House of the Dragon: 'I auditioned in a Chorley accent' says Game of Thrones prequel actor Leo Ashton who plays young Aemond Targaryan in smash-hit show

But as he explains to the Lancashire Post, he may be a star and learned to ride dragons, but he still has to tidy his room.

When and where did you film for the House of the Dragon series and what was it like being on set this big?

‘I started pre-production in March 2021 and I finished filming in January 2022. The set was unbelievable, It was huge but what I found amazing is it felt so real. And the attention to deal, like the carvings in the wall and the paintings blow your mind.’

How did you find out you'd been cast in the GoT prequel - and what was the audition process like?

‘At the first audition, I didn’t know what I was auditioning for and I did it in a Chorley accent. It was top secret but I later found out what the show was and by Googling I worked out that I was auditioning for the role of Aemond. Then I did some more research about the character and sorted my accent out and made a decision that I was gonna get it. It was about 6 auditions in total and my agent eventually called to tell me the good news.’

You filmed alongside many famous names and talented film-makers in House of the Dragon, who are your favourites and who do you most admire?

‘Well I absolutely cannot choose a favourite but I can say they are all top class actors at the top of their game and it was an honour to work and learn from them. And they are all nice, down to earth people.

What was it like filming the dragon scenes and which was your favourite dragon?

Obviously my favourite is Vhagar, I lost an eye for that old girl. She is the second largest dragon in the House of the Dragon universe so it was a pleasure. Filming the dragon scenes was actually harder than I had expected and really technical. I was on a Buck that’s already got movements planned and at first I had to make it look like I was out of control of the dragon but then gain control, all the while I had wind blowing in my face. Acting is all about reacting before you do or say something and it was hard to remember all the reactions when hanging in the air. The first day was really hard but that night I was able to relax and remind myself of all the work I’d done to prepare for this moment. Really I have trained all my life for it and I think my confidence went but it came back and the next day I give it my all.

In order to fulfil your filming commitments you've had to be home educated, what's that like - and do you miss school?

To be honest home education was something my mum and I had talked about for a long time and really during Covid I flourished from an educational perspective doing home learning. I had already missed so much school ( he was a student at Parklands High School) from filming the other shows I had done and now it just feels natural. I was actually still at my old school when I started this job and all my schools have been supportive of what I do. But when you’ve been working and filming from a young age you become more mature I guess, and more independent and more suited to home education.

How long did it take to get in costume, including the wig?

When it was prosthetics it was about one hour and 45 minutes and when it’s just costume and makeup about 45 minutes.

What has been the reaction to your success from your friends and family in Lancashire?

Everyone’s dead proud of me but all my mum does is go on at me to tidy my room, it’s a weird one really because both my mum and dad are still actors so it’s quite normal in a way but also not because it’s the biggest TV show in the world!

You are an experienced TV and film actor now at just 14, but what is your dream role?

Well I’m gonna be James Bond one day… But obviously that’s when I’m a bit older so I’m interested in projects that will stretch me as an actor and prove how versatile I am and it’s important to me that I tell stories that matter. And you wouldn’t say no to a marvel film – haha!

If young people like yourself want to get into acting, what is your top tip?

Go to my mum’s acting school (Meladrama in Chorley) or go to another acting school that’s run and taught by people that know the business and what you need to do to make it. You also have to be really resilient because you get a lot of knock backs and you can’t let that bother you. Believe in yourself, and never stop learning.

Do you have a favourite story or anecdote from your time on set?

I found it quite funny when riding the dragon the stunt director Rory told me “Pretend it’s a horse mate, It’s liking riding a horse, Leo!” And I said “Mate I’m from a terrace house in Chorley - I’ve not been brought up riding a horse!” But now my mum keeps telling me I’ve got to learn because I’m an actor.