‘House of the Dragon’: Steve Toussaint Says He Was ‘Racially Abused on Social Media’
House of the Dragon showrunners Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal were aware of the criticism Game of Thrones received for its lack of diversity in lead roles. For the prequel series, the duo cast Steve Toussaint as the powerful Sea Snake Corlys Velaryon. Unfortunately, Toussaint faced backlash on social media after taking on the role.
Steve Toussaint portrays Corlys Velaryon in ‘House of the Dragon’
British actor Steve Toussaint is known for a variety of roles. For example, he notably appeared in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Judge Dredd, and Shooting Dogs, according to IMDb. In House of the Dragon, Toussaint plays Lord Corlys Velaryon, “The Sea Snake.”
Corlys is the husband of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. She was passed over in the matter of succession in favor of King Viserys. In the books by George R.R. Martin, Corlys is a brilliant and restless seafarer and a descendant of Old Valyria. His family rules over Driftmark, perhaps the largest Island of Blackwater Bay.
“He’s all about legacy and about getting as close as possible to the throne,” Toussaint said of his character while speaking to Men’s Health. “This season is a lot about interpersonal relationships, political maneuvering, and is slightly more intimate than Thrones at its height.”
Toussaint dealt with racist comments on social media
When creating a cast for House of the Dragon, Sapochnik and Condal hoped to answer to the lack of diversity in Game of Thrones while still keeping the series true to its source material. “We knew from the outset that we wanted to change that conversation,” Condal told The Hollywood Reporter.
“The world changed a lot between 2011 and 2021 and [so did] what audiences expect to see on camera. The conversations Miguel and I had were: How do we create a diverse cast for House of the Dragon but still do it in a way that feels organic to the world and doesn’t feel like pandering or tokenism — and also have them not be pirates, slaves and mercenaries like you tend to see in high fantasies?”
Toussaint’s character Corlys is white in George R.R. Martin’s book, and the actor faced a disturbing amount of hate after landing the role. “I didn’t realize [the casting] was a big deal until I was racially abused on social media,” he told THR. “Yeah, that shit happened. I was just like, ‘Oh wow,’ and then I thought: ‘OK, so this means a lot to some people, but I can’t allow that to bother me.'”
Ambition drives Corlys in ‘House of the Dragon’
The House of the Dragon premiere shows Corlys’ wife Rhaenys being passed over in succession to the throne. Although Corlys is wise and shows restraint, he has a drive that will propel him forward.
“Ultimately, for me, what his engine is, is the fact that he’s trying to elevate his family, elevate his name,” Toussaint told Men’s Health. “When his wife was passed over for the crown, he seems to take it that much more personally than she does. Ambition is his driving force for most of the season.”
New episodes of House of the Dragon drop Sundays on HBO Max.
