Diego Peralta
House of the Dragon introduced many powerful characters to the world of Westeros. Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) was one of the highlights from the HBO series, with the fearless warrior looking to put his legacy on the throne by all means necessary. There was also a sensitive side to Lord Corlys. The character shared a passionate romance with Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), the person who was supposed to sit on the Iron Throne before her destiny changed due to unforeseen events. The second season of House of the Dragon wasn’t kind to Corlys Velaryon. The character had to endure a terrible tragedy during the latest installment of the HBO hit.
Awards Radar had the opportunity to sit down with Steve Toussaint. The talented actor was excited about what’s to come for Lord Corlys Velaryon during the upcoming third season of House of the Dragon. Westeros isn’t kind to those who deal with tragedy, and Toussaint is very aware that his character will need to change in order to survive. The performer also praised other crew members who made the action of House of the Dragon possible. From showrunners to the costume design department, Steve Toussaint had nothing but good things to say about the team behind HBO’s massive hit. Here are some of the highlights from the conversation:
Awards Radar: In Season 2 of House of the Dragon, what was important for Corlys when it comes to his relationship with the Crown?
Steve Toussaint: I think that kind of changed as the season went on, he was forced to put his love for Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) by his beloved wife. He had been injured and he thought: “Let’s get out of this. This is not our war”. His wife thought: “No, this is the right thing to do”. And she was correct. During the first five episodes of Season 2, he was there due to a feeling of obligation towards his wife. That was reinforced after she had died. Her dying wish was to support Rhaenyra and hold the realm together by supporting what they believe to be the legitimate claim to the Iron Throne.
His relationship to the crown was complicated, nuanced. If you look at the two candidates, Rhaenyra and Aegon, she clearly is the right choice. But his family has been hurt by being close to the Targaryens. His daughter then dies after being married to the brother of the King. He’s ambivalent towards the Targaryens, and Rhaenyra in particular.
AR: What was it like to work with Eve Best during this season of House of the Dragon?
ST: It was the absolute best, pardon the pun. I had admired her before meeting her. I had seen her in a couple of things on the screen, I hadn’t seen her in theatre. I saw her in a wonderful show called The Shadow Line. And, of course, she was in Nurse Jackie. When they told me Eve would be playing that part, I was very excited. And you always hope you can get along with the person you’ll be working closely with. And we did! From the first day, we became very close colleagues and friends. It was a great joy. She’s one of those actors you can throw a line at differently, in different takes, and she will go along with it. It was a real heartbreak when her character met her demise.
AR: Did you read the book before working on the show?
ST: No, I hadn’t! George R.R. Martin was kind enough to send a few of us signed copies of the book. I had decided early on that I wouldn’t read the book because there’s the book and there’s the television series. They can be two different entities. The last thing I wanted to do was read something in the book that Miguel and Ryan, at the time, decided that it wasn’t cinematic. My job is to try mu hardest to portray the screen version that they had written. I’ll probably read the book when we finish this thing.
AR: When did you find out that Rhaenys was going to die? What was that like for you?
ST: They must have sent me the scripts before we had our first rehearsal. I must have found out then. My only memory of finding out is actually at the table reading. I know that can’t be possible, but that’s the memory that I have. Eve and I were sitting together. We got to the part where it says: “She plummets to her death”, or something like that. The entire room went like: “Oh no!”. Suddenly, it became real. I can’t say I was in shock, because it’s Westeros. People die all the time in Westeros. But it was hard to lose my partner in crime.
AR: The chemistry between the two characters was incredible. How did you work with Eve Best to craft this relationship?
ST: It was a lot of fun! There wasn’t a lot of work. I think I used to disagree with this idea of “chemistry”. I just thought: “If you just look into another actor’s eyes, there’s chemistry”. But having this experience and having so many people tell me what they felt watching the two of us together, I’m more open to it. When we were rehearsing with Ryan and Miguel before Season 1, there was one question we would ask. When know that they’re a power couple, but when they got together, was it a political thing or was it love? Both Ryan and Miguel, without hesitation, said it was love. That was very important.
As actors, we were teased by other cast members who portrayed people in relationships, because ours was the healthiest relationship. The characters like being around each other, they love each other. I was recently discussing Season 3 with someone, and I said: “The only time that Corlys smiles brightly is with her presence”. The only time he’s completely relaxed with himself is with her. These are things we discovered through playing these characters. A lot of that came from the fact that Eve and I liked each other anyway. We had wonderful conversations on set about all sorts of things. She’s a very funny and kind lady. She was kind enough to laugh at my jokes. That gets you a long way in my book.
AR: Moving forward, what is the essence of Corlys Velaryon? Now that he has lost Rhaenys.
ST: Without spoilers, if you watched the first two seasons, it will make sense. He basically is now about his legacy and what he leaves behind. At one point, he tries to name his granddaughter as his heir. Some people believe that the heir of Driftmark has to be salt and sea. He’s looking for that person. He’s looking for a vehicle for his name to continue. There is nobody else, his children are dead. The grandson who would’ve been the heir to Driftmark has also died. No spoilers, but that does leave his two illegitimate children. As we see at the end of Season 2, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) wants nothing to do with him. He hates him because of what he did. Corlys is in search of making a lasting legacy. He wants to keep the promises he made to his wife. We open Season 3 in a state of war for the succession.
AR: What is it like for you to work on the massive sets and real locations of House of the Dragon?
ST: It’s terrific! Anything that can aid your imagination makes acting much easier. I worked on this scale once before. I did a film called The Prince of Persia and that was a big deal. I remember walking into the set in Morocco and thinking it was huge. I get that feeling almost every day on this show. No spoilers, but what we have planned for this season is huge. The are some things that I have been told that I’ve never done on television before. It’s amazing! We were walking around the set just a couple of days ago, discussing the details on the paintings and the carvings on the columns. It’s truly amazing. I’m constantly amazed at the crafts people who work on the show. I told Loni (Peristere, one of the directors from the series): “I’m so glad that I don’t have to keep all of this memorized, like you”. He did the lovely, cheeky smile that he has. It’s a massive undertaking and an absolute thrill to be a part of it.
AR: What were your inspirations for the way Corys carries himself when he’s on the screen?
ST: I’ll tell you something that’s interesting. When I first met Ryan and Miguel, when I was trying to get the job, what we talked about, more than anything else, was about being a father. I’m not a father. But I had just played a father in a series of films and television that Steve McQueen had directed. One of them was Small Axe: Red, White and Blue. A played a father who was very stern. He loved his children, but he felt like he had to be tough.
We talked a lot about that character and that kind of father. That was the inspiration, after that, we started talking about our own fathers, myself and Miguel. About how you equip yourself to live in the world. Are you soft and kind? Or are you tough or whatever? A lot of those things kept coming back to me when I looked at the script. Specially when it comes to how Corlys is with his first son. He’s trying to secure a place for his family in a world where you can die very quickly. He hopes that his name carries on. When you first meet him, he’s like: “Let’s get to the throne!” He says to his wife: “It should’ve been you”. He’s very modern in the sense that he’s very supportive of his wife.
Both seasons of House of the Dragon are now streaming on Max.
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