IN HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, HARRY COLLETT HAS GOTTEN USED TO SOARING THE SKIES ON TOP OF A DRAGON. BUT FOR HIM, THE CHALLENGE ISN’T MAKE-BELIEVE - QUITE THE OPPOSITE, REALLY. THE YOUNG ACTOR IS DEDICATED TO MAKING THE FANTASTIC LAND OF WESTEROS AS HUMAN AS POSSIBLE. THE CHALLENGE ISN’T LABORIOUS FOR HIM; HE SEES IT AS AN ESCAPE. HAVING STARTED HIS CAREER AT JUST SIX YEARS OLD, COLLETT IS STILL WAITING FOR HIS JOB TO BECOME JUST THAT, A JOB. SO FAR, THE ACTOR STILL HAS THE FIRE IN HIS BELLY, EXCITEDLY PONDERING THE FUTURE OF HIS CAREER. JUST LIKE HIS CHARACTER, HE’S STILL LEARNING THE ROPES, FINDING HIS WAY THROUGH AN EXCITING YET INTRICATE WORLD. WE CAUGHT UP WITH COLLETT TO DISCUSS HIS EARLY START IN THE INDUSTRY, THE CHALLENGE OF SCREAMING GOATS, AND TO TEASE THE MONUMENTAL SECOND SEASON OF HIS HIT SHOW.

Left Full look **Louis Vuitton**
Right Jacket **Fendi**

You’ve built your career from such a young age. What was it like to be a professional child actor?

I wouldn't call myself a professional. Even now. I was six when I started. I didn’t have the easiest time in primary school, so I picked up dancing at an early age. It would help me take my mind off a bad day. Once, I did a show at a shopping centre and an agent spotted me and went up to my parents and just told them he thought I could be good at acting. My parents sat me down and I thought I could give it a go. At my first audition, we went up to London and made a family day out of it. We were waiting in a lobby; I remember being super nervous. I turned to my mom and just said “I don’t know if I want to do this.” My parents have always been quite understanding so we started to walk out. Right as we were at the door, they called my name. It was just one of those deciding moments. I went back and I got it, it was my first role, in the Billy Elliot musical. From there it all just snowballed, it’s an escape for me, I genuinely love acting.

So, acting doesn’t feel like a job to you at all?

Well, all my friends work in finance. I always see that as a “real” job. Of course, there are aspects of what I do that can be draining, like the long hours. But it’s still hard to believe this is an actual job because what I do really is just dress up as different people for a living and take a step into their lives. At the minute I ride dragons for a living… How could I ask for another job? It’s weird for me because I love it so much, it’s hard to call it work. I wake up every morning excited to go to work.

Left Full look **Fendi**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

Your career started in the West End, is that something that you’d return to eventually?

I think eventually yeah. But for now, I’m enjoying the film and TV aspect. I enjoy this way of shooting. I would like to do a play; I’ve never done a playbook before. Musicals I feel like I’d revisit later in life.

I was snooping through your Instagram, and I found out you are also a DJ. Do you miss expressing yourself musically?

I think you have a point there. I think acting and music are very different but they both come from a similar creative route. What I love about DJing is the pure enjoyment. I don’t do it for the money. When you drop a song and see someone going crazy, it’s a feeling I can’t describe but it is similar to being in front of an audience doing musical theatre… I guess I never really thought of that.

Left Shirt, jacket and pants **Kenzo**, belt **Miu Miu**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

We have to discuss House of the Dragon – did you know that you were stepping into that role when you auditioned for it?

Not at all. The first two self-tapes I did just said “Untitled HBO series” and the character was called Jack. It could be anything. I only found out two days before the last audition. You can imagine, from an untitled HBO series to a spin-off of Game of Thrones, that’s quite the jump. It got me stressed out. [Laughs] When I did end up getting it was the same sort of pressure, it never goes away. I’m in a spin-off of Game of Thrones, I have to do really well here. In the first season, you never know how it’s going to go. Obviously, we read the scripts, we knew it was beautifully written. But you never know how it’s going to go down with the fans.

But it did go very well, it was received so well by the audience. Did you feel like the pressure was renewed for season two?

I don’t know actually… I think I’ve become more confident. There were things that I spotted in season one that I changed, there’s always room for improvement. In the first season, you’re new to everything: to the sets, to the crew, and to the directors. And within that time from season one to season two you build a relationship with the cast and with everybody else that gives you a different sense of confidence. When I go on set, I don’t think of the millions of people who are going to watch the show. Obviously, you have to consider that, but you can’t stress yourself out.

Left Left Full look **Louis Vuitton**
Right Blazer, pants, belt and necklaces **Versace**, sweater **Brunello Cucinelli**

The show is very dark, both in its story and its atmosphere. How is the energy on set?

Not at all, it’s a party on set, the complete opposite of what the show is. Which is lovely because if it was like the show all the time, it would be upsetting. Everyone gets along, it’s such a nice atmosphere. It might be very cliché but there’s not a horrible person on set.

What can we expect from your character this time around?

I think for Jace specifically, this season he goes through a lot of real feelings. His arc is essentially him turning from a boy into a man. Even in a fantasy world, his journey is so human. I’ve had fun this season figuring out how to communicate things like grief. People need to relate to him amongst the massive battle that’s happening both inside and outside of Jace’s body.

How do you think people are going to react to the first episode of the second season?

I think we’re kicking things off right away, there’s no wasting time. I’m still gobsmacked by the end of that first episode, and I’ve seen it now about five times. It’s a beautifully done episode and, obviously, everybody’s performances are so good. You get a good sense of what the stakes are for the rest of the season.

You’ve mentioned that you prefer acting on set versus on location. What is it about it that you prefer?

I mean, the sets are just so cool. [Laughs] Obviously, when you’re on location, there are beautiful landscapes and it's amazing to see, we were just up in the mountains in Wales. But when you’re in one of those rooms and it’s completely silent it’s just something else. The last time we were on a mountain there was a goat behind us that was just screaming so loud. We were filming a sad scene so that just throws you off. You get to be immersed in the studio.

Left Blazer **Fendi**, sweater **Brunello Cucinelli**
Right Full look **Emporio Armani**

You’ve established a pretty solid range, from musicals to fantasy. What else do you see yourself doing?

I’ve always said that, at the end of my career I want to be able to say that I’ve done everything I could do. When I was younger, my dad used to make us watch an old-school movie every week. I started to look up to people like Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, actors who have done so many different genres and types of characters. I want to experiment, to throw myself off the deep end.