BETHANY ANTONIA’S CHARACTER BAELA TARGARYEN IS PREPARING FOR THE FIGHT OF HER LIFE IN THE NEW SEASON OF HOUSE OF DRAGON
Season 2 of HBO’s hit series House of Dragons premieres worldwide tomorrow night and we over here at Galore can not wait to root for… Team Black! We got the chance to speak to Bethany Antonia who plays Baela Targaryen and we are excited to learn more about her character this season! Keep reading to get a sneak peek on what to expect in the season 2!
FEATURE INTERVIEW:
How did you get your start in acting? Tell us your story!
It’s a very funny story of a kid who was basically just desperate to be on the telly. I’d fallen in love with drama at school and was too impatient to wait until I left school to audition for drama school because that felt like ages away. So, I found a local drama group called First Act Workshop. A place I really credit my life to.
It was a group where’d we’d do all kinds of drama training, and every now and again if a professional company needed children they would come in and audition us. That’s how I got my first job, I was 14! After that I was hooked, and I knew it was what I wanted to do forever.
So, I wrote to a ton of agents until one took me on. and the rest is history. It wasn’t as plain sailing as that makes it sounds though. There were a good few years at the start after getting an agent where I auditioned constantly and didn’t book anything. I even got dropped by an agent a few years in. Then I got my first television role when I was 18, and it was a total breakthrough, but things still didn’t change overnight. It was a good few years after that when I got my first series regular role and started being able to make a living.
How did you end up auditioning for “House of Dragon”? Tell us about the process of getting this role and how you celebrated when you found out you got the part.
I got a self-tape through for the show initially. At the time it was still called “untitled HBO series” but through the grapevine most people had figured out that it was the prequel to thrones. My whole circle are predominantly actors and we’d all been in for one role or another, so it was super exciting.
But even the character names were fake names so you couldn’t really work out who you were auditioning for. I did a self-tape and then got a couple of recalls, and it turned out I was auditioning for teenage Laena. I went to my recall with my good friend Emily Carey, who got cast as young Alicent!
I didn’t hear anything for months and months, and then got a phone call to say that Ryan and Miguel were considering me for a bigger role. I met them and we worked on a scene between Baela and Rhaena that’s actually in series 2!
Then I got the call the next day. It was unreal. I called my mama, then called Emily and we were just so happy to know that we’d be working together again. And then I went for celebratory drinks with my friends!
Season 2 of the HBO hit series “House of Dragon” premieres June 16th everywhere. What can we expect from your character “Lady Baela Targaryen” this season?
We can expect dragon joy, responsibility, and a real insight into who she is at her core this season. She’s the product of two incredibly powerful houses, and her upbringing has unknowingly prepared her for a war she was always going to have to fight. I really can’t wait for the audience to finally get the chance to know her!
Did you read the books once you got the role?
Yes! I actually started reading the book as soon as I got my first tape through. I’m a sucker for an adaptation, and ideally if a project is based on a book, I like to read the whole thing before auditioning for it.
But fans of Fire & Blood will know the size of it…it was impossible. But I managed to get a few chapters in. Then I just carried on reading it, all through my audition process. And I managed to finish it before we started filming so I knew exactly who Baela was.
Then I had cool conversations with the team about things they were tweaking and changing but always with references they’d taken from the book!
How would you describe a perfect self-care day?
Ooo. It would probably start with a long walk somewhere, the greenest place I could find. And the sun would be shining. I’d find a perfect little warm spot and I’d read a book for hours and hours. Then I’d have a picnic outside with my loved ones. Play some games, maybe a few drinks. And then we’d watch the sunset all together. It would be a phone free day, and a work free day. Most of us have such busy lives and I find days like this completely reset me, so I can enjoy the rest of the week!
What’s the last book you read?
Dreamland by Rosa Rankin Gee. She has written something absolutely magical. I devoured it in two days flat and wept into its pages.
Tell us a random fact about you that you’ve never shared with anyone!
I’m teaching myself to whistle. It feels like something I should be able to do at 26, and I’m cross with myself that I can’t. So that’s my task for the year.
What’s your current skin care routine?
My skincare routine itself is super basic, but I love it because it feels like 5 minutes at the end of the day that’s completely indulgent and almost meditative. I’m a big fan of natural skincare, and I only use products that are cruelty free and vegan. I don’t really wear makeup so I like to use skincare that makes my skin quite dewy. In the mornings, that’s a cleanser, a glowy serum, and a moisturizer with SPF in it. In the evening; I double cleanse and use a hydrating serum. Very simple!
When you think back to the past few years in your career, what is one thing you wish you knew when you were first starting off that you now know?
That patience is everything. It takes a long time to see and feel progress in this industry, and we’re in an age of constant visibility that means we have instant access, or so it seems, to everybody else’s career, unlike ever before. It’s really easy to get caught up in what your peers are doing, especially when you’re starting out.
I wasted so much time comparing. Every single person is on their own journey, and the person you’re comparing yourself to probably has someone they’re comparing themselves to, and whilst that’s happening there’s probably somebody sitting next to you wishing and hoping for your life too. Patience and kindness is key.
What’s next for Bethany Antonia?
Right now, I’m in rehearsals for a play. It’s an adaptation of the film Chariots of Fire, and it’s going to play the Sheffield Crucible this summer which I’m soooo excited about. My heart is in theatre, so I’d love to do some more plays during the show gap!
Aside from that, I really want to work on projects that have something to say and make an impact. Whether politically or historically, or as a vehicle for change. As makers, we have such vital platforms to educate and spark movements, and I’d really like to feel like I’m a part of something that does that.

TEAM CREDITS:
Editor in Chief: Prince Chenoa (@princechenoastudio)
Feature Editor: Taylor Winter Wilson (@taylorwinter)
Photographer: Barley Nimmo (@barleynimmo)
Stylist: Sian O’Donnell (@sian_odonnell_stylist)
Makeup Artist: Christiana Amankrah (@christianaamankrah)
Hair Stylist: Danielle Igor (@danielleigor)