Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower in HBO's House of the Dragon, has opened up about the challenges of portraying a divisive character, dealing with hostile fans in real life, and her thoughts on class and privilege in the entertainment industry. In an interview, the 32-year-old actor shared that while she is grateful for the role, the vitriol from some viewers has spilled into the real world. "They want a picture with you, then afterwards, they'll say, 'I fucking hate your character, by the way,' or, 'Your character's a cunt,'" Cooke recounted. She handles it by laughing and suggesting they delete the picture.
Alicent Hightower: A Divisive Character
Cooke's character, Alicent Hightower, has been a focal point for debate among fans. In the series, Alicent betrays her childhood best friend Rhaenyra Targaryen by marrying her father, King Viserys, and later goes to war with Rhaenyra over the Iron Throne. One reviewer called her "the saddest woman in Westeros," but Cooke disagrees, noting that Alicent doesn't have time to reflect on her emotions. Recently, the character has resonated with some queer women and non-binary viewers. "Alicent is a product of the patriarchy," Cooke explained, adding that recent episodes show her unravelling and becoming liberated.
Dealing with Fandom and Social Media
Cooke deleted her Instagram account six months ago, citing a toxic algorithm that fed her images of "21-year-old looksmaxxers" promoting physical transformations. She described the platform as "navel-gazy" and distorting to self-image. Earlier, she became a meme for her reaction to co-star Emma D'Arcy's drink order—a negroni sbagliato—to which Cooke replied, "Ooh, stunnin'." While the moment went viral, Cooke found it bizarre that it became her most notable achievement despite a varied career. She admitted to initially avoiding the word "stunning" out of annoyance.
Class and the Entertainment Industry
Cooke, who grew up in Oldham, has spoken about the challenges of being an actor from a working-class background. Her mother now jokes that she is no longer working class. "I think my sensibility is still working class. I just have become, against all odds, very successful in my field," Cooke said. She emphasized the need for drama workshops in working-class areas, noting that groups like Oldham Theatre Workshop—which nurtured her and actors like Anna Friel and Suranne Jones—are vital. "There is a huge amount of talent to be found in these places, but you need to fund them, and it can't just be the Harrow and Eton lot," she said, warning that without such funding, the arts become "completely homogenised" and "fucking boring."
Upcoming Projects and the Future of House of the Dragon
Cooke has three films in the pipeline: horrors Visitation and Brides, and a Patricia Highsmith biopic directed by Anton Corbijn. House of the Dragon is set to conclude with a fourth season. According to the source material, Alicent survives until the end, so Cooke hopes to avoid the chop. "Good behaviour-willing, I won't get the chop," she joked. Her father, who recently binge-watched the series, described it as "quite violent." Season three of House of the Dragon premieres on 22 June on HBO Max, Sky Atlantic, and Now.
