Olivia Cooke, who plays Queen Alicent Hightower in HBO's "House of the Dragon," has expressed bewilderment over the one-year age difference between herself and Tom Glynn-Carney, the actor cast as her son Aegon II Targaryen. Cooke is 32, and Glynn-Carney is 31. Cooke reflected on this casting choice during an appearance on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, questioning whether the industry is reluctant to show women aging.
"Does Hollywood just not want to see women age?" Cooke asked. She noted that when she learned Glynn-Carney was auditioning for her son, she wondered about potential age jumps in casting. Despite the perceived oddity, she stated, "I love them with all my heart. I think spiritually, me and Tom are related. It's odd, isn't it?"
Cooke's comments come after a discussion surrounding another scene involving her character and her on-screen son, Aemond Targaryen, played by Ewan Mitchell. In the series premiere, Aemond kisses his mother, Alicent, on the lips during a charged conversation. Mitchell described the moment to People as one that was