Tom Glynn-Carney gets spared from fans’ hate campaign on King Aegon.

Tom Glynn-Carney plays King Aegon II Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon, and his epic portrayal of the famed villain has earned the character so much contempt from the viewers. Despite the hate train on Aegon, the actor admits to never having any negative encounters with fans.

Tom Glynn-Carney in House of the Dragon / HBO

This wasn’t the case with Joffrey actor Jack Gleeson from Game of Thrones. He played the wicked young king for three years, and within that span of time, he received so much hate that it led to speculation for his early retirement from acting.

Tom Glynn-Carney Gets Spared From The Hate Despite Playing Aegon

During an interview with Vestal Magazine, actor Tom Glynn-Carney talked about his experience playing King Aegon in House of the Dragon. He was aware of the consequences his portrayal might gain him, but he was glad none of those negative expectations happened.

I’ve been very lucky. Many people have approached me with kind words about my portrayal of Aegon. It’s a challenging task to humanize someone so seemingly poisonous. Fortunately, I haven’t had negative encounters with fans who can’t differentiate between the character and the actor. I think we’re in a different phase in society now.

Tom Glynn-Carney in House of the Dragon / HBO

Many fans have expressed their disdain at Aegon on social media through posts and memes, and thankfully, none were directed at the actor. In fact, fans admire him for being such an effective villain. Glynn-Carney believes he has social media to thank for.

When Jack Gleeson played Joffrey, there was less social media presence, making it harder for audiences to separate the actor from the character. Today I think we are a more technologically advanced community, with more behind-the-scenes and a better understanding of the distinction between actor and character.

Jack Gleeson played Joffrey in Game of Thrones when he was only 19 and hadn’t had a lot of well-known roles or projects. People associated him as his television character, and perhaps the hate on Joffrey gradually influenced their treatment of the actor.

It’s nice to know that the viewers are starting to be more mature when it comes to their fandoms. After all, it’s a tell-tale sign that they are getting quality acting from these performers.

The Truth Behind Jack Gleeson’s Retirement From Acting

Jack Gleeson and Lena Headey in Game of Thrones / HBO

Jack Gleeson’s departure from the limelight after Game of Thrones became the talk of the town. Years after his sudden retirement, he revealed at a university talk via Unilad the reason behind his decision to move away from acting.

He explained that it came down to not getting as much enjoyment as he used to when he started. He felt that it became “a bit kind of mechanical and less kind of passionate” and that “it became less of a recreation and more of a profession.”

Gleeson still returned to acting, appearing in several projects such as the 2023 action thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners and the upcoming The Sandman Season 2.

House of the Dragon Season 2 is now streaming on HBO.