House of the Dragon star Olivia Cooke, 30, says she ‘got rid of her Northern accent to succeed as an actor’ because she felt ‘less intelligent’ than middle class counterparts

House Of The Dragon star Olivia Cooke has revealed she has ditched her northern accent to succeed as an actress.

Olivia, 30, whose mother was a salesperson and her father a police officer, said her working-class roots in Oldham made her feel less intelligent than middle-class actors.

She had a chip on her shoulder, but dropping her accent made her “really sad.”

She said: ‘I put on a voice when I talk to someone who has a different upbringing. I’m proud of where I come from, but it was a source of shame because I didn’t feel as intelligent as others.

“I talk to my therapist about that and try not to do it, but I do have a problem with being working class.”

Olivia, 30, whose mother was a salesperson and her father a police officer, said her working-class roots in Oldham made her feel less intelligent than middle-class actors

Olivia played the role of Becky Sharp in ITV’s adaptation of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair before winning the role of Alicent Hightower in the Game Of Thrones spin-off House Of The Dragon.

She told The Times that acting was becoming increasingly difficult for people from less affluent backgrounds.

She said: ‘It really is an exclusive industry. It’s not fair, the arts are not funded in state schools. But drama classes aren’t just about entering this industry; it can help children grow in self-confidence and feel accepted.’

Olivia is a grandmother in HBO’s House Of The Dragon, but the actors who play her sons, Ewan Mitchell and Tom Glynn-Carney, are 27 and 29.

Olivia said her casting could reflect how difficult it can be for older actresses to get roles. She said: ‘If they could make dragons, they could have made me look younger and older.

‘I’m grateful for the role, but I just turned 30 and I play a grandmother. There is a real reluctance to see women aging on screen.”