Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Spoilers forHouse of the Dragonseason twoepisode five,Regent.
Everyone onHouse of the Dragonis deceitful to some degree.
Amid the fog of war,Aemond triesto kill his older brother Aegon to steal his throne.
Mysaria returns to herWhite Worm ways, fomenting discontent among the smallfolk about Team Green.
Daemonlies about his war crimesto bend the Riverlands lords to his will.
But only Alys Rivers, known inFire & Bloodas the witch queen of Harrenhal, is flat-out opaque.
Is Alys a woods witch, a bastard of House Strong, or both?
Is she a 400-year-old relying on virgin-blood baths to stay young?
Are Daemons visions sparked by her potions?
What exactly is the nature of her connection to the infamously cursed Harrenhal?
Well get answers eventually, actressGayle Rankinsays.
Even plays likeThe Crucible those were quote-unquote normal women who were identified as being witches.
Shes kind of like the First Lady of Harrenhal, if there was a government, Rankin says.
She calls him out on how his strategy for the Riverlands is hurting women in particular.
Does Alys have a guiding philosophy connected to a kind of feminism?Yes, absolutely.
Its hard not to.
Its the perspective I come from as a person on the planet.
As an artist, Im really curious about uplifting women and disenfranchised peoples of all kinds.
She doesnt bow to Daemon.
Whether the Strongs see her at all isnt explained.
A lot of that was gut instinct.
Theres so much ambiguity, right?
How do you play someone who is mysterious?
How do you ground them, and make her a person with wants and needs and desires?
It was really personal.
Its a pretty hard job keeping Harrenhal afloat, keeping everybody safe and well, and keeping control.
Shes kind of like the First Lady of Harrenhal, if there was a government.
She knows all the really wonderful spots to go swimming and do fun, pleasurable things.
Youve said Alys desires to be known, and thats partially why she makes this overture to Daemon.
How are we to be as women in this world?
Are we allowed to be vulnerable and also ambitious?
Is there room for them in our society?
Theres something about her thats trying to prove maybe there is, but its a fight.
The Harrenhal set is so detailed.
Was there a specific aspect of the set design you connected with?My workshop was so specific.
I hope we get to go back there.
I loved how tactile it was I had a bunch of ingredients that I could build the potion with.
It was very comforting and it made me feel like I had been there for centuries.
It felt very lived in and feminine, like a sanctuary, you know?
But who knows what Alys can withstand?
Its an interesting question about daring him on and seducing him in some way, too.
There is a fan theory that Alys and theRed Priestess Melisandrefrom Game of Thrones are the same characters.
Youve talked about feeling drawn to green as a color, partially because of your birthstone, peridot.
Is there a specific color that you assign to Alys?Purple.
The dress I wear thats like her uniform, really is purple.
Alys has her own identity and she travels in some ways right down the middle.
Itll be interesting to see where we go in terms of her color palette.
Harrenhal is implied to be incredibly haunted.
