Facts about Emily Carey Who Skyrocketed to Fame in ‘House of the Dragon’

The young actress recently played Alicent Hightower in the first season of the "Game of Thrones" spin-off. But this is far from the first time Emily Carey has donned the role of fierce leading lady.

19-year-old actress Emily Carey recently rose to global fame again, thanks to her role as young Alicent Hightower in the HBO series "House of the Dragon."

While her role in the fantasy drama series is her most recent success, Emily has quite a portfolio of film roles, theater work, and more to her credit. Let's discover some interesting Emily Carey facts to better understand the young English actress.

Main Facts about Emily

Emily Carey was born on April 30, 2003, in North London, England, to a family engaged in the theatrical arts. Her flair for acting became apparent at a very young age.

She was eight when her talent got her scouted into the theater world. At the age of nine, Emily made her debut in a theatrical production of "Shrek The Musical," performing at The Theater Royal Drury Lane in London.

She then played the iconic role of Marta Von Trapp in an award-winning rendition of the musical "The Sound of Music," directed by Rachel Kavanaugh.

Emily's progression from stage to television was quick, as she bagged her first recurring role at 11. She played the role of Grace Beauchamp in the BBC drama series "Casualty," appearing in 41 episodes of the soap opera until 2021.

She then went on to play the young versions of two beloved leading female characters in Hollywood. Her first role on the big screen was in the 2017 Warner Brothers movie "Wonder Woman," in which she portrayed a young Diana Prince, the older version played by Gal Gadot.

The following year, Emily further established her footing in the action genre with another major feature film - she played a young and fierce Lara Croft in the reprised version of "Tomb Raider."

Other notable roles Emily has played before "House of The Dragon" include her role as Teen Wendy in the British fantasy film "The Lost Girls" and the recurring part of Mary Conan Doyle in the drama series "Houdini & Doyle." She also landed the role of Mika Cavanaugh in Netflix's 2020 series "Get Even."

Emily Carey has also done her share of voice acting in the industry. She lent her voice to the critically acclaimed film "Where is Anne Frank?" And the animated productions "Monster Family 2" and "The Canterville Ghost."

Apart from these projects, Emily was seen as 'mini Idina' in the music video for the popular single "Baby It's Cold Outside," featuring Idina Menzel and Michael Buble.

Emily Is Active on Social Media

The "Turn Up Charlie" actress isn't one to shy away from social media. She currently has an Instagram following of 350,000 fans and counting. And Emily posts to her Instagram followers with behind-the-scenes photos, photoshoot pictures, and snippets from her personal life on social media.

Emily also has an active Twitter account, though she had to temporarily delete her account after catching some backlash after a Comic-Con appearance to promote House of the Dragon.

At the event, Emily talked about creating a backstory to humanize the character of Alicent Hightower, which didn't sit well with the "Game of Thrones" fanbase.

However, after the brief hiccup, Emily has been back and active on social media, even though she admitted that the attention could sometimes be overwhelming.

"Any hate that comes in, it's just … It's a person behind a screen. You just have to move on from it," Emily said.

Despite the backlash, Emily still believes that her character Alicent Hightower is not a villainous one but somebody that the audience might hopefully sympathize with.

Emily Comes from a Family of Actors

For Emily, entering the acting field was an obvious career choice, given that she had grown up surrounded by family members engaged in the theater industry.

Growing up in an environment of the arts, young Emily always assumed that dance and singing were something everyone did. At just three years of age, Emily was already spending time at the theater, watching performances and shows on stage, thanks to her grandmother, a wardrobe mistress from the West End.

Since her first theater project, she's been working hard at her craft, knowing that it is something she wants to pursue as an adult. In an interview with the magazine Rose & Ivy, Emily said:

"I think for me it was never a question of can I do that it was always, when."

Uncomfortable Moments in Acting

Emily's role in "House of the Dragon" brought her into the limelight, but there was a part of it that was 'scary' for the teenager. The actress revealed that she was scared of doing intimate scenes in the show.

She was particularly nervous because of the age difference between her and her scene partner, Considine. However, Emily overcame the cold feet thanks to the help of an on-set intimacy coordinator, who helped her feel reassured and comfortable.

Speaking of her upcoming work, Emily expressed that she would love to come back in the second season of "House of the Dragon." She hinted that there had been multiple discussions, but she did not know the direction the show would take.

Alongside Emily, the series has managed to bring a lot of young actors into the limelight, including Milly Alcock and others. The show is confirmed to return for a second season.