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

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June 3, 2024

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

Steve Toussaint at the 2022 London premiere of ‘House of the Dragon’ (Hollie Adams/AFP/Getty Images).

“House of the Dragon” actor Steven Toussaint is sailing into Season 2 of the “Game of Thrones” prequel series buoyed by the positive response to his powerful performance.

It’s safe to say he’s starting the sophomore season of “Dragon” on a more positive note than Season 1, which was marred by racist backlash to Toussaint’s casting.

According to Toussaint, the “negative response” he initially received when his casting was announced before the series debuted in 2022 has since been drowned out by the praise and appreciation expressed by viewers who celebrate on-screen representation.

“I can’t tell you the amount of people – and not just people of color – who have contacted me through social media or through letters and said how pleased they are to see this representation in this world,” said Toussaint during a “Dragon” press conference held on Monday.

Toussaint plays Lord Corlys Velaryon – the high-born leader of House Velaryon of Driftmark – in the HBO series, which is based on the book “The Targaryen Dynasty: The House of the Dragon” by George R.R. Martin. (HBO is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, which also owns CNN.)

In the book, members of House Velaryon are described as White but in the series, the members of House Velaryon are portrayed by Black actors. The choice to veer from the source material sparked an often racist discourse among book loyalists. Toussaint later told The Hollywood Reporter that he was “racially abused on social media” following his casting.

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