Annie Shapero Saddles Up as a Fierce & Fan-Favorite Character in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 3

There’s been a lot of talk lately about who will play one of George R.R. Martin’s toughest female fighters in House of the Dragon Season 3. Now, we can finally share the news: Australian-British actor Annie Shapero has been cast as Alysanne Blackwood. Filming for the new season began a few weeks ago in the UK.

Alysanne Blackwood, often called Black Aly, is an important character in Martin’s Fire & Blood book. She is known as a fearless warrior who supports Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Emma D’Arcy on the show, during the brutal civil war. Later, she marries Lord Cregan Stark, a role played by Tom Taylor.

This marriage makes her a legendary figure in the history of House Stark, and her story will be featured in the upcoming season.

While Alysanne is not a main character, sources say she will appear in five out of the eight episodes scheduled for Season 3, which is expected to air next year.

Annie Shapero joins several new actors in the cast. These include James Norton as Ormund Hightower, the cousin of Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Tommy Flanagan as Lord Roderick Dustin, and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly.

Before this role, Shapero appeared as American journalist Jenny in Red Skies, an award-winning Israeli TV show about the Second Intifada co-created by Euphoria’s Ron Leshem. She has also been part of the FX pilot The Border, starred alongside Jacob Elordi in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, and will appear in the upcoming Australian horror film Saccharine with Midori Francis.

House of the Dragon has been a big success for HBO. The show, starring Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, and Olivia Cooke, will continue with Season 3, which promises to show the war tearing the Targaryen family apart in even greater detail.

In the story, Alysanne was sixteen years old in 129 AC when House Blackwood sided with the blacks, the faction loyal to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons.

Their rivals, House Bracken, supported King Aegon II and the greens. At the Battle of the Burning Mill, Ser Amos Bracken killed Lord Samwell Blackwood in a one-on-one fight, but then died right after when a weirwood arrow pierced his helmet. According to the Blackwoods, that arrow was shot by Alysanne, avenging her brother’s death.

This new casting is exciting news for fans eager to see more of the Riverlands and the North’s connection in the series, as Alysanne’s story is key to both regions.

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