House Of The Dragon star Olivia Cooke has revealed she ditched her northern accent to make it as an actress.
Olivia, 30, whose mother was a sales representative and her father a policeman, said her working-class roots in Oldham made her feel less intelligent than middle-class actors.
She had a grudge, but getting rid of her accent made her “feel really sad.”
She said: ‘I put on a voice when I talk to someone with a different upbringing. I’m proud of where I come from, but it was embarrassing because I didn’t feel as smart as everyone else.
“I talk about it with my therapist and I try not to, but I have a resentment about being working class.”
House Of The Dragon star Olivia Cooke (pictured) has revealed she ditched her northern accent to make it as an actress.
Olivia, 30, whose mother was a sales representative and her father a policeman, said her working-class roots in Oldham made her feel less intelligent than middle-class actors.
Olivia played Becky Sharp in ITV’s adaptation of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair before winning the role of Alicent Hightower in Game Of Thrones spin-off House Of The Dragon.
She told The Times that acting was becoming increasingly difficult for people from less well-off backgrounds.
She said: ‘It’s a really exclusive industry. It is not equitable, the arts are not funded in public schools. But drama class isn’t just about getting into this industry: it can help children build confidence and feel accepted.’
Olivia is a grandmother on HBO’s House Of The Dragon, but the actors who play her children, Ewan Mitchell and Tom Glynn-Carney, are 27 and 29 years old.
Olivia said her casting may reflect how difficult it can be for older actresses to land roles. She said: ‘If they could create dragons, they could have made me look younger and then older.
‘I’m grateful for the role, but I just turned 30 and I’m playing a grandmother. There’s a real reluctance to see women age on screen.’