British actor Paddy Considine has been cast as King Viserys Targaryen in House of the Dragon, a Game of Thrones prequel series. Considine is the first announced cast member of the upcoming HBO series.
The British actor is known for his role in another HBO drama, The Outsider, and Netflix’s Peaky Blinders. He was also nominated for a Tony last year for his work in the Broadway play The Ferryman.
House of the Dragon will be based on George R.R. Martin’s novel Fire & Blood, set 300 years before Game of Thrones. It covers the civil war in Westeros frequently referenced in GoT.
The synopsis on Martin’s website reads:
“Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire and Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.”
Considine’s character’s description gives another hint at the show’s storyline:
“King Viserys Targaryen is chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal. A warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”
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