[Warning: This story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon, episode eight.]
From the opening scenes of Dragon’s House, viewers learn that King Viserys’s days are numbered. Stricken with leprosy, the king left week after week, losing body parts and exhibiting grotesque boils, and all the discontent in his court grew more and more intense. about his choice of heir (his daughter is Rhaenyra Targaryen). In episode 8, Viserys becomes a Gothic death figure, with half of his face hidden by bandages or a golden mask, as he tries to convince his hostile family to put aside their differences. them and prevent a civil war.
Actor Paddy Considine (Peaky Blinders) showed a heartbreaking performance of a man devoting every last bit of energy to averting a Targaryen apocalypse, only to fail completely. It’s a description that seems to have the potential to resonate for Emmy as well.
Last spring, The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Considine via Zoom for a previously unpublished interview about his character’s fate in general.
“I think the way he walks is very noble and dignified,” Considine said. “He is suffering terribly from a bout of pain. He basically had a form of leprosy infiltrating his body, his bones began to deteriorate. His lungs started to fail. He was just dying a slow and terrible death. In the end, he looks like an old man. He is not! He is a young man. He’s just a few years older than his brother, Daemon. But it has aged. And it is a metaphor for what power does to man, even though he does not use it for his own personal gain. He’s not drunk with power, he’s responsible. But the requirements of becoming a king affect their physical bodies. So it’s interesting to play that decline in him. He’s just trying to do good. He was able to say a few words before leaving, for which I am very grateful. “
When asked what Viserys’ biggest mistake was, Considine said his character should have turned down the chance to be king in the first place.
“The only mistake he made was being king,” he said. “He should have said, ‘No, give it to Rhaenys. I do not want it. I’ll ride some dragons and have a good time with the ladies in the nefarious parts of town. ‘”
Considine considered, and then came up with another regret, one evident in the dinner scene when Alicent’s children were attacking Rhaenyra.
“I think he neglected to be a good father to his second family,” he said. “I think he neglected any effort for those kids. They don’t like him. I was on set one day and one of the actors playing my son said, ‘You hate us.’ And I went, ‘What?’ What do you mean? That I hate you like everyone – like Paddy [the actor] hate you?’ And he said, ‘No, Viserys hates us, because you hate your children.’ I was like, wow, that’s amazing. It was profound for him to say that. “
“Viserys doesn’t hate his kids,” the actor added. “He didn’t love them the way he loved Rhaenyra. Because Rhaenyra Aemma’s mother was the love of King Viserys’ life. In a way, he is responsible, because he tries too hard to have a male heir, and has had a number of unsuccessful pregnancies, and he feels a huge responsibility. in motivating her to have children again and again. It was his great regret. That’s part of the reason he chose Rhaenyra as his heir – there’s a bit of guilt there.”
The actor added that he’s looking forward to seeing what’s next as a viewer, as the king’s death marks a major turning point in the drama.
“What happens beyond this is total chaos,” he said. “It’s like everything Viserys worked so hard to prevent from happening. It was absolute destruction, mayhem and frenzy. ”
At this point, Considine surprises by pulling out a harmonica and playing a few notes on it. “I’m playing a gig on Thursday, so I’m practicing some chords,” he explains. Indeed, in addition to portraying a perished king, Considine also has a band, Riding the Low, which has been active since 2009 and has released two albums.
For some specifics on episode eight, CHEAP also interviewed director Geeta Patel about Considine’s long walk in the throne room, his last dinner, Alicent’s inner conflict and what happened to Dyana.
