Gayle Rankin has joined the cast of **House of the Dragon** for its second season, portraying Alys Rivers. This enigmatic character adds to the rich tradition of mysterious magical women in the Game of Thrones universe, following in the footsteps of Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and Maggy the Frog (Jodhi May). Alys is known as the Witch Queen in George R.R. Martin’s books.
“I’m really obsessed with pagan power. I’m a Celtic woman. I have it in my blood. I just want to ride horses, but maybe I’ll end up riding a dragon,” Rankin said with a touch of irony in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, giving some hints about her character.
Alys is introduced when Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), now king consort, arrives at Harrenhal in season 2, episode 3. The colossal, crumbling castle is believed to be haunted since Aegon the Conqueror’s dragon, Balerion, burned it down long ago.
As soon as Daemon arrives, he begins to hear strange voices and have visions. Alys appears at the end of one such vision and ominously tells Daemon, “You will die in this place.”
“In House of the Dragon, we have dragons, obviously, but she is the first point of entry into that world of magic,” Rankin says of her character, also known as the Witch of Harrenhal. “That excited me. I carried that energy with me.”
The true age of Alys is unknown. Some say she is the illegitimate daughter of the late Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes), making her the half-sister of Larys (Matthew Needham). Others believe she is a forest witch who “bathed in the blood of virgins” to stay young. However, it is widely accepted that she has been a wet nurse at Harrenhal for many years and possesses prophetic visions.
“I’m not entirely sure what I can share, but I was intrigued and excited by how open the character was,” Rankin says. “I love the challenge of playing a woman who is seen differently by different people. I’m always fascinated by female characters who are shaped by society and culture. I tried to make Alys my own and ground her in reality because you can easily stereotype someone who is a healer, a sorcerer, or a witch,” she added.
Can See The Future
Actress Gayle Rankin collaborated closely with series co-creator Ryan Condal and directors Geeta Patel and Clare Kilner to explore Alys Rivers’ motivations in **House of the Dragon**. George R.R. Martin intentionally wrote Alys as an enigmatic character. “Basically, this person can predict the future,” Rankin explains.
“She’s someone who has all this power, who’s been alive potentially for 400 years. How can we turn her into a person with a beating heart and desires and longings? I hope that feels evident in our exploration with her. They’ve done a wonderful job of giving these characters, especially the female characters, a 360-degree experience, which is not always the case in patriarchal stories,” she said.
Though Alys only appears briefly in episode 3, she is set to be a recurring presence in the second season, exerting significant influence over Daemon Targaryen. This will compel the proud Targaryen prince to confront the demons of his past.
“She will have a lot of power over the men in this story, especially Daemon, which I think is a really interesting development. The key question is, what does Alys want from Daemon and vice versa? What are they learning from each other? There is clearly a significant connection here,” Rankin noted.
