Young Aemond's Casting is Maybe the Best Part of House of the Dragon Yet

House of the Dragon was eagerly anticipated, with the first episode of the Game of Thrones sequel becoming the most-watched HBO premiere ever.

And there was much to like about the show that set up the beginning of the end for House Targaryen.

The show, much like GoT, was so well cast with so many of the actors really embodying their characters and bringing them to life. And casting Leo Ashton as the young Aemond was a true stroke of genius.

It was by no means his first acting role. The young star, who clearly has a bright future, had already appeared in major shows Peterloo and The Bay among others on UK TV. Aside from his acting ability, though, young Leo really looks the part.

There is a unique Targaryen look that adds another complication to casting members of the family – and they lucked out when they found this kid with oodles of talent and a very close resemblance to his on-screen sister Rhaenyra (particularly during her time played by Emma D’Arcy).

And the showrunners’ luck was really in when they also managed to find an actor to play the grown-up Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) who also shares that family resemblance. Indeed, if you compare photos of Leo Ashton and Ewan Mitchell at around the same age, you’d be forgiven for thinking they are genuinely related.

There’s even enough of a resemblance between all the actors and Paddy Considine’s King Viserys that helps solidify the belief that all these characters are relatives.

Now, let’s not take anything away from the makeup department here. Clearly, they did their bit to help make the whole family look believably Targaryen. And, of course, there’s no suggestion that any of the actors were cast purely on looks. But it really does help when you have a set of actors whose appearance and demeanour play right into what the casting directors are looking for.

Of course, as time has moved on in the series – owing to the amount of history that had to be crammed into the show – it’s unlikely we’ll be seeing Leo Ashton on our screen as Aemond Targaryen again. But no doubt his time on the show will lead to other roles and we can certainly expect to see him gracing TV and movies for several years to come if he decides to pursue acting as a career.