This House Of The Dragon Star Appeared In A One Direction Tour Video When She Was 17

Olivia Cooke has bagged a role in HBO’s highly acclaimed fantasy drama House Of The Dragon series in 2022. The 32-year-old joined the series, taking over the role of Alicent Hightower from Emily Carey following the show’s ten-year time jump. 

But before she became Queen Alicent Hightower, Olivia Cooke was a teenager chasing her acting dream in Greater Manchester. She has now become one of the most recognisable faces on television, but her path to success was far from straightforward.

Born and raised in Oldham, Manchester, Cooke comes from a non-showbusiness family. Her father, John, is a retired police officer, while her mother worked as a sales representative.

At a young age of 8, Cooke started acting at an after-school drama programme called the Oldham Theatre Workshop with a dream she hoped one day would come true.

For years, Cooke performed in ensemble roles before landing a breakthrough part as Maria in her college’s production of West Side Story. When she turned 17, Olivia appeared in a One Direction tour video where she does stuff like look at books, point at things, ride a bike and get a piggyback from Harry Styles.

She later secured her first leading role for the theatre group in Prom: The Musical, a reimagining of Cinderella.

Olivia Cooke’s Rejection And Determination

Despite her growing passion for acting, Cooke faced challenges entering the industry.

She has spoken openly about feeling like an outsider because of her working-class background and the lack of opportunities often available to actors without industry connections.

After moving to London as a teenager, she applied to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) but was unsuccessful. Her former agency even warned that she would be a “small fish in a massive pond” as a Northern actress trying to make it in the capital. 

But rather than giving up, Cooke pressed ahead.

From British TV To Hollywood

Her television debut came in the BBC drama Blackout in 2012. More opportunities quickly followed, including her American breakthrough role in the psychological thriller series Bates Motel.

At 21, Cooke relocated to New York and travelled between Vancouver and Los Angeles while building her career through a string of television and film projects for the next seven years.

Her biggest break arrived when acclaimed director Steven Spielberg cast her in the 2018 sci-fi blockbuster Ready Player One.

The success of that film bagged her role in the Oscar-winning drama Sound Of Metal, helping cement her status as one of Hollywood’s rising stars.

How House Of The Dragon Skyrocketed Her To Fame?

Cooke’s profile soared even higher when she joined House Of The Dragon, the hugely successful prequel to Game Of Thrones. However, the actress has admitted that the level of attention generated by the fantasy series took her by surprise.

“The size of that show in terms of the eyes on it is incomprehensible. We’re like a cover band that has got really popular, it’s like Noasis charting,” she said in an interview with the Observer.

Cooke has also reflected on how her career might have unfolded had she remained in Manchester, noting that working-class female actors often face different perceptions within the British entertainment industry.

Controversy Around House Of The Dragon’s New Season

The series, which first hit screens in 2022, has returned for an eight-episode third season. As anticipation remains high for the latest instalment of the HBO fantasy epic, the series continues to generate intense discussion among fans.

Some viewers have threatened to boycott the new episodes following disappointment with the season two finale that made them ‘physically sick,’ while early reviewers have described certain scenes in the upcoming season as shocking and difficult to watch.

The upcoming show features major cast members including Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia, Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans and Fabien Frankel. Also in the cast are Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall and Matthew Needham.

New cast members include Annie Shapiro, Tom Cullen, Tommy Flanagan, Dan Fogler, Joplin Sibtain, Barry Sloane and James Norton.