Premiered on August 21, 2022, on the HBO channel and HBO Max, House of the Dragon eclipsed its predecessor, Game of Thrones. The show was watched by almost 10 million people in the US on its premiere. It is more than four times as many people as Game of Thrones. The viewer count includes viewers on both TV and OTT platforms. The viewership has also made it the biggest series to premiere in the history of HBO.
Based on the book Fire and Blood by George RR Martini, House of the Dragon is a spin-off to HBO’s Game of Thrones, which aired from 2011-19. Game of Thrones was based on George RR Martin’s book, called A Song of Ice and Fire.
Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys in House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon follows the famous Dance of the Dragons civil war in the Targaryen Dynasty and is based nearly two centuries before Game of Thrones.
Even though the series has received a good response, some people expressed their disappointment with one actor in the cast.
Steve Toussaint, who is playing the character of the Lord Corlys Velaryon also known as ‘The Sea Snake’, recently called out fans for being racist and being unable to accept a black character in the ongoing series.
In his recent interview with Men’s Health, the actor said, “They are happy with a dragon flying. They are happy with white hair and violet-colored eyes, but a rich black guy? That’s beyond the pale.”
The actor doesn’t seem to be pleased with people’s reaction towards the character just because he is black. Steve Toussaint also said that there are people who are supportive and excited to see the portrayal of the character.
He said, “When we do certain scenes, there would be supporting artists who would come up and go, ‘it’s great to have this representation. ‘”
Is Lord Carlys Really White in the Original Book
Lord Carlys Velaryon is one of the most important characters in the original book and the series. He is the head of a powerful family that hails from Valyria. However, his family is not of dragon riders. His powers lie within the sea and he has gathered a huge navy, which plays a vital role in Dance of the Dragons.
The original book never mentions Lord Corlys as a white character. The confusion of him being white may have come from the description of his hair as Targaryen white-blond and his ancestors being Valyrian.
House of the Dragon Cast Facing Criticism
Ever since the studio announced the cast, many came forward to express that Steve Toussaint is not a fit for the role because he is black and Lord Corlyn is not a black character.
Steve Toussaint is not the only cast member who is being objectified by fans. Many also said that actor Matt Smith is too ugly to play the role of Daemon Targaryen.
Game of Thrones has faced criticism for not having actors of other races and casting only white actors in the whole series. However, many justify this with the fact that the book, A Song of Ice and Fire, is based on European medieval history, a period when there were not many black people in Europe.
Hence there should not be a black character in the book or the series. But it still doesn’t make sense as the series and books are only based in that period and are not history but fantasy. It is evident that the books are just inspired by history and are not history.
House of the Dragon has released two episodes so far, and the third episode will premiere on August 28. It has a total of 10 episodes which will be available on HBO Max and the HBO channel.
Source: Men’s Health
