House of the Dragon has already introduced most of the main players in the Game of Thrones prequel series. One of these characters is Corlys Velaryon, the husband of Rhaenys Targaryen and a member of the king's small council. Corlys is clearly a powerful man in Westeros but some viewers are not impressed with the character because of the way the Sea Snake has been cast. Interestingly, Steve Toussaint isn't having any of the racist comments, claiming that trolls are just afraid of a "rich Black guy."
Steve Toussaint had already addressed the racist comments about him being cast as Corlys Velaryon. In a new interview with Men's Health, he once again spoke about the issue, pointing out that representation is important in historical (albeit, fantasy) shows.
"It seems to be very hard for people to swallow," Toussaint said. He then added that "they are happy with a dragon flying. They're happy with white hair and violet-colored eyes, but a rich Black guy? That's beyond the pale."
It's an interesting observation considering that Corlys is one of the most intriguing characters in House of the Dragon. He's the richest man in Westeros and also a skilled seafarer who is expected to play an important role in the series. In George R.R. Martin's book Fire and Blood, it is suggested that Corlys might be white because he and his family have silver-white hair like the Targaryen. However, the show took a different direction with the character.
We're expecting to see more of Corlys Velaryon and the rest of House Velaryon in the next episodes of House of the Dragon. There is also a possibility he will be back in the second season now that the series has been renewed.
House of the Dragon Episode 2 is titled The Rogue Prince and will premiere on HBO on Sunday, August 28, 2022.
Related: House of the Dragon Renewed for Season 2 After Epic Premiere
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