'House of the Dragon' star Tom Glynn-Carney reacts to Aegon and Joffrey comparisons: 'He is not an out-and-out psychopath'

• "House of the Dragon" star Tom Glynn-Carney said he's aware of fan comparisons about his character.
• Fans have likened Aegon Targaryen to "Game of Thrones" villain Joffrey Baratheon.

"House of the Dragon" star Tom Glynn-Carney responded to comparisons between his character Aegon Targaryen and Jack Gleeson's notorious "Game of Thrones" villain Joffrey Baratheon.

Fans have been quick to compare the two rulers of the Iron Throne since they were both children when they ascended to the throne and have villainous qualities.

Glynn-Carney told The Hollywood Reporter that he was aware of the comparisons when talking to "House of the Dragon" showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik.

But the Aegon actor said that his character is not nearly as sadistic and power-hungry as the infamous Joffrey.

"Ryan and Miguel said if we could make any comparisons to ['Game of Thrones' characters], that he's the closest to Joffrey," Glynn-Carney says. "However, he is not an out-and-out psychopath. He's much more complex. His decisions are due to insecurities and confusion and rage. He's just bitterly confused and mentally unwell."

The actor continued: "As much of a nightmare as Aegon is and how he plays against any form of rules and discipline, he's pretty defenseless. He's so reliant on alcohol that he's a confused, tangled mess of a man who doesn't yet know himself. He's incapable of making decisions that aid him. His entire life, he's relied on people around him to make sure he's doing the right thing. But he makes awful decisions, and now those decisions are going to be made on a mass scale."

Glynn-Carney said that his character's flaws are caused by the fact he was raised to never ascend to the Iron Throne.

"He's grown up with the idea that he doesn't want power," the 27-year-old actor said. "And his father didn't want him to have it. So there's that resentment, as well. He's a very selfish person because he wants to escape. I think if he was a modern-day person, he'd leave his family and go traveling around Australia and grow some dreadlocks."

In episode nine, Aegon is crowned king over his older half-sister Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) after his mother and their supporters take over King's Landing.

The former king, Viserys, had originally planned for Rhaenyra to take the throne on his death, but Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), his second wife, took the throne to protect her children.

The season finale, which airs on HBO on Sunday, will show Rhaenyra's response to this betrayal as the civil war named the Dance of Dragons begins.