Phia Saban

Phia Saban
Born
Sophia Alison M. Boreham Saban

(1998-09-19) 19 September 1998 (age 26)
Hackney, England
EducationGuildhall School of Music and Drama (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active2020–present

Sophia Alison M. "Phia" Boreham Saban (born 19 September 1998) is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the fifth series of the Netflix medieval drama The Last Kingdom (2022) and the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon (2022–).[1][2]

Early life

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Saban was born in Hackney, East London to parents Mark Saban and Penelope "Penny" Boreham. The family moved to Oxford when she was five or six, where she and her younger brother Gabriel attended d'Overbroeck's College.[3][4] Saban went on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2020.[5][6]

Career

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Saban made her television début when she joined the main cast of the Netflix medieval drama series The Last Kingdom (based on the novel of the same name) as Aelfwynn for its fifth and final series, which premiered in 2022.[7] Saban's character was not included in the 2023 film The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, which finalised the Netflix programme, due to the condensed running time from the change in format. Screenwriter Martha Hillier stated that “It was heartbreaking... But we only really had a certain amount of real estate and we couldn't service all the characters. It's a much more single protagonist story”.[8]

Later that year, Saban began playing Princess (later Queen) Helaena Targaryen in season one of the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel and adaptation of George R. R. Martin's fictional history book Fire and Blood.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Her performance received praise from fellow cast member Olivia Cooke.[16] Saban was then confirmed to be in the cast for season two of House of the Dragon.[17][18][19]

Works

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2020 Christabel Bella BBC Radio 3 Drama[20]
2022 The Last Kingdom Ælfwynn Main role (season 5), 10 episodes
2022–present House of the Dragon Helaena Targaryen Main role

Stage

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Year Title Role Location
2024-2025 Oedipus Antigone Wyndham's Theatre[21]

References

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  1. ^ "As Seen On: Phia Saban". Charles Keith. 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  2. ^ Knight, Lewis (9 October 2022). "Who is Princess Helaena Targaryen in House of the Dragon and who plays her?". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Old School Uniform Finds A New Home". d'Overbroeck's. 18 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  4. ^ d'Overbroeck's Drama (1 July 2020). "Studying Drama over a webcam isn't easy - but this term we've had a load of short films from years 7-9, some stunning monologues from our Y10s and 12s and a fascinating webinar from @doverbroecks alumni and current GSA student Phia Saban and actor Lydia Wilson. Pretty cool term!". Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ "Phia Saban". Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  6. ^ "The Last Kingdom cast: all the new season five characters". Hello!. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  7. ^ "House of the Dragon episode 8 trailer features The Last Kingdom stars". Radio Times. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  8. ^ Craig, David (14 April 2023). "Seven Kings Must Die writer on "heartbreaking" character absences". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  9. ^ Debnath, Neela (15 October 2022). "Who plays Helaena Targaryen in House of the Dragon?". Daily Express. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  10. ^ Dela Paz, Maggie (22 May 2023). "House of the Dragon Season 2 Set Clip Spoils Two Major Deaths". cbr.com. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  11. ^ Jacobs, Eammon (27 May 2024). "'House of the Dragon' creator George R.R. Martin explains absence of Alicent and Viserys' fourth child, Daeron Targaryen, in season 1". Business Insider. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Helaena's House of the Dragon 'beast beneath the boards' prophecy, explained". The Independent. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Helaena Targaryen's prophecy in 'House of the Dragon' Episode 8 sets up a dark twist". Inverse. 11 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  14. ^ "'House of the Dragon': See interesting facts about Daeron, the Targaryen missing from series". The Economic Times. 18 December 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  15. ^ "'House of the Dragon': Eve Best Explains Rhaenys' Act of Mercy". Collider. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  16. ^ Romano, Nick. "'House of the Dragon' stars preview season 2's 'march to war'". EW.com. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  17. ^ "House of the Dragon begins production on Season Two". Sky Group. 11 April 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  18. ^ "HBO released the first trailer of 'House of The Dragon'". Egypt Today. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  19. ^ Coleman, Nancy (4 June 2024). "A 'House of the Dragon' Party Without a Silvery Wig in Sight". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  20. ^ Garrett, Martin (2022). The Palgrave Literacy Directory of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Cambridge: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 40. ISBN 9783031155710.
  21. ^ Rook, Olivia (2024-09-02). "Full cast announced for 'Oedipus' in the West End". London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
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