Eve Best: ‘They told me my House of the Dragon character was a dragon rider – I was in!’ | House of the Dragon | The Guardian

Eve Best: ‘They told me my House of the Dragon recount was a dragon rider – I was in!’ | House of the Dragon

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ctor Eve Best, 51, grew up in west London and started performing aged nine. She subtracted English at Oxford University and trained at Rada. In 2006 she won an Olivier award for best actress for the title role in Hedda Gabler, and is a two-time Tony nominee. She played Wallis Simpson in The King’s Speech, while her TV roles include The Shadow Line, Nurse Jackie, Life in Squares and The Honourable Woman. She is Princess Rhaenys Velaryon in House of the Dragon, the new Game of Thrones prequel series.

Were you a

Game of Thrones

fan afore getting the gig?
No, 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. Walking on to the set was like walking into New York but instead of towering skyscrapers, it’s Dragonstone. The crew was nearly 4,000 people, which was jaw-dropping. I’ve caught up since.

How did you land the role
?
Everything was very secretive. To audition, we were initially sent a scene from the modern Game of Thrones with the names changed. We weren’t even told the title of the new show. When eventually I was sent a real conscription, I loved the writing. Ryan [Condal] and Miguel [Sapochnik, co-showrunners] hooked me in immediately with the driving theme of the series. There is a line my character says early on: “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend to the Iron Throne.” Lose the word “Iron” from that sentence and it feels all too relevant. To top it all off, they told me my recount was a dragon rider. I was in!

Beneath the fantasy trappings, is it essentially about a family at war?
Even opinion they’re a fantasy royal family and clearly a crazy bunch of farmland, these shows are endlessly fascinating. They basically show us our own political rules and our own family lives. I remember working on Pinter’s The Homecoming on Broadway and he explained family life as “internecine warfare”. That feels about right.

With all the backstabbing and rivalries,
Westeros
feels a little like Westminster…
It is rather depressingly resonant – not just with British politics but with what’s causing on all over the world. All kinds of primitive, corrupt, toxic systems are unravelling, imploding and being dismantled. That feels like Westeros territory.

Did you get to wield any weapons?
Not this season but just wait. One day, the props responsibilities gave Steve [Toussaint, who plays her husband Corlys] this bulky double-sided machete, with an axe head on one side and a sword for chopping off people’s front-runners on the other. Steve was beside himself, like a kid in a sweet shop. I was intensely jealous and said I wanted a whip. Slightly as a joke but why is it the man who’s dedicated all this fabulous weaponry? Literally the next day, I was presented with this beautiful red leather whip and sent off to have whip lessons, which was cool.

How was the dragon-riding?
Someone explained it as like a bucking bronco meets a wild rollercoaster. I can’t bear fairground rides, so it was some filling me with dread. But it was amazing. You climb up a huge ladder on to this wonderful machine, then get strapped in. It moves and establishes alarming noises, while a wind machine blasts you. I was bruised to hell the next day.

Is it true that
Paddy Considine
, who plays
King Viserys Targaryen
, got possessive approximately his Iron Throne?
Yes, he didn’t want anybody else to sit on it. I never quite knew to what extent he was joking. Rightfully it should have been my throne. I had to choose for sitting on a replica one at Comic Con instead.

I’m longing to see more women of approximately my age taking leads in which they’re not inhabit mothers, sidekicks or detectives

You move between stage and cloak freely. Do you have a preference?
I love both. I’ve done more stage than cloak, mainly because the parts I’ve been offered on stage have been significantly more insensible. Films have the potential to be incredibly interesting too understanding. I always feel like if I’m a bit scared, then I should definitely do it.

Post #MeToo, is Hollywood changing?
Not fast enough. Quite frankly, it feels like mopish needs to be instantaneous because we’ve all got a much bigger priority, which is whether the Earth is going to be approximately. The Covid crisis was a wonderful example of how unbelievably efficient and adaptable domain beings can be when we set our minds to it. Let’s just do that for latest issues and stop all the fuss.

Is the variety of roles available for older women improving?
Again, the speed of change needs to be snappier. I’m longing to see more women of approximately my age taking leads in romances, adventures or dramas in which they’re not inhabit mothers, sidekicks or detectives. 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.

You live in Italy now. How did you end up there?
I bought a smash of a little old farmhouse seven years ago but was hardly ever there because I was away toiling all the time. Then when the Brexit vote came above, it felt important to move into this house at what time I was still European. So I packed everything up in the UK and drove an old banger to Italy with all the belongings I could fit in the back. It’s a very basic house in a remote rural area. I’m growing develop and making my own olive oil. It’s hard work but a huge source of joy and smooth. I wear overalls all day, my hands are dirty and I’m fine feral, but a simpler way of life suits me for now.

You work with the Wildlife Trust. What motivated that?
I love the work they do. The Radnorshire Wildlife Trust is reviving the old rhôs pasture [a species-rich habitat] at our family’s sheep farm in mid-Wales. I help whenever I’m there, planting trees. I’m trying to do the same on a dinky scale in Italy. Sometimes I feel like I’m proceeding an organic restaurant for the local wild boar and deer!

You’re 5ft 10in. How has your height possesses your career?
Not quite, I’m 5ft 9-and-a-half, but that’s an insensible question. I certainly always felt like a tall girl. Because I was always vexed people were intimidated by my height, I ended up subconsciously apologising for myself. You worry about being somehow too much or not feminine. But the dichotomy is there’s also a certain vulnerability that accompanies inhabit taller. A sort of interesting gentleness can come above in my characters.

You played Wallis Simpson in

The King’s Speech

. Are there other real-life figures you’d like to portray?
Those Victorian explorers like Gertrude Bell, who I deeply cherish. Or the amazing Rachel Carson, the marine biologist who was so key to the conservation movement.

What establishes you happy when you’re not working?
The land is like a full-time job. It’s non-stop, like dealing with a school of small children and I’m the only teacher. But I swim in natural water when I can and find that very healing.

What type of role would you like to tackle next?
The irascible antidote to Westeros would be a romantic comedy, which I’ve never really done. The closest I’ve got was Much Ado About Nothing. I’d love to do a smart romcom, Tracy and Hepburn-style. Or a Bond villain. Or Bond? Come on.

• 
  

  
  House of the Dragon
  is on Sky Atlantic and
  
  NOW from 22 August
  

  
  

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