House of the Dragon Season 3 has finally filled the role of Lady Alyssane Blackwood, a.k.a. “Black Aly,” a fan-favorite character from George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood. She will be played by Annie Shapero, the Australian-British actress best known for her role in the 2023 drama series Red Skies. According to a report by Deadline, Shapero will appear in eight out of the five episodes of House of the Dragon season 3, indicating how prominent her role will be in this adaptation. Fans will be glad to hear it — Alyssane is not just an interesting character, but a mysterious and intriguing one in the context of Martin’s fictional history book. Hopefully the TV series will shed more light on her, as it has with other aspects of Westeros.
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Shapero is a U.K. citizen born and raised in Australia, and her list of acting credits has grown fast. She played an American journalist covering the conflict between Israel and Palestine in the Israeli-made series Red Skies, and also made appearances on the shows Unverified and User Not Found. Her most recent role is in the Prime Video series The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
It remains to be seen if House of the Dragon producers will go all out to make Shapero look the part for this role — Alyssane is described with thick curly black hair that hangs past her waist when worn loose. Although she is technically a noble lady from an ancient house, she has a tomboyish demeanor, which is generally accepted by her family. She rides to war with the rest of House Blackwood and is accounted one of the most skilled archers in Westerosi history.
House Blackwood did not get much characterization on Game of Thrones, but they’re one of the most eccentric noble houses in Martin’s writing, and that has already been reflected in the first two seasons of House of the Dragon. In Season 1, Episode 4, “King of the Narrow Sea,” we saw the young Willem Blackwood (Alfie Todd) challenge Humfrey Bracken (Chris David Storer) to a duel to the death while both were trying to court Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock). In Season 2, the adult Willem Blackwood (Jack Parry-Jones) negotiated with Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) for control of the Riverlands.
House Blackwood is unique in Westeros as one of the only noble houses south of The Neck that still openly worships the old gods and the Weirwood trees. They were exiled from the North by House Stark in ancient times, but keep many of the customs still common in the north. Accordingly, characters like “Black Aly” occasionally emerge from this house with strange powers related to Weirwood trees. Her talents are not explained or explored much by the unreliable narrator of Martin’s fictional history book, but the TV adaptation is the perfect place to better explain her gifts.
House of the Dragon Season 3 is filming now, and is expected to premiere sometime in 2026. However, the new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — set about halfway between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones — is already finished, and will come out first early in the year. Both shows will premiere on HBO and HBO Max. Martin’s books, including Fire & Blood, are available now in print, digital, and audiobook formats for those interested in reading ahead.
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