\n<\/p>\n
Like most people, Ewan Mitchell is accustomed to anonymity. So during a recent trip to Manhattan, he was surprised by what a hotel doorman asked when he arrived: \u201cYou haven\u2019t packed your eye patch?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell does not normally wear an eye patch, but Aemond Targaryen, the one-eyed, dragon-riding warrior he plays in \u201cHouse of the Dragon,\u201d does. The actor is still getting used to strangers making the connection in public.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t think people would recognize me, but they do,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s because of my strong chin.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was on an afternoon in May, and Mitchell, 27, was sipping a Coke at the hotel bar. He wore a black Alexander McQueen suit and was preparing to attend the premiere of the second season of \u201cHouse of the Dragon,\u201d HBO\u2019s \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d prequel that follows two factions vying for the Iron Throne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
When Mitchell made his debut in the latter half of Season 1, Aemond, the willful second son who grows to covet his brother\u2019s throne, quickly became one of the show\u2019s most intriguing and fearsome characters. Paired off with Vhagar, the realm\u2019s largest, meanest dragon, and possessing the most chiseled chin in Westeros, Aemond radiated the quiet ferocity of a predator preparing to pounce.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I\u2019m dressed up as Aemond and catch myself in the mirror, he scares even me a little bit,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The first season\u2019s shocking ending, in which Aemond\u2019s dragon killed Lucerys Velaryon<\/a>, Aemond\u2019s rival and relative, signaled to viewers that the one-eyed prince would take on a central role in the looming civil war. In the most recent episode of Season 2, a fiery clash among three dragons established Aemond as the new standard-bearer for his coalition \u2014 knows as the Greens \u2014 and potentially the realm\u2019s new king.<\/p>\n The upshot is that Mitchell, who had never watched or particularly cared about \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d before joining the prequel, now finds himself as one of the faces of the franchise. To help promote this new season, he has embarked on his first major press tour and has been adjusting to its demands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When he\u2019s not in character, Mitchell is soft-spoken and occasionally flashes a boyish grin, though he retains much of Aemond\u2019s seriousness and quiet intensity. He is also very private: He stays off social media and in the past has shied away from sharing much with the public. \u201cOnce you lose the mystery, you can\u2019t really get it back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Still, he knows that Aemond\u2019s key role in Season 2 means he must also embrace the spotlight: \u201cThere is a point where you have to go, Now\u2019s the time to pull back the curtain.\u201d<\/p>\n Like Aemond, Mitchell is a second son. He grew up in Derby, an industrial town in the middle of England, and his parents expected him to follow his older brother\u2019s footsteps and work at Rolls-Royce (the aerospace and industrial technology company, not the carmaker).<\/p>\n Inspired by films like \u201cCitizen Kane\u201d and \u201cTaxi Driver,\u201d Mitchell knew early on he wanted to become an actor. When he was 13, his teacher asked each student in his class what they wanted to do when they grew up. One wanted to be an engineer; another hoped to work as an electrician.<\/p>\n \u201cThen it came to me, and I said, \u2018I\u2019m going to be an actor,\u2019 and everyone laughed at me,\u201d Mitchell said.<\/p>\n