How Steve Toussaint Made Corlys the Secret Weapon of ‘House of the Dragon’
As much as House of the Dragon explores themes of power and corruption, you could argue that the HBO fantasy series’ sole focus is grief. Just ask Steve Toussaint, the fifty-nine-year-old British actor who plays Corlys “The Sea Snake∏ Velaryon—a character in a near-constant state of bereavement in the Game of Thrones prequel’s second season.
Having already grieved his son, his daughter, and one of his grandsons, Corlys loses the love of his life—his wife, Rhaenys (Eve Best)—following episode 4’s explosive battle. Now he’s a broken man unsure of what part he wishes to play in the story to come. “Corlys is somebody who doesn’t really share his feelings with anybody except his wife, and now she’s gone,” Toussaint tells me over Zoom. “I don’t think he’s ever really come to terms with death. He’s a little bit untethered. He just gets on a ship and runs away.”
For audiences, it’s an especially heartbreaking loss, considering how close the two actors were both on and off the screen. While other characters have been in toxic sibling/cousin relationships, Corlys and Rhaenys felt like the only uncorrupted couple. Together, they were the sole source of warmth in such a cold and violent story.
“One of the first things we asked [showrunner] Ryan [Condal] after we met each other—Eve and I—was if this relationship was built on strategy and politics. And he said, ‘No, no, no. They love each other,’ ” Toussaint recalls. Now that she’s gone? “The tragedy, of course, is that she’s not there to help him through this.”
Below, Toussaint talks about episode 5’s major revelation—that Rhaenya (Emma D’Arcy) offers him the role of Hand of the Queen. Plus, we discuss Corlys’s rumored spin-off series and whether we’ll ever see him sail on one of his ships.
ESQUIRE: Obviously, Corlys needs time to grieve. But why else do you think it’s so hard for him to accept Rhaenyra’s offer to be her Hand?
STEVE TOUSSAINT: It stems from his complicated relationship with Rhaenyra. A very interesting thing that I’ve noticed over season 1 and parts of season 2 is that whenever he’s not around her, he doesn’t have a lot of positive things to say. It’s like, “Is she death and destruction embodied?” But whenever he’s around her, there is something very paternal that he feels for her.
When Baela tells him that Rhaenyra wants him to be her Hand, the first thing he says is something along the lines of “Hasn’t she had enough from us already?” This is the woman who was married to his son—and his son is dead. She married the man who was there when his daughter was killed. He says to Rhaenys, “We’re done. Let’s take our money, grandkids, and just enjoy ourselves.” And she says, “No. We have to stay here and protect and support her claim.” That speech from Baela—she says that this is what his wife would want him to do. He feels like, I owe it to her.
Given your Shakespearean background, don’t you think Corlys is similar to Macduff from Macbeth? They both lose their whole families to a conflict that they’re only tangentially related to.
That’s so interesting. I’d never thought of that. You’re right. I’m thinking of the scene [in Macbeth] when Malcolm comes to him and says, “You’ve got to go back.” And he’s like, “Wait a minute, all my kids.” That’s very good. Wow. I’m going to go back and read that play again now, actually. Although they aren’t complete comparisons, I always think of Coriolanus, this guy who’s this great warrior and then he has to pick a side. But now I think Macduff is actually much more accurate. Do you know what? Next time I see Mr. Martin or Ryan, I’m going to ask them if there were any thoughts of Macduff in there. Good call.
There are definitely a lot of Shakespearean elements on House of the Dragon. Do you feel like your time with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre helped you prepare for the role?
It has. Certainly in the way that the speeches are constructed. There are certain lines he says, like, “History does not remember blood, it remembers names.” There’s a way of speaking that is lyrical and poetic.
Do you find any similarities between you and Corlys?
I quite like him, for the most part. I like that he has ambition and that he is focused. When he wants something, he goes for it. But at the same time, I don’t know that we’re the same. I’m easily distracted, so I couldn’t be him. There’s a scene in season 1 that didn’t make it into the cut, when we were doing the wedding of Leonor and Rhaenyra. My son sees his lover beaten to a pulp by Criston Cole—and he’s bereft, of course. He’s crying. I said, “I think what I should do is just pick him up.” And so I did. I dragged him up and marched him to his wife. But that’s something I would never do. It’s just that his eyes are on the prize. Also, for Corlys, there doesn’t seem to be much room for the gray. At sea, either you do the thing correctly or you drown.
I heard that you’re not a fan of Corlys’s beard.
Do you know what it is? I always think that beards are such high maintenance. You’ve got to have the oil, brush, and trimmer. I just never really was into it. When we’re shooting, I get the call from Amanda, our makeup lady. She says, “Okay, stop shaving now.” And I’m always like, “Ah, crap.” I grow it, start shooting, and then I’m counting down the days to my last shot. I’ll say to them, when they wrap it, “Can I shave it?” And they’re like, “No, just wait. There might be some reshoots.” The minute it’s on, I like it for a little while. But three weeks in, I’m just like, “Oh God, please.” But it pays the mortgage.
Readers of Fire & Blood know that a certain gray is coming to Corlys, regarding his past. Obviously, we can’t give anything away to audiences, but how do you do predict the fans will react to his upcoming revelations?
Well, I think there’ll be some disappointment, because of the nature of Corlys and Rhaenys and the fact that this is the closest [House of the Dragon has] to a modern love story. Certain elements coming in make you sort of go, “Oh, they’re not quite as idealistic as I thought.” I like that, personally. Nobody’s perfect. But when Rhaenys comes to him at the dock in episode 4 and says, “I know,” it forces him to mature and face up to what he’s done. So we’ll see him floundering a little bit.
Corlys is a Master of Ships, yet we’ve never seen him at sea. Will we ever see the ships leave the dock? Maybe that’s where the rumored Nine Voyages spin-off series can kick in—even if it’s animated, as George R.R. Martin once suggested.
There are battles coming. We’re going to war, so hopefully you get to more of it then. But I was excited about the spin-off. I knew it wouldn’t be me, because I can’t play twenty-one anymore. [Laughs.] But if it’s animation, I’m going to put my hand in there and say, “Please let me do the voice.” I haven’t heard anything more about that.
One of the best things about Thrones and House of the Dragon is that no character is ever safe. Does it scare you as an actor that you may show up next season and find out that it’s your time to go?
Yeah, you can’t ever be too careful, but that’s the nature of the beast. A friend of mine on a big American network show once told me that they would get the scripts at a certain time during the day and they’d all go into their little trailers, read, discover what’s happening, and then all come out. Someone would look around and say something like, “Oh my God, where’s John?” And John would still be in his trailer, because John was killed off. Luckily, we get all of our scripts at the beginning, so you get to know what’s going to happen. Knock on wood, I’m still here. But when it comes, it comes. I’ve enjoyed the ride so far. When Corlys goes—if he goes—hopefully, it’ll be glorious.
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