Many have ascended the Seven Kingdoms’ Iron Throne, the most prized seat of George R.R. Martin’s blockbuster A Song of Ice and Fire saga. But it is a station built on daggers, and few have lasted long; as the events of HBO’s Game of Thrones detailed.
The difference for Paddy Considine’s King Viserys is that the expiry date is built right in. In the prequel series’ first episode, he ascends to the throne. House of the DragonThe show will air on HBO Sunday evening. The show’s events take place 200 years ago. ThronesThat and other things Thrones kicks off with Viserys’s Targaryen dynasty in shreds, we’re aware from the outset that things are likely to go horribly wrong.
Still, Game of ThronesWe were assured from the beginning that nothing lasts forever. Yet, it managed eight seasons full of intrigue and dragons. George R.R. Martin & Ryan J. Condal’s prequel doubles down on both, as Viserys weathers various challengers to his dominion, including his brother Daemon [Matt Smith]And his cousin Rhaenys [Eve Best].
Considine’s career in British independent cinema is well-known for his illustrious collaboration with Shane Meadows, which resulted many celebrated films, among them “The Unexpected.” Dead Man’s ShoesDirector, and who has many accomplishments with the films Tyrannosaur JourneymanCritically acclaimed. He was nominated for Olivier and Tony awards for his role in Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman, directed by Sam Mendes, which played on Broadway and in London’s West End.
But what if House of the Dragon is Considine’s highest profile role to date, it has been chosen with the same due care he has applied every choice he has made. Miguel Sapochnik, director and co-showrunner, sought Considine for the role. He happened to be in the middle his own growing love affair with the actress. Game of Thrones. Considine also claims that he found the King Lear in Westeros in Viserys. It was too interesting not to explore.
With the mildest SpoilersPaddy Considine only revealed that Viserys is a good king in the premiere episode of his new show. He explains his attraction to the show, his hopes for its future, and the turning point in his career that made him fall in love—perhaps for the first time—with his chosen profession.
DEADLINE: Watching the first episode of House of the Dragon, there’s a sense of scale and grandeur that Game of ThronesTo reach this level of success, it took many seasons. Did it feel like the biggest set you’d ever stepped onto?
PADDY CONSIDINE: I think we’re lucky in the fact that Game of ThronesWe are all a part of the history. It began as a modest, ambitious show. Then it became something epic. Miguel [Sapochnik]Was doing “Battle of the Bastards” [Season 6 Episode 9]It was amazing to me the sheer scale. This was the moment I realized that television had changed. It was like cinema on a smaller screen. So we’re lucky to be able to pick up where Game of ThronesYou can take what you have learned and apply it to your next project.
The show isn’t a spin-off for me. It’s very much a part of the history of Westeros, and within the world of Game of Thrones. We haven’t tried to reinvent the wheel and there are no gimmicks and tricks. We’re just right back there.
DEADLINE: What’s your history with Thrones?
CONSIDINE: It’s a funny one, because I got sent the script for Game of ThronesIt was very early. My agent informed me that HBO was making a show about dragons, different families, and kingdoms. I was shocked. “Ah…” It wasn’t for a specific part; he said, “Just read it and see what clicks.” But I couldn’t get my head around it.
I think it’s a show that takes a little time to get into. For me, then watching the show, it wasn’t really until the Red Wedding [in “The Rains of Castamere”, Season 3 Episode 9]It was a turning point. That’s when you realize nobody’s safe. After, of course, what happens in the first season with Sean Bean’s character.
So, I’d tried to watch it years ago, but I’m a bit terrible with being massively late to things. It takes me a while to get into shows. And I didn’t get very far with it if I’m being completely honest. It wasn’t until lockdown that I gave it another shot, and it then became this weird synchronicity, because there I was getting massively into the show when the call came for House of the Dragon. They said: “Are you a fan of Game of Thrones?”I replied, “Well, it’s funny you should ask that.”
DEADLINE: You’d seen all of it by then?
CONSIDINE: Not quite. I probably played up to Miguel that I’d seen more than I had. It was still a lockdown film, and we watched it through, so I had enough to be able call my wife and say, “I’ve just been offered the role of the king in the new Game of Thrones prequel,”Have it be interesting enough to impress her [laughs].
This was my first experience with such an experience. Lord of the Rings film. I wasn’t interested in fantasy stuff. I found it a little boring. It’s funny with all this Stranger ThingsBecause stuff [growing up]We had our Eddie Munson, a guy named Gaz Ryan, who was the spokesman. Dungeons & DragonsHe was a maestro, and he was into heavy metal and all of that.
My bandmate Rich [from Considine’s band Riding the Low]As a teenager, I read with a few of my friends. Lord of the RingsBut I was more into Stephen King and I was like “I can’t be bothered to read that shit.”It felt like hard work to my eyes. I watched the film without judging it, but instead just to enjoy the ride. It was amazing. I couldn’t believe it. It was transformational. That’s how it felt getting into Game of Thrones.
DEADLINE: House of the DragonThis is based on an in-universe Westeros History that George R.R. Martin published it as Fire & Blood.
CONSIDINE: Yeah, it’s written through the eyes of a dwarf character called Mushroom, who’s a court jester. There’s actually a banquet scene in House of the DragonRyan Condal messaged me and I said, “Ryan, can we stick Mushroom in there somewhere?”Mushroom was a subject I struggled to include. But yeah, it’s written through his eyes.
Although I didn’t read the books in truth, my friend gave me an enormous compendium of all the histories. He knew more about me than I did. He told me who I was playing when I told him. “Oh yeah, he rode Balerion, he did this, he did that.”He gave me the book, which was a great resource. And then we’ve got Ryan, who’s an encyclopedia of the world himself.
DEADLINE: It sounds like you’re getting quite into the myth and mythos.
CONSIDINE: You know what, I’m not a massive geek on it, but it has drawn me in. I’ve been offered so much stuff like this in the past and not done it, but it’s not because I’ve never wanted to. There was an interest years ago in me for an epic Ridley Scott movie, but it wasn’t for me. I thought, If I’m going to be in the desert for months on end with a sword and a spear, there’s got to be something for me to do. There are many calls I receive that are very exciting with great casts and great people. Once I have the script, I move on. “But anybody can play this. This isn’t something that’s bringing out my stregths.”Perhaps even something as The Bourne UltimatumI did. It was an amazing experience, but anyone could have played that role to be truthful.
So, there’s a lot of that in my history, of me turning things down because I couldn’t see the point. I was delighted to receive this interest, and to play the king, but I thought, “This is another one of these.” I asked my agent. “Are you sure this is for me?”He added, “No, they’re not going to anybody else; this is just you.”
Viserys is an extraordinary character. I was amazed at the beauty and depth of this creation. George R.R. Martin described him as the King Lear in the West. ThronesIt was a chance to play a great role in the world. That was all that I needed to join the bandwagon.
DEADLINE – Viserys is a fair, even-handed, and decent king, as evident in the first episode. In Westeros, I’m not sure that’s going to be great for him.
CONSIDINEHe is a good king and a good man. It would seem that he was selected because he is the male, while Rhaenys was overlooked as Rhaenys is a female. But I think he was chosen for his qualities; he’s a scholar and Jaehaerys before him had been a peaceful king. He’s chosen, I think, for his temperament, because he understands that he’s the king of the Westerosi, and he has a respect for it. He understands the politics and what it takes to be a king. The struggle to be peaceful king is likely 10 times more difficult than that of a dictator, as the costs are higher.
I think Viserys’s failing is that he’s just a good man that wants the best for everybody. Viserys sees the best in everyone, but he also recognizes the corruption around them. He knows that no one can be trusted. It’s something he reveals in his speech in the first episode, when he tells her that the throne is the most dangerous seat in the whole realm. This tells me Viserys doesn’t lie. He’s not a pushover. He knows what he’s doing. And kindness is within him, but it’s also a front to something else.
Miguel was a great listener. He asked me many questions about my need to place the dragon in him. It’s alright being a nice and jolly king, but he is a dragon at the end of the day. He must have this in him. He’s somebody who believes so much that it costs him the life of his first wife in the opening episode. His pursuit of an heir costs him the love of his life, and it’s something he carries with him the rest of his days. It’s not only the weight of choosing Rhaenyra to be his heir in a world in which they don’t want women in the line of succession, though they clearly don’t. I think he’s forced to, for many different reasons. It’s not a decision he takes lightly; it’s one he toils with. But I think he trusts his instincts, and when he looks at Rhaenyra he sees his wife; she’s what’s left, this living person they created.
He’s also carrying this other secret, which is a mythical dream that affects the future of all mankind in Westeros. In Episode 1 he tells Rhaenyra about the dream and the duty she’s going to have. It is likely that there will be more storms in the future than 200 years ago. [the events of Game of Thrones]That winter is upon us. That if a Targaryen isn’t seated on the Iron Throne when it does, the world of men will fall.
It’s an interesting aspect to him as well, because he’s carrying around this mythical feeling. It shows he’s not just a logical king; he’s buying into that mysticism as well. It is possible that this dream can save the world.
It’s something he could never reveal to Daemon. He’s too unruly. As brothers, they’re complete opposites. Viserys may love his brother, but he finds it difficult to be with him. He’s troublesome and he’s always making excuses for his behavior. There comes a time when enough is enough. I think that’s another brilliant strand of Viserys’s character; the family dynamic between him, Daemon and Rhaenyra.
DEADLINE – It feels like Viserys and Daemon may only love in one direction.
CONSIDINE: Well, Daemon is a brother to himself. I think that’s part of Daemon’s problem, in fact, is that he wants him to be his big brother.
DEADLINE – But he also wants to occupy the throne.
CONSIDINE: I’m not sure he does. Viserys even says he doesn’t want the throne; he’s not interested in. He’s too unruly for it.
DEADLINE: I thought that might have been wishful thinking on Viserys’s part.
CONSIDINE: No, I think Viserys believes that; believes that it wouldn’t interest Daemon to be king. He couldn’t sit in that chamber and suffer the fools all day long. It’d drive him mad.
DEADLINE: It’s a shame because Matt Smith has the perfect stance for sitting on the Iron Throne. In the first episode, he gives it a go. You can’t sit normally on that throne; you have to project a certain swagger.
CONSIDINE: It’s a complete disregard for the establishment from him [laughs].
DEADLINE – Your Iron Throne stance will be more measured. You feel uncomfortable with it.
CONSIDINE: It’s not an easy thing to sit on, to be honest with you. It’s a throne made of swords; it’s not a thing of comfort. As the king, I tried to avoid those kingly cliches of the hand gestures, but there’s a certain way he sits on that throne. It changes throughout the seasons, too. If I reached into my phone, I could reveal some spoilers. [laughs].
It’s not a lounge chair; it’s a throne. Viserys knows that it is important to treat it with respect. And he’s been groomed for it. It’s like the difference between Prince William and Prince Harry, let’s say. Viserys would not be uncaring on the throne. He understands what a seat is and what it means to be a ruler. You can see his mental and physical effects on the throne throughout the season.
DEADLINE: This show has given the throne room a makeover. It’s even grander than it used to be. Was that the first time you saw it, and felt the excitement?
CONSIDINE: It was a very special moment for me. I believe I may have been wearing full costume the first time I walked onto that set. It was definitely a day of shooting. I was too busy with work to wander in on a day off. Although I was unable to go inside the workshop, I did walk by it one day as it was being constructed. I decided to take a closer look at how they were building it. However, when I reached the set, I was determined and did experience a moment or two of awe. Miguel approached me and said: “How do you feel about the throne?”It was incredible. It was amazing! It wasn’t a powerful feeling. I felt honored to be there.
DEADLINE: I don’t want any spoilers, but I think it’s probably fair to say that in the world of Westeros there are very few guarantees of life, and this is a show all about the succession of kings, which means at some point you’re going to be succeeded. Did you ever think about how precious your time might be on the throne?
CONSIDINE: Well, yeah, but I can’t reveal anything [laughs]. It’s all about succession. There are many ways to read the script. Richard IIIThis was something I thought of in my head. Not in terms of a particular framework for the character, but in terms of how I wanted to treat the material with the same respect you’d approach Shakespeare. Why not? You can’t play the game of thrones yourself. I have one duty, and that’s to play Viserys with as much honesty as I can, and with as much commitment as possible. I saw the beauty in him and the complexity.
I remember when we did the readthrough—which is an awful experience anyway, where you just think you’re going to be fired any minute—Miguel said to me, “You need to put more Paddy into this.” Whatever he meant by that, I never asked him, but I interpreted it as, OK, you’ve just given me license to really own this, and imbue it with everything I can. And that’s what I did, and I loved him for saying that.
Anthony Minghella was my workshopping partner. We worked on a role in a very strange setting, as the actor for the part had already been cast. Even the people in the studio were there. “Why are you meeting this guy?” Meaning, me. It caused quite a storm.
DEADLINE – Which film?
CONSIDINEIt was for Breaking and enteringJude Law. So, it was already cast, and I didn’t understand why Anthony was taking this time with me. I don’t know, he just seemed to have some sort of fascination after seeing me in Dead Man’s Shoes. For me, it was wonderful to be able spend some time with such a brilliant director and to learn some new things. I was never right for whatever role he had in mind—even if it hadn’t already been cast—but I really enjoyed the experience.
He said it to me, however, one day. “Do you love this character?”And so I went. “No. I don’t. I can’t connect with him. I don’t love him.”He said: “Then you can’t play him. You need to love him.”
I walked away from that experience thinking, What a load of bollocks, you Don’t have to love every character you play, that’s bullshit. But it’s like, no, you do. You do, because if I look back at all the work I’ve done, the best of it, the most interesting, has been when I’ve fully loved the character I’m playing. When I’ve fully believed in that person. He was right. All of the characters I’ve played that I feel I’ve imbued with anything interesting, it was because I loved them.
DEADLINE: Does that count even if, for example, you disagree with a character’s choices?
CONSIDINE: Yes, you’ve still got to love them. Because they’re not your choices; that’s what you have to distinguish. As a director, I was able to experience this when I worked with Olivia [Colman]On Tyrannosaur. There were scenes she just couldn’t get her head around, and I had to speak to her one day and say, “These aren’t your beliefs; they’re hers.” It was a great lesson for me as well, because a lot of actors try to bend things around to their own way of thinking and their own principles, and that’s not the point. It is possible to imbue it in certain qualities, but ultimately, your reaction to something will be very different from mine.
It ends up being liberating, because earlier on in my career, I used to feel like I had to invest every character with some kind of personal experience, or true emotion that I’d felt—which came, I think, because I had no training or real understanding of the craft. Whereas you learn that’s not the case and it liberates you and means you can do a lot more than you could before.
DEADLINE: From the outset, you’ve taken your career in many different directions. You’ve become an accomplished writer and director. You’ve made your Broadway and West End debuts. The Ferryman You were only a teenager when it was your first play. Is it still a passion?
CONSIDINE: Do you know, it isn’t. It’s weird with me, Joe, because I never came into acting in a conventional way. I don’t think I had that sort of passion for it that other people talk about. It was more of an adventure for me. It’s hard for me to explain it. Acting was a relationship I had with acting. It was a love/hate one. And a lot of it came from me thinking I wasn’t good enough.
Doing The FerrymanThis was an extremely important step for me. It was almost like going to school. I learned so many things from it. I believe I learned more about the craft through that play than I ever knew. It’s important to have an experience like that in any line of work, but I would go out on a limb and say that I’m passionate about acting now in a way I never was when I started out.
It wasn’t that I was lazy about it; I committed to Romeo Brass’s Room AmericaAnd all the other films. It’s just that I started to do a lot of work that floated in the middle just to make a living, and they were things I didn’t really want to do. There’s this reputation around me, I think, where it’s, “Oh, he makes really big choices,” and it’s like, sometimes I’ve just got to go to work, and I don’t want to play someone’s fucking dad, I want to play the King of Westeros.
I think part of my frustration was that I didn’t feel like I was being seen. I was making my own films and doing plays and things like that, but if anything I feel like I’ve finally arrived at a certain point where I feel there’s so much untapped potential. This was something I had to do over time. I had to learn to act, and not be so critical of my own performance. You can tell the story. The FerrymanThat taught me how to simply go up there and tell my fucking story. It’s not you versus the audience. There’s nothing to prove. All you have to do is tell the story. This liberated me tremendously.
DEADLINE: Knowing you a little, it feels like so many of the challenges you’ve taken on have come from a place of wanting to leap into the work and commit to figuring out how to succeed. It’s a fantastic attitude, but the risk with it is that the more you figure out, the less exciting each new challenge starts to feel. It sounds like you’ve started to work out how to maintain that level of excitement even if the challenges you’re facing aren’t new ones.
CONSIDINE: Yeah, exactly. And also, I think there’s a danger that you come to hate the work. You come to hate this thing, and that’s not healthy. You feel trapped. I feel like I was trapped at one time by it. I had a wife, and children. I was responsible. I’m thinking to myself, It’s not their fucking fault that you chose this path and gave them this life. However, I felt trapped by my actions. I felt like I would always be the guy wearing the green coat. [in Dead Man’s Shoes]. It was a song that used to play a lot in my head. It’s not taking anything away from that particular film, because it had such an incredible impact for me and for people out there who saw it. It’s up there with some of the greatest stuff they’ve ever seen. I hear that, but for me as an artist, there’s something about me that wants to try to surpass it in a way. And when you don’t… It feels like maybe that’s wrong; maybe I should be like, “That was one thing, and then we move on and find other things.”
DEADLINE: Both of these things are possible. You can try your best to surpass the impossible and accept the possibility of creating something new that may also be unsurpassable.
CONSIDINE: I agree. But I think if I didn’t care about acting, I wouldn’t have put my arse on the fucking stage in the West End and gone through that, and then took that same thing onto a Broadway stage. If I didn’t care about what I was doing, I wouldn’t be doing that, that’s for sure. I was afraid.
DEADLINE: Sam Mendes worked on this.
CONSIDINESam? Another great man. Because I was not in a good place when I started that job, I will never forget his kindness. It was another dangerous job. I kept looking back at my life, and there’d be certain interviews where I was in a bad place. I was always in a bad situation. I’m thinking, Is that going to be the story of my life? That I’m always in a bad place?
DEADLINE: Everybody ends up there one day. It’s unavoidable and it’s human nature. The difference is you’ve been honest about it. You haven’t put on a front.
CONSIDINE: It sometimes sounds like I whinge a lot. [laughs]. Because I consider what I do to be very special and many people would gladly take your place. These are my shoes man. This is my fucking journey, and I’ll do it the way I have to do it.
The truth of it is there’s no arrival. It doesn’t always arrive the way you expect. Wherever you think you’ll get when you set out, you always end up somewhere else. But you’ve just got to go along for the ride.
I watched the Bob Dylan documentary and he said that he was proud of it. “A true artist should never have a sense that they’ve arrived, they should always be in a state of becoming.” That’s true of everything. There’s no fucking arrival, man.