‘House of the Dragon’ star Steven Toussaint says ‘everybody has a right to be represented’ on screen

Steven Toussaint’s impressive performance in “House of the Dragon” has boosted his confidence for Season 2 of the “Game of Thrones” prequel series.

Season 2 of “Dragon” is off to a better start than Season 1, which faced racist outcry for hiring Toussaint.

According to Toussaint, the “negative response” he experienced when his casting was publicised before the series’ launch in 2022 has since been drowned out by the gratitude and admiration shown by viewers who value on-screen diversity.

“I can’t tell you how many people – and not just people of colour – have contacted me via social media or letters to say how happy they are to see this representation in this world,” Toussaint said at a “Dragon” news conference on Monday.

In the HBO series, Toussaint plays Lord Corlys Velaryon, the high-born leader of House Velaryon of Driftmark, based on George R.R. Martin’s novel “The Targaryen Dynasty: The House of the Dragon”. (Warner Bros. Discovery owns HBO.)

Members of House Velaryon are characterised as White in the book, although they are represented as Black in the television series. The decision to deviate from the source material prompted a heated debate among fans of the book, with many expressing racism. Toussaint revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he was “racially abused on social media” after his casting.

In a 2022 interview with Entertainment Weekly, “Dragon” showrunner Ryan Condal stated that the criticism of “Game of Thrones” for its lack of diversity influenced the decision to hire more people of colour in the series.

“The world is very different now than it was 10 years ago when [‘Game of Thrones’] all started,” Condal observed at the time. He also stated that it was critical to “create a show that was not another bunch of White people on the screen, just to put it very bluntly.”

During a press conference on Monday, Toussaint stated that everyone has the right to be represented in today’s environment. There are voices out there who would argue against that, but I believe history is on our side.

Set 200 years before “Game of Thrones,” “Dragon” depicts the narrative of House Targaryen and the great civil war that ensued. The cast includes Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Bethany Antonia, and Fabien Frankel, among others.
Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” will be available for streaming on Max on June 16.