House of the Dragon star filmed 'animalistic' sex scene for new series that had to be cut from the show

Game of Thrones is infamous for its raunchy sex scenes but one filmed for its prequel series was so 'messy' it ended up being cut from the show.

The second season of HBO's House of the Dragon started airing last week and actress Olivia Cooke has opened up to Elle about filming some of the show's more intimate scenes.

Cooke, 30, plays Alicent Hightower in the Game Of Thrones spin-off, taking over the role from Emily Carey - who played her younger self - in the first season of the hit fantasy show.

Speaking about filming its x-rated scenes, she revealed that they filmed one involving her character that she says was so 'carnal' and 'animalistic,' it never made it to our screens.

"It was messy as f***," she told Elle. "It wasn’t beautiful, and that was really fun to do."

But, much to the actress' slight annoyance, the racy scene didn't make the final cut.

"I think Ryan [Condal, the showrunner] said we weren’t learning any more about the characters, which I disagree with slightly, but it’s okay. It’s his show," she explained.

Olivia Cooke says one House of the Dragon sex scene was so 'carnal' it was cut from the show (HBO)

Given Game of Thrones' reputation for nudity, Cooke also admitted that she braced herself when she joined the spin-off's cast.

"I thought there’d be way more, and so I’m relieved that when it has been used for me, it’s showing Alicent being pleasured, which is amazing and doesn’t feel gratuitous," she said. "It feels like we’re telling a story."

The shows are also known for their graphic violence, with the first episode of House of the Dragon's second season giving 'Red Wedding' a run for its money.

Prior to its release, fans on the subreddit r/HouseofTheDragon debated what would be the show’s equivalent of the infamous scene, with 'Blood and Cheese' being named the resounding winner.

But don't worry - we're not here to give you any spoilers.

The fantasy series, and its predecessor Game of Thrones, are infamous for their racy sex scenes and graphic violence (HBO)

When the scene aired last week, fans were quick to point out that it had changed slightly from the books.

While some were unhappy with the changes to make it less graphic and traumatic, others felt the more reserved portrayal of the scene worked well.

One person wrote on Reddit: "The kill was way, way quieter than I anticipated and that made it so much worse.

"I kinda like that we didn't get the exact playout of what was written, but I still have questions about it all. That said... the f***ing sound effects yall..."

And another commented: "I liked it too. It's certainly the kind of story that would gain additional lurid details as people repeated it, so it makes sense that it would be different from the book."