Paddy Considine portrays King Viserys I Targaryen in HBO’s hit Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. According to the actor, author George R.R. Martin heaped massive praise for his role.
Speaking to Deadline in a recent profile on many of the actors involved in the show, Considine recalled a moment where he got to talk to Martin. According to Considine, Martin heaped praised on his portrayal of Viserys, calling it better than even his own character in the book.
“His words to me were you played Viserys better than he ever imagined. Your Viserys is better than my Viserys,” Considine said. “To get a nod from a creator like that, for him to say that he wants to go back and rewrite Viserys history, that’s really flattering. There was a bit of jealousy when Season 2 started filming and I wasn’t part of it anymore. But at least I made an impact.”
Of course, Considine won’t be involved with the series going forward, as Viserys dies during the first season of the show, kickstarting the “Dance of Dragons,” the civil war between the Targaryens.
What to expect from House of the Dragon Season 2
Season 1 ended with the death of King Viserys, which threw the Targaryens into complete chaos over the next rightful heir – Prince Aegon or Princess Rhaenyra. The next season signals the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, with each side gathering as many allies and dragons as they can to ensure the other’s defeat.
The series currently stars Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Sonoya Mizuno, Graham McTavish, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Matthew Needham, Bill Patterson, Gavin Spokes, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Savannah Steyn, and Theo Nate. Season 2 also welcomes the addition of Gayle Rankin, Russell Beale, Freddie Fox, and Abubakar Salim.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon chronicles the rise and the downfall of the Targaryens – the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. It takes place 300 years before the events of the award-winning series adaptation of Game of Thrones, which aired its final episode in 2019.
House of the Dragon hails from George R.R. Martin, Ryan Condal, and Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik, with Condal and Sapochnik also serving as showrunners. Martin, Sapochnik, Condal, Vince Gerardis, and Sara Lee Hess are executive producers.
