HarryCollettonGrowingUpinHouseoftheDragon

In conversation with co-star Bethany Antonia, the Essex-born actor reflects on his journey from child actor to rising screen presence.

 

WORDS Olive Walton

 

Interview taken from IMAGINE Magazine Issue Three Pre Order here

 

Harry Collett may only be 22 years old, but his showreel already reads like one many performers would dream of. From appearing in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award-winning Dunkirk to becoming a fan favourite as Jacaerys Velaryon in HBO’s House of the Dragon, he has built an impressive body of work that suggests an exciting career lies ahead.

 

Yet speaking with his House of the Dragon co-star Bethany Antonia, it’s clear his accolades haven’t gone to his head. The pair effortlessly slip into the easy rapport they’ve shared since first meeting over dinner in Portugal five years ago, before filming began on the Game of Thrones prequel. Between stories of growing up alongside their characters, debating which cast members would survive in Westeros, reminiscing about Harry’s brief encounter with Harry Styles and reflecting on surreal moments with Christopher Nolan and Robert Downey Jr., Harry comes across as candid, genuine and unmistakably an Essex lad through and through.

Bethany Antonia: How did we first meet? Do you remember? And if you do remember, what was your first impression of me all those years ago?

 

Harry Collett: We met in Portugal. I was coming down with my dad because I had to have someone with me at that point as I was too young.

 

BA: Oh my God, because you still needed a chaperone. Now you’ve got facial hair! It looks great.

 

HC: Thank you. I remember coming down for dinner, seeing you and [Phoebe Campbell] and then we ate together. I remember you saying you were vegan, and then me and my dad asking if it was all right to eat meat on the same table. You said that it was fine and we got on pretty much straight away. We didn’t really have to try, it wasn’t like one of those fake things, it was really nice.

 

BA: It was a good job for them, because they hadn’t factored in any time for us to get to know each other. They were like, “Okay, next day you’re on set.”

 

HC: Yes… and considering that you’re playing my betrothed.

 

BA: But luckily it was perfect.

 

HC: Very natural.

 

BA: Jace has become a fan favourite. Why do you think that is and what do you think the people connect with the most about him?

 

HC: He’s probably a favourite because he’s just Team Black in his bones, in his DNA. He’s all for Queen Rhaenyra and I think Team Black are a fan favourite anyway because if anyone supports the greens, I don’t know what show they’re watching. I feel like Jace because he’s still a child, really. I feel sympathy for him, but then he’s kind of playing the cranky teenager at the minute because he’s not getting let out to do anything that he wants to do. I feel like people feel for him because they can see that he’s getting really angry and really frustrated. And he’s just sort of being left in that bloody painted table room, Everyday. Every season. When he has a goal he doesn’t really care, does he? He’ll push everyone out of his way to do it.

 

“…going to the premieres and seeing all the fans and how dedicated they are to the show. You don’t get to see that when you’re on set for 14 hours of the day.”

 

BA: You’ve grown up alongside [Jace] – we’ve been doing the show for five years now – how do you see his journey evolving and what can the fans expect to see in this next season?

 

HC: I think pretty much through season two, you saw him evolve into more and more of an angry person each episode. He’s very, very cross and I feel like last season was kind of his maturing arc, and this season he isn’t, it’s his, I don’t give a damn energy this year. He’s standing on business this year.

 

BA: What’s been your biggest ‘this job is mad’ moment so far?

 

HC: Probably last year’s press tour, when we were travelling about everywhere.

 

BA: When we opened the door in New York and had our Pradas on.

 

HC: When we just went straight away into an interview and it was a whole theatre of people.

 

BA: Yes! There were hundreds of people there, and we thought we were just going to do a Q&A to like five people.

 

HC: Yes, and just going to the premieres and seeing all the fans and how dedicated they are to the show. You don’t get to see that when you’re on set for 14 hours of the day. Obviously, you know this is a big show, but you don’t really think about that when you’re on set, do you? You’re just doing your job and you go home. Then when it’s finally the good bit, and you get to show people what you’ve been doing for the past year, I feel like that is probably the biggest wow moment for me.

BA: You started in theatre?

 

HC: I did Billy Elliot, Matilda and Elf the Musical too.

 

BA: I knew you did Elf, but I didn’t know you did Matilda! So you started out in theatre, how do you think that shaped you as a performer, and would you like to return to the stage?

 

HC: I definitely would. I feel like I need to get a singing coach if I was to return to musical theatre.

 

BA: Come and do Hadestown!

 

HC: Yes, one hundred percent! I’d like to do a play, I’ve never done a play before. I feel like starting off with theatre was good for my career because it built up so much confidence as it threw me in the deep end in the fact that I had to perform to a lot of people. So then, when I was on a TV set it didn’t really matter that much. Less people, obviously. I loved theatre because you get that live feeling, but then I get that now out of DJing. I definitely would like to do a play in the National or something, but it’s just finding the right one and who will employ me, really. Please ring my phone.

 

“I feel like starting off with theatre was good for my career because it built up so much confidence as it threw me in the deep end in the fact that I had to perform to a lot of people.”

 

BA: You did Dunkirk when you were 12. What was that like and how did the audition come about?

 

HC: I can’t remember auditioning for that, it was years ago. But Dunkirk was great. I didn’t really understand how much in the presence of greatness I was with Christopher Nolan being there when I was 12.

 

BA: Yeah, that’s crazy. I feel like if you did that now, you’d be more nervous.

 

HC: Yes one hundred percent. I remember there were no phones allowed on set. It was all very Christopher Nolan-y, and I’d love to work with him again in the future. That would be really cool and full circle. I got to speak to Harry Styles, who I love. Very lovely guy. Seven seconds, but worth every second. It was crazy, we were staying in the same hotel as him. I was with my dad at that point as well, and the fire alarm went off, and he was in the shower or something, and he was scared to go out of his room. So he just popped his head out and asked, “Is it a real fire?” And my dad just went, “No, no, no, you’re fine.” He was like, “Okay, thank you,” and went back in.

 

BA: Hilarious!

 

HC: But there were paps everywhere, fans everywhere outside the hotel, with the fat lenses. A very cool experience.

 

BA: Very cool. That’s crazy. Okay, so Christopher Nolan’s for the bucket list to do again for longer than seven seconds. Speaking of impressive names, when was the last time you felt starstruck?

 

HC: Probably when I was auditioning for Dolittle, meeting Robert Downey Jr., because at that age, I mean, he’s obviously Iron Man, so I just saw him as Iron Man. He was very, very lovely, he’s completely normal and he made me feel very comfortable, even at that age. Weirdly, after I did that job with him, I didn’t really feel starstruck. I just think that Matt [Smith] is the coolest guy alive. I just feel like even in the presence of Matt, I was like, “Oh, yeah, you’re just so cool, I wanna be like you when I grow up,” do you know what I mean? I didn’t feel starstruck with anyone on this job. I feel like it’s because everyone was so lovely, and felt more like a family. No one really stopped me in my tracks. Everyone felt like friends, which I think is nice. And Emma D’Arcy, they are like a mother to me, obviously off screen and on screen. So yeah, it’s just really lovely, I don’t know who would make me be starstruck again… Maybe Leonardo DiCaprio or Brad Pitt. Oh and Bethany Antonia, now that she’s doing the theatre stuff right?