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 got rid of her Northern accent to succeed as an actress.

Olivia, 30, whose mother was a sales rep and father a policeman, said her working class roots in Oldham left her feeling less intelligent than middle class actors.

She had a chip on her shoulder yet ditching her accent made her ‘feel really sad’.

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

‘I speak about that to my therapist and try not to do it, but I do have a chip on my shoulder about being working class.’

Olivia, 30, whose mother was a sales rep and father a policeman, said her working class roots in Oldham left her feeling less intelligent than middle class actors

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

She told The Times that acting was becoming harder for people from less well-off backgrounds to get into.

She said: ‘It is a really exclusive industry. It’s not equitable, the arts are not funded in state schools. But drama class is not just about getting into this industry – it can help kids to grow in confidence and feel accepted.’

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

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

‘I’m grateful for the role but I’ve just turned 30 and I’m playing a grandma. There is a real reticence to see women age on screen.’