Bethany Antonia

Bethany Antonia is a British actress and singer from Birmingham, best known for playing Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon. She started acting at 14 in a short film adaptation of The Tempest for the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and made her television debut at 18 with a guest role on BBC One's Doctors. Since 2022, she has brought the dragonriding daughter of Daemon Targaryen to life in the Game of Thrones prequel, a role she will reprise through its fourth season. Her other credits include the Netflix teen drama Get Even, the crime series Stay Close, and the ITV biopic Nolly opposite Helena Bonham Carter. Antonia also sings and regularly posts covers on social media, reflecting her background in musical theatre. [edit]

Antonia grew up in Quinton, Birmingham, and at age six moved with her family to a small coastal town in the Charente-Maritime region of southwestern France. They lived there for about five years before returning to Birmingham when she was eleven. She attended Perryfields High School and later studied musical theatre at Birmingham Ormiston Academy. At 14, she began training at First Act Workshop, formerly the Central Junior Television Workshop, and also worked with the British Youth Music Theatre. Her first professional role came through open auditions for a Shakespeare Birthplace Trust short film of The Tempest. She has said that landing that part ignited her passion for acting: she loved it so much that she decided to pursue acting as a career, got an agent, and started working. She later performed on stage in London with the British Youth Music Theatre's 2013 production of Burnt Out Souls and appeared in musical productions of Hairspray and Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure. [edit]

Antonia made her television debut in 2016 with a guest appearance on the BBC One soap Doctors. She followed that with a role in the 2017 film Pin Cushion and a guest spot on the Channel 4 comedy Stath Lets Flats in 2018. Her first major role came in 2020 as Margot in the BBC iPlayer and Netflix teen drama Get Even. In 2021, she appeared in the Netflix crime limited series Stay Close. The turning point came in 2022 when she was cast as Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon, a role she has played through Season 2 and will continue through Season 4. In 2023, she played Poppy in the ITV biopic Nolly starring Helena Bonham Carter, and made a guest appearance on Doctor Who. In 2025, she appeared in streaming projects Sense and Sensibility and The Velveteen Rabbit. [edit]

Antonia is known for her versatility, moving between teen dramas, crime thrillers, historical biopics, and epic fantasy. Media profiles describe her as having grace and passion, with an ability to breathe life into characters. She is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and equality, using her platform to champion social causes. Her social media presence includes sharing music covers, reflecting her background in musical theatre. No official fandom name has been documented. [edit]

Bethany Antonia's fanbase is a quiet but devoted one, built on the strength of her performances rather than flashy fan campaigns. There is no official fandom name, no 'Antonians' or 'Baela's Blades', and no documented instances of fan-organized projects or viral stunts. Instead, her audience is a cross-section of viewers from her various roles: fans of House of the Dragon who admire her portrayal of Lady Baela Targaryen, followers from her Netflix and ITV work, and, as of 2026, a growing number of Strictly Come Dancing enthusiasts. Her social media presence, with 168K Instagram followers, is a mix of professional updates and personal artistic expressions, but it doesn't foster the kind of tight-knit community seen with some global superstars.

In August 2026, iFANN's Global Fame Engine has evaluated Bethany Antonia but she does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings, whether the Global Top 1,000 or any Top-100 scope list. This reflects a career that is respected and rising but has not yet translated into the massive, measurable fame of a global top-tier celebrity. Her fame is built on consistent, quality work rather than viral moments, and her trajectory suggests steady growth as she continues to take on prominent roles in major productions.[edit]

Bethany Antonia was born on Christmas Day, a fact that fans love to celebrate. She spent five years of her childhood in France and is fluent in French, a skill she occasionally shares with her audience. She trained in musical theatre before transitioning to screen acting, and she performed with the British Youth Music Theatre in London productions. In 2023, she came out as a lesbian on Instagram in response to a racist comment, using the platform to address both homophobia and racism with characteristic grace.

Her first professional acting role was secured through open auditions at age 14, a reflection of her early talent and determination. In August 2026, she joined the line-up for Strictly Come Dancing, a major career move that brought her to a wider UK audience. Around the same time, she discussed her character's allegiance in House of the Dragon, notably wielding a crossbow in promotional material, which became a talking point among fans. Her coming-out story and reflections on being an only child have also endeared her to many, adding depth to her public persona.[edit]

Antonia was born in Quinton, Birmingham, to a father of English descent and a mother of Jamaican heritage. She has not publicly named her parents or siblings. When she was six, her family relocated to a small coastal town in southwestern France, where they lived for about five years before returning to Birmingham. She has not disclosed any pets or details about her current household. [edit]

Antonia has worked alongside notable actors including Helena Bonham Carter in Nolly, Matt Smith and Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon, and Jessica Alexander in Get Even. [edit]

Bethany Antonia has not publicly confirmed any romantic relationships. She came out as a lesbian on Instagram in 2023 but has not disclosed a current partner or past relationships in interviews or public statements. As of 2026, she is not publicly known to be in a relationship. [edit]

As of 2026, iFANN's editorial analysis puts Bethany Antonia's net worth at approximately $1 million. Her primary income stems from her acting roles, most notably as Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO's House of the Dragon, a series renewed through its fourth season. She also earns from other television projects such as Get Even, Stay Close, and the ITV biopic Nolly, alongside streaming films in 2025. While exact salary figures remain undisclosed, her involvement in a major franchise and a steady stream of roles suggest a growing financial profile. As of yet, she has no public endorsement deals or business ventures.[edit]