Paddy Considine Revealed The Secret To His Portrayal Of Viserys In HotD
The actor shared his experience of playing such a multi-layered character who has touched the hearts of most fans.
The House of the Dragon TV series was a wonderful gift to all Game of Thrones fans, especially in light of the latter's extremely disappointing final season.
The first season of the show introduced viewers to a number of complex and interesting characters, but the greatest of them all was arguably King Viserys I Targaryen, portrayed by Paddy Considine.
In a recent interview with Variety, the actor shared his experiences playing such a complex character. Beware of minor spoilers for season 1.
Considine said that his portrayal of a once-strong man who slowly becomes a shell of his former self due to an unknown illness was heavily influenced by his personal losses in life.
His mother went blind and lost both her legs to diabetes, but still did her best to remain dignified, even though "there was a part of her that had just given up on herself."
It was a difficult thing for Paddy to witness, but he transferred those qualities to his character on the show.
The actor also noted that the scenes with Viserys sick in bed gave him shocking flashbacks as he saw an image of his father dying of cancer.
Considine admitted that the role was very meaningful to him because it allowed him to connect more with his parents.
The actor also pointed out that knowing the full arc of the character, with Viserys dying at the end of the first season, took the pressure off him, which can't be said of his co-stars who stayed on for the following seasons.
Fans have expressed their admiration for the actor's performance, with many saying that his character was the one who held the entire season's plot together for them.
He was the man who brought much of the fanbase back to the world of Westeros and delivered absolutely unforgettable scenes.
The throne room scene in episode 8 is one of the best not only in the HotD episodes, but even in the 8 seasons of its predecessor.
The release date for House of the Dragon season 2 hasn't been announced yet, but the filming process is currently in full swing and it is expected to be released in 2024 at the earliest.