Olivia Cooke deactivated her social media accounts ahead of the House of the Dragon season three premiere, citing the “a lot of ugliness” in the show’s fandom.
The actress, who plays Queen Alicent Hightower, told GQ that the discourse became “not nourishing” for her mental health, prompting her to step away from online chatter.
Cooke described the fanbase as containing “a lot of ugliness” that is “steeped in misogyny” and racism. She explained that some fan interpretations “catch fire, and they become something that bears no resemblance to what was shown on the screen at the time.”
During the most recent season, the actress faced criticism online, including complaints that her character had too much screen time and assumptions that she was being exploited by directors. Cooke dismissed these readings as “bullshit.”
The actress defended director Clare Kilner, who directed episodes featuring Alicent. Cooke praised Kilner as proof that “you don’t have to stomp around the set and exert testosterone. You can just handle each department with kindness and care.” Her comments came after some fans cast her as an unwilling victim of the directors, a claim she refuted.
Cooke’s decision to take a break was part of a larger focus on her mental health. She stated, I was just like, I’m on this too much. It’s not nourishing
. The actress also criticized the “celebri-fied nature of being an actor,” which she believes has “snowballed into this monster.” She urged a return to viewing television as art, not for followers or for a brand deal or to get free shit
.
Cooke is not the only actor from the Game of Thrones universe to speak out against the negative impact of social media; Sophie Turner has also discussed its profound toll on her mental health.
Turner, who played Sansa Stark starting at the age of 14, told Flaunt last year that social media “had such a profound impact on my mental health, like more than I could tell you,” adding, “It almost destroyed me on numerous occasions.”
Season three of House of the Dragon featured storylines that sparked significant online discussion. These scenes were part of a divisive storyline that led to fans lamenting how the show wasted Cooke’s talents.
Showrunner Ryan Condal confirmed that House of the Dragon will end with its upcoming fourth season.
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