Dragon House Star Steve Toussaint has finally reacted to the racist comments he received for playing the role of Corlys Velaryon. After game of thrones season 8, Ryan J. Condal and A song of ice and fire author George RR Martin has named director Miguel Sapochnik as co-showrunner for the upcoming venture: House of the Dragon.
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The plot was set 200 years before game of thronesthe prequel depicts the Dance of the Dragons and the civil war within the ruling House Targaryen.
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House of the Dragon actor reacts to racist comments
Dragon House season 1 continues the exploration of events oriented towards the struggle for power, defining the relationships between its main characters. A crucial relationship is shown between Rhaenyra and Corlys Velaryon, played by Steve Toussaint. However, the casting of Corlys drew criticism from some negative racist comments from fans, who assumed that Corlys was written in white in the book, while the actor is black.
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Steve Toussaint said he never cared why he was cast as a black man for the role, but he’s very respectful and thrilled to have had the opportunity to play the role. He said:
“To be honest with you, the first time I realized anything about the color of this character in the books was when my name was announced as the lead. And then there was everything this backlash, and all this stuff to come.
“I never wasted my time asking Ryan and Miguel why they cast me. I don’t care. I was happy I got the part; I decided to get the part because I deserved it. And anyone who has a problem with it? They’ll have a problem with it, man. It has nothing to do with me.
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The House of the Dragon actor is indifferent
He also stated that he was actually unaware of the character’s race until he was given the role and saw an artist’s statement of Corlys as a white male. The artwork depicts Corlys as a fair-skinned, silver-haired man. According to the source material, he never specifically mentioned his skin color, so his reaction to the racist backlash is reasonable.
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Either way, the casting criticism seems to be based on racism rather than a serious appreciation of realism regarding the adaptation’s reference material, and Steve Toussaint handled it well. This shows that the character’s skin color has never been particularly cited and hardly makes a fuss around the story. The actor proudly declares that he nailed the role and overshadows critics into minding their own business.
Dragon House airs on HBO on August 21, 2022.
Source: screenrant.com
