Emma D’Arcy is just getting started. Despite being relatively ‘unknown’ when cast as the titular role in hit fantasy phenomenon (and Game of Thrones prequel) House of the Dragon, they made a vengeful splash as Rhaenyra Targaryen, the beguiling, icy-tressed heir to the Iron Throne, earning them their first Golden Globe nomination – and the veritable right to never be underestimated by the internet again.

That has certainly been the case for the 31-year-old, non-binary actor whose TikTok comment section alone, reads, in no particular order: “The perfect casting”, “I’m in love”, “God tier person”, “Them, just them” and “Emma is simultaneously transcendent and so relatable.” Playful, charismatic, cheeky and impossibly eloquent, their commitment to bucking expectations and forging their own path in the film industry has meant their fans have found freedom in places Emma had failed to find it growing up. Emma opens doors and urges others to follow, seemingly uttering: If it doesn’t exist already, go out and create it.

Now, with House of the Dragon returning for its sophomore season, two short films helmed by their own production company under their belt, and an upcoming debut at the Royal Court Theatre later this year – alongside actors Ben Whishaw and Kayla Meikle for Maggie Nelson’s Bluets – Emma’s own arc is characterised by the same beautifully haunting courage, vulnerability and generosity you find in their luminous performances – practically fizzing with effervescent energy – on screen.

So how did we get here and what creative life does Emma want to lead? Like, any good film plot – the latter is still up for debate. But something we do know? Every step is intentional. Here, their House of the Dragon co-star, Matthew Needham, got in touch to talk Emma’s art school beginnings, finding their corner in film, the power of clothes, and why House of the Dragon season two allowed them to wear Rhaenyra better.

MATTHEW NEEDHAM How are you?

EMMA D’ARCY I’m good, thank you! Happy to see you, Matthew Needham.

MN How are rehearsals going? Is it nice working with Ben Whishaw again?

ED Rehearsals are going well. We’re in the thick of it. It’s very, very lovely to be back in a room with Ben! And with the brilliant Kayla Meikle. I‘ve admired her for so long. It’s a special team of people.

MN How does it feel to be at the Royal Court and working on Bluets?

ED I’m thrilled to be a part of David Byrne’s inaugural season at the Royal Court – I think his is a truly exciting appointment – and this first season contains some of the most compelling programming I’ve seen from a major institution in a long time. I always thought that this theatre had a slightly mythic quality. As a student, I would hear people talk about ‘The Court’. The name conjured some sort of cloistered piazza, where I imagined the eminent playwrights of the day arguing over form and structure. It feels special to finally work here, and though the cloisters were inaccurate, the esteem with which playwriting is held in this building is every bit true.

MN What emotion do you most associate with the colour blue and what is your favourite blue object?

ED Sky blues and cornflower blues give me a feeling of bitter-sweet longing, of possibility. I wear a lot of blue – I have done since I was a child. My wearable blues would have to be my favourites: heavy denims, faded dusty blue cottons, serious navy.

MN I’d like to ask a little about what led you to art school. How did your creativity manifest itself when you were younger and what type of art did you feel drawn to?

ED What a nice question. I think my sibling and I were really lucky – we grew up in a house where visual expression was highly valued and really encouraged. We had a cupboard full of colouring pencils, paper, saved toilet roll tubes, bits of stuff that you could glue to other stuff. At school, to be ‘good at art’ was to be able to draw reasonably well – I was ‘good at art’. The art rooms became increasingly important to me through secondary school; it was an unhappy time in my life, and art was an area in which I had confidence – one of the few places I felt I could be front-footed. I knew I wanted to do an Art Foundation – that was one of the few things I was clear about as a teenager. It’s deeply saddening that so many Foundation courses have disappeared over the last 10 years. Really, my foundation saved me a bit, it gave me a second shot at constructing a personality. I got my first taste of some sort of freedom and it’s where I was first invited to learn to think. My work changed a lot. I started working in sculpture, video and installation.

MN For the upcoming series House of the Dragon, how was it coming back to a character after 2 years away?

ED It was remarkably comfortable, which is encouraging. You know how certain items of clothes age well? They sit on your body in an increasingly convincing way, the more worn they become. I feel like I was able to wear her a bit better this time round — I could trust her more.

MN Part of Rhaenyra’s tragedy is watching a young person fight a patriarchal system who is simultaneously being changed/damaged by the actions she is forced to take. With that said: in the final moments of series one, is it an evolution or an awakening?

ED You describe Rhaenyra’s position so beautifully – I suppose it may be both? The end of series one is an evolution as far as her grief is concerned. Until that point, I think Rhaenyra would consider herself an expert in grief, having lost numerous close family members, but losing her young son is a profound re-education and I think it moves the dial regarding the action she is prepared to take in relation to her family. Relatedly, I think she is awakened to the enduring risk that comes with parenthood. Prior to Luke’s death, I think Rhaenyra considered the period of childbearing – that time of pronounced incapacitation – to be the aspect of motherhood that posed a threat to her body and to her ability to perform her political role. What she discovers here is that increased vulnerability is a permanent state: if any of your children are hurt or killed, your body can be wrecked once again.

To read the full interview, pre-order the Summer 2024 issue.

House of the Dragon S2 available from 17 June on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW