House Of The Dragon executive producer and writer Sara Hess has suggested the show may depict sexual violence in the future, despite previously stating that it would not feature in the first season.
Speaking to Vanity Fairy in August, Hess confirmed that the first run of the Game Of Thrones spin-off would not portray any form of sexual abuse, and that it would instead be handled off-screen.
“I’d like to clarify that we do not depict sexual violence in the show,” she said at the time. “We handle one instance off-screen, and instead show the aftermath and impact on the victim and the mother of the perpetrator.”
However, in a recent appearance on The Official Game Of Thrones Podcast: House Of The Dragon, Hess explained that the show would not “shy away” from sexual violence if necessary.
“I would like to clarify that I didn’t say that we are not going to portray sexual violence ever,” she said.
“I’m not saying that we are. I don’t know. There are hopefully going to be several more seasons of this show so it’s not off the table.”
She continued: “We didn’t feel the need to put in what wasn’t in the book. It’s definitely a part of the world and something that if it’s necessary we won’t shy away from, but I think there’s got to be a lot of thought about how it’s portrayed.
“It’s also a more nuanced point to make. I don’t think you have to be raped to be oppressed and traumatised. I’m more interested in the more subtle ways it plays out.”
Emily Carey, who plays Alicent Hightower in the HBO series, recently revealed that she was “scared” to film her first sex scene with co-star Paddy Considine. The now 19-year-old actress was 17 when she was cast in the show, while Considine was 47.
“It scared me, because at that point I still hadn’t met Paddy… and all I saw was, you know, a 47-year-old man and me, I was a bit concerned,” she told Newsweek, before adding that the show’s “amazing” intimacy coordinator Miriam Lucia allowed her to feel comfortable on set.
Following Carey’s comments, Lucia opened up about her experience working as an intimacy coordinator on the show, while also responding to Sean Bean’s claim that such involvement “spoils the spontaneity” of sex scenes.
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