Game of Thrones’ Arya Stark Actor Weighs In On House of the Dragon Show

Maisie Williams says she is excited to tune into the new Game of Thrones spinoff show House of the Dragon. Williams played the role of Arya Stark on Game of Thrones across its entire run, and received widespread acclaim for her performance, particularly because she was so young when she took on the part. Arya even went on to kill the Night King and, despite it being somewhat controversial among a sect of Game of Thrones fans, received a shout-out from Drake for doing so.

Arya won’t be making an appearance in the upcoming prequel House of the Dragon however, mainly because the show is set 200 years before Game of Thrones. Chronicling the beginning of House Targaryen’s downfall as rulers of Westeros, House of the Dragon will eventually lead up to the infamous civil war that tore the dynasty apart, known as the Dance of the Dragons. Starring Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, and Rhys Ifans, the show is scheduled for release on August 21.

And when House of the Dragon does premiere, HBO can count on Williams to be watching, as the actor tells Ladbible that she is excited to tune in. For her, part of what makes it exciting for her is the fact that she has nothing to do with it, allowing her to just experience it as a fan. Read the full quote below:

I am going to watch House of the Dragon. I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait. […] I’m very, very intrigued. It’ll be nice to watch a Game of Thrones show I’m not part of and just get lost in it. I’m thrilled.

It’s understandable why Williams would look forward to watching the show and not appearing in it, particularly because she has described some of her experiences unfavorably. This is mainly due to the demands of the role, as growing up in the spotlight resulted in her having to contend with the public persona of the character not matching her personal self-expression. Alongside this, the last season of the show was very divisive, and having to deal with the Game of Thrones season 8 backlash must have been difficult for its stars.

Therefore, Williams is likely looking forward to escaping into the fantastical world of House of the Dragon without any of the stresses of the job. In doing so, she’s joining the ranks of many excited fans, who are clamoring to get more of George R.R. Martin’s rich world and see the Targaryen dynasty in full swing. It can just be hoped that season 1 gets off on the right foot, and not only because audiences will be trepidatious following the reactions to the Game of Thrones finale. House of the Dragon will have stiff competition from The Rings of Power, and HBO will be looking to prove that their epic fantasy series is the superior one to watch in 2022.