“Supergirl” Star Milly Alcock Recalls Her Humble Start: 'Proudly' Washing Dishes at Sydney Restaurant

Jack SmartWed, May 20, 2026 at 9:39 PM UTC

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Milly Alcock on April 26
Credit: Yamak Perea/Eyepix Group/Shutterstock -

Milly Alcock lived in her family’s attic while starring in the Australian TV series Upright at age 18

She worked as a dishwasher in an open kitchen at a Sydney restaurant despite landing her first acting role

Alcock stars as Supergirl in the DC Universe’s upcoming film and will reprise the role in Man of Tomorrow

Before she was the Woman of Tomorrow, Milly Alcock was — proudly — a dishwasher.

The star of the DC Universe’s upcoming Supergirl (in theaters June 26) revealed in a new Variety cover story that even after landing her first major role, her existence was far from glamorous.

“I sound like a Roald Dahl character,” Alcock, 26, quipped, recalling her time starring in hit Australian TV series Upright at age 18. “I was living in the attic in my family home because we didn’t have enough rooms — it was so hot in there.”

The then-rising star also worked at a popular Sydney restaurant, she said. “I was a stick of a thing. I was washing these dishes so proudly and so terribly, and it was an open kitchen so everyone could see me.”

After starring in two seasons of the comedy Upright, which aired in 2019 and 2022, Alcock booked her breakout role as young Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel dramaHouse of the Dragon, appearing in seasons one and two.

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Milly Alcock at the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Feb. 22
Credit: James McCauley/Variety via Getty

The rest, including landing the role of the Man of Steel’s cousin in writer-director James Gunn’s follow-up to 2025’s Superman, is history. After leading Supergirl, Alcock will reprise the role of Kara Zor-El in Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow (planned for a July 9, 2027 release).

“I am so excited for all the young women who are going to see this," she told Variety of Supergirl. As for the reality of online trolls making sexist comments against a female superhero, Alcock added that she’s “actively trying not to engage,” although as a member of Gen Z, she “grew up online.”

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Supergirl, which costars Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jason Momoa and David Corenswet, is in theaters June 26. Among Alcock’s other upcoming projects are a Takashi Miike-directed film and Thumb from director Daina Oniunas-Pusic.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”