Some mysteries in House of the Dragon are solved with dragonfire. Others remain stubbornly unanswered. For Gayle Rankin, who plays Alys Rivers, the biggest mystery isn’t who will win the Dance of the Dragons. It’s why one of Fire & Blood’s most notorious characters never made it into the show. During a recent interview, Rankin enthusiastically discussed Mushroom’s accounts of Alys and even pitched what might be the perfect headline for a Westeros debate fans have been having for years.
Quick read:
- Gayle Rankin enjoyed Mushroom’s Alys stories.
- The actor questioned Mushroom’s absence.
- She loves Alys’ Witch Queen lore.
Mushroom’s version of Alys fascinated Gayle Rankin
While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Rankin revealed that she read Fire & Blood while preparing to play Alys Rivers and found herself particularly entertained by Mushroom’s outrageous stories.
When asked whether she explored the source material, Rankin said:
“I did. And I thought some of it was really pleasurable, especially when Mushroom says things about Alys.”
She went on to explain why those passages stood out.
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“Mushroom. I find that very tickling. I like that she bathes in maidens’ blood! I found all the lore about her to be super interesting and more of an insight to George R.R. Martin’s mindset about her. She’s this powerful, mysterious woman who has mystery that shrouds her. I think the show has really given her an opportunity to expose what female power is in a different way.”
For book readers, Mushroom’s version of events is often the wildest and most scandalous account in the text, making him one of the most memorable voices in the entire history book.
Credits: Ollie Upton/HBO
Rankin asked the question fans have wanted answered
Later in the interview, the conversation turned directly to Mushroom’s absence from House of the Dragon.
Rankin didn’t hesitate.
“Where the fuck is Mushroom? Can that be the title of the article?”
After the interviewer agreed it would make a great headline, she doubled down:
“Alys Rivers Wants to Know: ‘Where the Fuck is Mushroom?’”
Beyond the missing jester, Rankin also highlighted one piece of Alys’ lore that particularly appealed to her.
“There’s the idea that she is the Witch Queen of Harrenhal. When I read that, I was like, ‘Oh, shit. I want to be the Witch Queen of Harrenhal.’ If you’re going to be royalty in Westeros, be that.”
Whether Mushroom ever turns up in HBO’s adaptation remains to be seen. But after this interview, it’s clear that at least one cast member would be more than happy to welcome Westeros’ most infamous jester to the screen.
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