'House of the Dragon' star Ryan Corr says it was a 'blessing' to work with Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy

• Ryan Corr praised Milly Alcock's and Emma D'Arcy's performances as Rhaenyra Targaryen.
• Alcock plays young Rhaenyra, with D'Arcy taking over the role after a time jump.

Much like "Game of Thrones," prequel series "House of the Dragon" is packed with talented actors who bring the rich tapestry of Westeros to life in the HBO series. The show mainly follows Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Milly Alcock as a teenager and Emma D'Arcy as an adult, while she navigates the turbulent political landscape as the heir to the Iron Throne.

This also includes controversial relationships with her uncle, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), and Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong (Ryan Corr). The latter first shows up in episode three as he admires teenage Rhaenyra for killing a boar on her own.

Harwin actor Ryan Corr praised Alcock's work when speaking to Insider over Zoom, saying: "I'd worked with Milly before and I just think she's been so stunning in leading the first part of this series. And to bring it on her shoulders, I've just been blown away with her performance."

But fast-forward to episode six, and D'Arcy takes over the role from Alcock, thanks to the series' 10-year time jump. Corr's Harwin and D'Arcy's Rhaenyra had to work even more closely together, as it's heavily implied that he is the father of Rhaenyra's three children, not her husband, Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan). The knight is eventually exiled back to Harrenhal because of the controversy, but not before he shares a silent, emotional goodbye with the princess.

It's clear that Corr and D'Arcy put effort into making sure their chemistry was clear enough to convey the weight of their secret relationship. In fact, it was one of the first aspects they worked on together, according to Corr. "We shot some of those scenes on the first days of filming when we got over there," he told Insider. "So it was sort of trial by fire."

The actor then explained why the understated farewell scene worked so well. "There can be so much said without words. Actors often fight to have their words taken out [of the script] because anything that can be said in action or without words is often more powerful," he said. "And I felt like the scenes with Emma, particularly in episode six, are a great example of that."

Corr also said it was a "blessing" to work with the "caliber of actors" in "House of the Dragon," praising the two actors who have played Rhaenyra in particular. "Emma's just the pinnacle of that," he said. "They're just a rock star, as is Milly. I was very lucky."

Unfortunately, we won't get to see more of Rhaenyra and Harwin's fascinating dynamic, because the one-time commander of the City Watch dies in a fiery inferno at Harrenhal – orchestrated by his own brother, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) — in episode six.

Farewell, Ser Harwin Strong, we barely knew you.

"House of the Dragon" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.