Gayle Rankin says filming odd House of the Dragon scene was intimate

Gayle Rankin has admitted filming a shocking House of the Dragon scene was both "very intimate" and "very odd".

This article contains major spoilers for the latest episode of House of the Dragon.

The Scottish actress has opened up about the most recent episode of the fantasy drama, in which her character, Alys Rivers, is involved in a disturbing hallucination sequence centred on Aemond and his mother, Alicent Hightower.

In the scene, Aemond, played by Ewan Mitchell, shares a passionate kiss with Alicent, portrayed by Olivia Cooke, before the moment develops into a sex scene.

However, it is later revealed that Aemond has been hallucinating and is actually having sex with Alys.

Speaking to Variety, Rankin acknowledged the unusual nature of the sequence, but noted that the cast kept things as lighthearted as possible while filming.

"It was very intimate and very odd but very professional," she said. "We tried to like make jokes, just to keep it lighthearted because those scenes are not easy and they're complicated and very technical."

The actress added, "So it was also just like it was another day at the office for being like a very odd, f**ked-up scene."

Elsewhere in the interview, Rankin reflected on another uncomfortable moment from the episode, in which Alys shares an awkward dinner with Aemond and Alicent while trying to pressure the latter into leaving.

"Oh, terrible! I mean awful, but I kind of loved it," she recalled of the scene. "I think Alys is in her element but also kind of terrified at the same time."

"But I think she feels like the stakes are very high, and I think Alys thrives in that," she continued. "I think she intentionally wants it to feel unbearable. You know, because she wants her to go."

The third season of House of the Dragon premiered on HBO on 21 June.