Before playing Corlys Velaryon in House of the Dragon, Steve Toussaint had auditioned for this character’s role in Game of Thrones

Steve Toussaint shot to global fame with his role as Corlys Velaryon in HBO’s House of the Dragon. The actor’s performance as the Lord of Driftmark, who loves his grandchildren, has resonated well with the audience.

However, before joining the fantasy drama, Steve Toussaint had already tried to be a part of its predecessor, Game of Thrones. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly before House of the Dragon’s premiere, Toussaint revealed he auditioned for multiple roles in the hit HBO series.

The role that he recalled auditioning for was that of Doran Martell’s bodyguard, Areo Hotah. Toussaint revealed he auditioned to play Nymeria Sand’s uncle’s bodyguard in Game of Thrones, but things did not materialize:

“I ended up working with a girl called Jessica Henwick [who played Nymeria in GOT]. I did a job with her. Now, in her section of the story, there's her and there's her sisters with the whips and stuff. Then there's her mother, who's [played by] Indira Varma. And then there's her uncle. Her uncle has a bodyguard. That was one of the roles I auditioned for.”

House of the Dragon’s Steve Toussaint auditioned for Areo Hotah’s role in Game of Thrones

Despite the audition, Steve Toussaint did not land the role of Areo Hotah, and the character was ultimately played by DeObia Oparei. But destiny had something better in store for the actor as he was chosen to play Corlys Velaryon in House of the Dragon just a few years later.

Had he already appeared in Game of Thrones in a brief role, he may not have been selected to play a main role in the prequel series. During his interview, Toussaint agreed that whatever happened, happened for the best:

"I'm glad I got this rather than that.”

Toussaint debuted the role of Corlys Velaryon in 2022 with the release of House of the Dragon Season 1. Also called the Sea Snake, he serves as the Master of Ships on King Viserys I Targaryen's Small Council and is married to Viserys’ sister, Rhaenys. His son later marries Rhaenyra Targaryen, and he eventually becomes the Hand of the Black Queen.

Talking about his character, Toussaint said in his interview:

“No one wants to f*** with him. Although he's quite good at the politics of things — politics and plotting and intrigue are a huge part of this series as opposed to the other one — he's actually more at home when he is on the battlefield or when he is at sea.”

He continued,

“It's much simpler then. If you don't do it right, you die. There's no gray. But of course he has this huge ambition. This idea of legacy, it's a big deal for him.”

Toussaint reprised his role in House of the Dragon Season 2, and Corlys has so far made it out alive of the Dance of the Dragons, while his wife, Rhaenys, dies in the war between the Greens and the Blacks. The actor will again play the character in the third season of the show, which is currently in production and is expected to be released in 2026.

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House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max.

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