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DEFINED MAGAZINE COVER, STARING ACTOR EMMA D'ARCY, MOVEMENT BY KATYA BOURVIS

June 18, 2026

Emma D'Arcy is no longer emerging. Over the past few years, they have become one of the most distinctive voices working in film and television today, bringing an uncommon intelligence and unpredictability to every role they inhabit. Yet what makes D'Arcy so fascinating is not their rise, but their appetite for what comes next. As House of the Dragon enters its third season, they find Rhaenyra Targaryen at her most formidable yet — a ruler whose conviction has eclipsed doubt. Away from the fantasy epic that made them a global star, D'Arcy continues to seek out ambitious collaborators and creative challenges that demand complete surrender. Whether leading one of the world's biggest television series or stepping into the unknown with visionary filmmakers, they seem most alive on uncertain ground. Here, D'Arcy reflects on power, ambition, friendship, creativity and the strange exhilaration of taking the leap.

Words by the Defined Team.

Talent: Emma D’Arcy | @emmaziadarcy

Publication: DEFINED | @definedmag

Photographer / director: Rachell Smith | @rachellsmithstudio @wibagency

Producer: Nicola Rusted | @nicolakrusted

Casting Director: Annabel Brog | @theannabelbrog

Stylist: Davey Sutton @ A Frame Agency | @daveysutton @aframe_agency

Hair: Josh Knight @ A Frame Agency Using @hairbysammcknight | @knightjosh

Makeup: Phoebe Walters @phoebewalters

Movement Director: Katya Bourvis @ MS Represents | @katya_bourvis_ @msreprents

DOP: Charlotte Croft | @charlotte.a.croft

Film Editor: Lydia Bowden | @llllllllllllyd