‘House of the Dragon’: Steve Toussaint on Playing Lord Corlys, Boat Guy

This interview consists of spoilers for the primary two episodes of “Home of the Dragon.”

Legendary explorer, naval commander, lord of a noble home that has lengthy earned its dwelling from the ocean: Corlys Velaryon, a.okay.a. the Sea Snake, is a ship man, by means of and thru. Steve Toussaint, the British actor who performs him on “Home of the Dragon,” isn’t.

“It’s a bizarre factor,” he stated, laughing. “The final couple of instances I’ve been on a ship, I out of the blue began getting seasick. I’ve by no means had that in my life, however only recently it began taking place.”

No matter Toussaint’s shortcomings as a sailor, Lord Corlys’s prowess on the ocean is so formidable that even the dragon-riding scions of the ruling monarchy, Home Targaryen, should present him deference. Within the present’s second episode, he even rage-quits the Small Council led by King Viserys (Paddy Considine) — he’s one of many few individuals within the Seven Kingdoms who can flip his again on the ruling monarch and live on.

Corlys’s in-world untouchability makes for a salutary counterpoint to the racist reactions Toussaint has confronted in some quarters. The actor, who’s Black, portrays a personality of direct descent from the fallen empire of Valyria who’s assumed to be white within the supply materials by George R.R. Martin, the ebook “Hearth & Blood.” On this planet of the present, created by Martin with Ryan Condal, Corlys’s energy and prowess are introduced unapologetically, with out caveat.

“I assume some individuals reside in a special world,” Toussaint stated of the controversy. “I’m very fortunate that I’ve mates who’re of all persuasions. I’ve obtained Caucasian mates, East Asian mates, South Asian mates, Black mates. That’s my world, and I need to be in applications that mirror that world.”

In a telephone dialog final week, Toussaint spoke from London concerning the forces that drive Corlys and figuring out which guidelines to comply with and which of them to interrupt. These are edited excerpts from that dialog.

Corlys has a cool issue that even a few of the most charismatic characters lack. He simply appears snug in his personal pores and skin in a means that many others aren’t.

That’s one of many issues I like about Corlys. Of the individuals he’s round, he’s the man who went out and made his fortune by himself, together with his personal naked palms, as he says late within the episode. That offers him a way of self. It’s one of many issues that’s key to who he’s.

Humorous sufficient, once I had the preliminary assembly with Ryan and Miguel, the co-showrunners, all we talked about, actually, was fatherhood and his emotions about his household. He’s obtained this want to cement the Velaryon identify in historical past. He feels the slights to his spouse [Princess Rhaenys, played by Eve Best], the truth that she was handed over [for the Iron Throne], greater than she does.

And when he’s realized he can’t get her again on the throne, the subsequent factor for him is get the household as near energy as potential, i.e. marry off the youngsters in a roundabout way or different.

How does Corlys really feel about going by means of with this ritual of getting his 12-year-old daughter, Laena [Nova Fouellis-Mosé], courtroom the king? Does he have second ideas about this technique in any respect?

The factor about Corlys is he’s a stickler for the principles. Even though he felt that his spouse is the extra succesful particular person to be on the throne versus Viserys, that’s what [the Great Council] selected. He thinks they made a mistake, however: “These are the principles that I’ve been given. That is how we’ve got determined energy dynamics work in that world. OK, effectively in that case, I’ll do this.”

So in Episode 1, when Otto Hightower [Rhys Ifans] says to Viserys, “We’ve obtained to speak about your succession,” it’s Corlys, even though he desires his spouse to be on the throne, who says: “No, no, we’ve got an inheritor. It’s Daemon [the king’s younger brother, played by Matt Smith].” Now, it might not be to everybody’s liking, however that’s what the principles are. When there’s a dispute about [the king’s daughter] Rhaenyra’s place, he once more is like, “Effectively, her father selected her, and so we’ve got to go together with that.”

I believe he’s like, “I don’t like these guidelines, however these are the principles. What can I do to thrive in them?”

It’s not simply that Corlys constructed his household’s fortune — he did so by making 9 legendary voyages to distant lands, placing himself in nice hazard. Is that at the back of your thoughts as you play him?

Sure. I bear in mind saying to Ryan at one level, “It might be nice to have some form of write-up in order that I’ve obtained a reminiscence of them,” mainly. Ryan was adequate to return again with a complete file of stuff, as a result of Ryan is a supergeek. [Laughs.] It’s an enormous a part of Corlys’s very being, what he did.

It’s attention-grabbing that you simply stated he put himself in nice hazard. I don’t know if, on the time, he would have considered it that means. He simply had an adventurous spirit. He wished to get on the market and see what was past the recognized world at the moment. Actually when I was in my teenagers and early 20s, there was no worry — I used to be going to reside endlessly.

Clearly, being an older man and sitting round these individuals who like to speak so cavalierly about struggle, there’s part of him that’s like, “No, I’ve seen it, you haven’t. For those who’d seen it, you wouldn’t be speaking this manner.”

The factor about battle is you both succeed otherwise you don’t — there’s no grey space. He likes that. He’d prefer it if life had been like that, typically. That’s one of many causes he’s not all the time completely snug within the Small Council with diplomacy and so forth. “If one thing is correct, it’s proper. Let’s simply do it.”

Did that make it tough to play these Small Council scenes?

When it comes to the character, the resentment that Corlys has for what he considers these privileged individuals helps me loads. In truth, there have been some factors the place Ryan must rein me in and go: “For those who spoke to the king like that, you’d have your head reduce off. You’ve gone too far.” It might be harder for somebody like — and I didn’t have this dialogue with them, so I don’t know — Paddy or perhaps Gavin Spokes [who plays the Small Council member Lord Lyonel Strong], whose characters must be aware of not upsetting individuals and attempting to maintain the steadiness. I by no means felt that means with my character.

There’s a facet to him that’s, so far as he’s involved, above the principles. Additionally, he is aware of simply how worthwhile he’s for the realm, as a result of he controls the vast majority of the navy. So he is aware of he’s obtained slightly bit extra leeway.

You’ve talked concerning the racist backlash that you simply initially confronted from some segments of the fandom once you had been solid. Has that improved?

There are nonetheless trickles coming by means of, however typically, it’s been nice. The overwhelming majority of individuals have been very welcoming and supportive.

Some individuals have gone out of their technique to discover my timeline to allow them to clarify to me that “It’s all concerning the books” and so forth. My view is that this: There are exhibits on TV that I don’t like — I simply don’t watch them. There are actors that I don’t discover attention-grabbing — I simply by no means really feel the necessity to broadcast I don’t like them. There are some individuals who don’t like my look and don’t suppose somebody like me ought to be enjoying that individual function as a result of after they learn the ebook, they noticed it a special means. All of that’s pure. My objection is to individuals who have racially abused me.

For some cause, the responses that I’ve been getting lately appear to have neglected that, as if I’m simply going, “You don’t like me, and subsequently you’re racist.” That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t know what individuals’s motivations are. However I do know the motivations of anyone who calls me the n-word. I do know what that means.

Had been you a “Recreation of Thrones” man earlier than you bought this half?

Sure, I used to be. It had been going for about three or 4 seasons earlier than I really watched it as a result of fantasy isn’t actually my style. I used to be staying with a pal in L.A., and he stated to me, “Have you ever seen this ‘Recreation of Thrones’?” And I used to be like: “No. It’s obtained dragons, why the hell would I watch that?” [Laughs.] He stated, “Simply watch one episode.” And it was a lot extra gritty and, for need of a greater phrase, sensible than I used to be anticipating. I used to be hooked.