What is it about vintage clothing that made you want to opt for it rather than traditional press looks?
First of all, Tom Odell is a genius at what he does. His eye for detail is unparalleled. I don’t know anyone else who has what Tom has in that way. He’s obsessive about it in the best way possible. He can pick a piece out from miles away and tell you the era, often where it was made, and how it was made. His knowledge is just… he’s an encyclopaedia when it comes to fashion. So, he’s a great person to have on your team when you’re trying to build looks sustainably but also tell stories.
That’s a big reason why I like to do it — because I feel like there’s a lot of high fashion stuff and single-use outfits that are just soulless. They look like they’re straight out of the catalogue from that year. I don’t know if people still have catalogues, but they look like they’re from the summer collection or the winter collection or whatever. They’re just trying to get out there, and they tailor them to your sizes. It’s just the most ridiculous idea. I did that for maybe two to three years and eventually, I was like, “What am I doing? What’s going on here?” I also found that I wasn’t wearing things that I particularly liked. I was being told what to wear and how to wear them.
But with vintage, it’s just an extension of the art form. I feel like Emma D’Arcy is very good at that as well. The things they wear are narrative-driven, and they’re creating their own story rather than having it dictated to them. On the first note, sustainability is about being able to wear things without having a conscience driving you insane. We should all be looking at things to reuse and recycle rather than chasing single-use items unnecessarily. If you find the right piece, you can use it multiple times in multiple different ways.
Exactly, I have a leather jacket from the ’40s that’s still in amazing condition.
The advantage is that it was made to a standard to last. Modern clothes often fall apart quickly because they’re designed for immediate turnover—constantly new, new, new. Vintage clothing has a story. I love wearing things that have aged and have a narrative. The one-off pieces I wore for this press tour were unlike anything I’d seen before.
The looks were amazing. I was scrolling through Instagram and thought your style was so good.
Thanks, I’m glad you liked them. I loved them too and felt very much like myself in them. Tom and I envisioned these looks months in advance. We discussed where I wanted to go with the styles, using inspiration boards, textures, materials, colours, and lots of earthy tones. We looked at others with similar vintage, bohemian styles. It made the press stuff less intimidating and anxiety-inducing. Wearing those clothes felt like I had my armour on, which took the sting out of it. I don’t see a downside to doing that at all.
I don’t know why more people don’t do it. From a magazine perspective, if I could dress everyone in vintage, I would. But unfortunately, we need brands and stuff. I just think vintage is so special.
We rely on brands and brands rely on us, but there comes a time when you can break that chain if you’re comfortable with it.
Lastly, if you could manifest something for yourself this year, what would it be?
Oh, so many things. If I could manifest something… I know this sounds vague, but happiness. I want to find the ingredients that make me feel safe, sturdy, and like myself. I want to be happy and make other people happy.
That’s a beautiful way to end it. Now that you’re back in the north, maybe you can find those ingredients.
I’m not back for long, but I’ll try!
House of the Dragon is airing now on HBO.
Interview Kelsey Barnes
Photography Jemima Marriott
Styling Margherita Alaimo
Grooming Tariq Bennafia
Fashion Editor Laura Spriet
Photography Assistant Lee Furnival
Styling Assistants Anna Hamacher & Paul Bonaparte Auguste
Cover clothing credits
Jacket Jekeun Shorts Ami Shoes Russell & Bromley Socks Ami Necklace All Saints + Vintage Rings All Saints Sunglasses Calvin Klein Belt Ami
