I know I was late to the party when it came to watching Game of Thrones with an HBO Max subscription. In fact, I binge-watched it all a couple of years after it ended. So, I understand that not everyone has seen the hit fantasy series. However, I was shocked to learn that Emilia Clarke’s Ponies co-star Haley Lu Richardson had only seen one season of the show. Clarke was shocked to learn this, too, especially after realizing that while her fellow actor hadn’t seen much of GOT, she had seen its spinoff, House of the Dragon.
While Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson were promoting their new series on the 2026 TV schedule, Game of Thrones came up. That’s when The White Lotus actress admitted she’s only seen one season of it, while also opening up about the fact that she does watch House of the Dragon. The Daenerys actress truly had a priceless reaction in response, as you can see in the following back and forth they had during an interview with ET:
- Haley Lu Richardson: I only watched the first season of Game of Thrones. You know what, I have watched the spinoff.
- Emilia Clarke: You watched House of the Dragon, you’ve not seen Game of Thrones? Motherfucker! What? Can you believe that?
- Haley Lu Richardson: I know, this is actually mean of me.
- Emilia Clarke: What?!?
- Haley Lu Richardson: But the thing is…
- Emilia Clarke: I’m gonna bypass the one my friend is in?
- Haley Lu Richardson: I’m so sorry.
- Emilia Clarke: I’m joking, I’m joking.
Truly, it’s kind of wild to think that someone would watch House of the Dragon (which will return for Season 3 this year) without having seen Game of Thrones. However, it is a prequel, so it’s not like it’s illogical to watch it first.
Anyway, after that hilarious reaction from Clarke, Richardson said she should really go back and rewatch the HBO show that got the world talking. However, her co-star swiftly assured her that there’s no need to do that, explaining:
No, you don’t need to. It’s a massive commitment.
The Game of Thrones cast member is right, it is a commitment. However, despite its ending, I’d say it’s worth it. Plus, if Richardson likes House of the Dragon, she’ll likely enjoy its predecessor too.
Now, when Richardson asked if her co-star was mad about this, Clarke passionately said, “No!” So, there’s absolutely no bad blood. Truly, we went through a whole range of joking emotions here, and it’s utterly entertaining, as you can see in the video below:
Well, these two are a hoot! And now, while I hope Haley Lu Richardson is catching up on Game of Thrones, I’ll be checking out their new show with my Peacock subscription.
So far, Ponies’ reviews have been good, and people are calling this spy thriller “crazier than fiction.” For those who don’t know, this new series follows Clarke’s Bea and Richardson’s Twila, who take over their CIA husbands' jobs because they are Persons of No Interest (PONIs). Clearly, it’s nothing like Game of Thrones; however, it does seem like it’ll show off the actress's range much like the fantasy series did for Clarke.
Now, if you want to watch Ponies, the entire first season is available on Peacock. Meanwhile, if you are like Richardson and need to get caught up on Game of Thrones, you can stream it, House of the Dragon and the franchise’s newest spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on HBO Max.
