Aemond Targaryen is one spooky character – from the striking sapphire eye to the giant, bloodthirsty dragon, it's clear this prince is not one to be messed with. It might not come as a huge surprise, then, that he was partly inspired by one of the most famous horror figures of all time.
Ahead of the massive House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, we spoke to Ewan Mitchell, the actor behind Aemond's eyepatch. Along with diving into that dramatic ending, we also touched on Mitchell's inspirations for playing his fearsome character.
"I purposely didn't watch Game of Thrones because I didn't want it to influence my decisions with Aemond and the choices that I would make with him," Mitchell tells us. "Whether it be consciously or subconsciously, I wanted to very much present a character who was otherworldly. And so I took inspiration from other worlds. I took inspiration from Michael Fassbender's character David in Prometheus, Kirk Douglas in The Vikings, Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia, and also '80s horror icons.
"The idea that no matter how slow Michael Myers walks, he always catches up with Jamie Lee Curtis: that idea of inevitability," he continues. "And it's almost like the image that they convey, it's larger than life. It's like another energy, and I thought there was something super fascinating in exploring that."
But, Mitchell is planning on watching Game of Thrones someday. "Until we wrap up on the story that we want to tell, then I'll check out that story," he says. "But I am looking forward to it, because it is such a cultural zeitgeist."
House of the Dragon season 2 airs weekly on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK and HBO in the US.
For more from our interview with Mitchell, check out the actor on the dramatic episode 4 ending, what Aemond has in common with Robert De Niro's Heat character, and the rivalry between Aemond and Daemon. You can also read more on House of the Dragon with our deep dives below:
- House of the Dragon season 2, episodes 1-4 review
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner on why Blood and Cheese is nothing like Game of Thrones' Red Wedding
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner doesn't feel the pressure of following the controversial Game of Thrones season 8: "Our challenge comes from within"
- House of the Dragon showrunner teases season 3: "You don't want to end up in that place where you're doing the same thing again and again"
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner breaks down the complicated relationship between Daemon and Rhaenyra: "Conflict is the order of the day"
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner says Rhaenyra and Alicent's bond is still the heart of the show: "We understand that these two women are connected"
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1 recap and Easter eggs
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 recap and Easter eggs
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 recap and Easter eggs
- Hugh Hammer explained
- How Blood and Cheese is different from the book
- Cregan Stark explained
- Addam of Hull explained
- Daeron Targaryen explained
- Alys Rivers explained
- The dragonseeds explained
- The House of the Dragon dragons, listed and explained
- Greens vs. Blacks, explained
- The White Worm, explained
- The Targaryen family tree
- The House of the Dragon timeline
- Who wins the Dance of the Dragons?
- The history of Vhagar
- The Song of Ice and Fire prophecy
- House of the Dragon season 2 release schedule
