‘My mum says I’m not working class any more!’: Olivia Cooke on power, privilege, and...

The Guardian • June 21, 2026

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The actor has a knack for playing characters that test viewers’ loyalties.

The Guardian • 2 of 8

As the Game of Thrones prequel returns, she talks problem fans, ‘boy mums’ and why the arts should be for everyone House of the Dragon is a massive...

The Guardian • 3 of 8

Over two seasons, the prequel to Game of Thrones has seduced viewers with its plotting, backstabbing, candlelit meetings about war, and massive...

The Guardian • 4 of 8

Olivia Cooke’s dad, however, did not get the memo.

The Guardian • 5 of 8

We’re in London, on a stormy summer afternoon, and Cooke is sipping a bottle of neon juice (“Tell me if my teeth go purple”).

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She gets her phone and pulls up a photo of a television screen, with the first season of House of the Dragon loaded up and ready to go.

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