In a piece published on September 6, 2025, Yahoo reports that House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke has addressed the darker side of fandom that has followed the HBO series. Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower, said some reactions have been “f—ing horrible.” She’s frustrated by the expectation that actors must endure hateful behavior. She added that the cast leans on one another when the discourse turns ugly.

Cooke doesn’t understand why Alicent provokes such hostility. She tries to portray the queen with complexity rather than contempt. Still, she’s had strangers approach her, snap a photo, and say they “hate” her character — sometimes in jest, sometimes with malice. As House of the Dragon continues to dominate the conversation, the actress is drawing a line on where criticism end

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