“House of the Dragon“star Steve Toussaint since being subjected to racist criticism starred in the HBO prequel, but he doesn’t let negative comments get to him. Ahead of the show’s eventful August 21 premiere, Toussaint, who plays patriarch Lord Corlys Velarion, spoke with Men’s health about joining “Game of Thrones“Fandom as a black actor and the reaction of the audience to his cast – which some protested against.
“They’re happy with white hair and purple eyes, but a rich black guy? It’s beyond the pale.”
“I’ve been optimistic about the whole experience for the most part,” the actor said. “… What’s been wonderful is that for every toxic person who has somehow made it onto my timeline, there have been so many others who have been so supportive and like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t wait, it’s going to be great !” Toussaint added that even some of the Dragon House supporting cast told him during filming, “It’s great to have that kind of performance.”
Lord Corliss of Toussaint is not directly referred to as white in House of the Dragon, an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire and blood“. But considering that he is from Valyrian origin with hair described in the novel as “white-blonde Targaryen”—and the fact that many of the characters in the series are played by white actors—some viewers didn’t expect Toussaint to be cast.
Despite positive praise from some fans, Toussaint shared that others found it difficult to accept the diversity of the period drama. “So many people base their idea of the history of this country on a few movies and other things made in the 50s, 60s and 70s that bear no resemblance to the truth,” he added. his interview. “…There are street names that tell you that there used to be people like us in this country… but somehow people seem to have a really hard time accepting that. And as you said, they are happy with the dragon flying. They are happy with white hair and purple eyes, but a rich black guy? It’s incredible.”
The Game of Thrones franchise is no stranger to criticism. The HBO original series previously drew backlash for its predominantly white cast and the series’ inaccurate portrayal of people of color. Game of Thrones was also criticized for it exploitative attitude towards womenwhich may have caused notable changes in the cast and content of the prequel.
Box showrunners Ryan Kondal and Miguel Sapochnik are in a round-table conversation clarified POPSUGAR, regarding the show’s history of excessive sex and violence, how House of the Dragon still approaches those themes. “We are well aware of the time in which we live. We realize how different the world is now than it was 10 years ago when the original show premiered,” they said. “… It’s Game of Thrones.” This story has sex and violence. At this time, we approached it specifically to ensure that whenever you’re going to have any kind of… sex or violence on screen, there’s a compelling story behind it, and that it’s a story that needs to be told. It’s not done gratuitously or to push or anything like that.”
Subscribe to HBO Max now watch “House of the Dragon”.
