What makes a Targaryen a Targaryen? Is it the dragons? Is it a somewhat unfortunate tendency to descend into madness? Is it their fierce skills on the battlefield or their steamy bedroom prowess?
It’s none of these because the answer is, of course, the hair. That shiny blond hair that makes them appear regal even from a thousand paces – or from atop a fire-breathing dragon.
It’s not, however, something you’d associate with Paddy Considine and so it’s no wonder the Burton-born actor had to spend two hours in make-up every morning getting his wig applied so he could play King Viserys Targaryen in House Of The Dragon, the much-anticipated follow-up to Game Of Thrones and set some 200 years earlier.
‘I didn’t think it would work,’ smiles Considine, remarkably frank company for a show so shrouded in secrecy. ‘I look stupid in wigs. I’ve got a funny face that if you put a moustache on it, it changes everything.
‘I was a bit worried they’d take one look at me in this wig and go, “Oh God I’m not sure about him. He looks weird.” But I think it looks great. My wig is like made out of the same tonal palette as Daenerys [Emilia Clarke]. That was my little link to her.’
He was even told he had some low-key bragging rights over his fellow Targaryens. ‘I think mine was the most expensive wig,’ he laughs. ‘That’s what I was told anyway. But it didn’t bother me. I had a good laugh. I thought I looked a bit like Dee Snider out of Twisted Sister!’
But there’s nothing twisted about King Viserys. In the world of Westeros, rulers are usually cold-hearted and cruel to their subjects but, by contrast, Viserys is a good king looking to do right by his people.
Considine has in many ways taken on Sean Bean’s mantle from GoT – an honourable man in dishonourable times destined to be offed by some nefarious so-and-so.
This is where House Of The Dragon picks up, with an inevitable battle of succession looming over the kingdom – and a king who knows more than he is letting on.
‘Viserys struggles with how he’s going to be remembered,’ says Considine. ‘The people remember tyrants. They remember warriors. No one remembers kings that are peaceful. But he’s also holding a secret that has massive implications for the future of Westeros.’
All this talk of legacy has me pondering what Considine considers his own legacy to be. After all, he’s one of Britain’s greatest living actors, with a string of powerful performances under his belt.
And yet he’s always been his harshest critic, decrying his acting abilities in such a way that goes far beyond mere modesty. Does the idea of legacy bother him?
‘I suppose it does. I feel like I haven’t done anything. I feel like if there’s potential, then I’ve only shown 30 or 40 per cent of it. I’m 48 and I think it’s time to stop hiding,’ he says.
Considine on being late to the GoT party
‘I hadn’t watched it initially. I’m always behind the times anyway. Funnily enough, I started watching it in lockdown because I’d had the DVD on the shelf and not looked at it, and that sort of synchronicity that sometimes happens, I get this call saying, “Are you a fan of Game Of Thrones?” And I’m like, “Well, it’s funny you should say that, because, you know, I’m kind of watching it.”
But, of course, I bull****ted Miguel [Sapochnik, executive producer] and said I was the biggest Game Of Thrones fan in the world!’
‘The saddest thing would be to get further on in your life and to go, “you know what, I just held back, I didn’t do enough”. I felt like Viserys was a step in the right direction of me just letting go of a lot of stuff, in my relationship to acting.
‘Because I didn’t come to acting through any kind of school, I wasn’t trained in any way. I kind of fell into it and I’ve had a funny relationship with it ever since. Like I’m some kind of imposter. It’s probably time for me to grow up a bit.’
This probably goes some way to explaining why this didn’t feel like a Paddy Considine project. It’s a big part and traditionally he’s in roles that are smaller and more meaningful.
‘That’s all that’s ever been offered to me, if I’m being honest. So the fact that this show came along and I was the first person cast, it was very flattering, because I’d been offered things in the past of this scale where I literally have two lines and I’m holding a spear in the background,’ he says.
‘So when I got the script and it was to play the king, I thought it was the one of the best roles I’ve been offered in my life.’
Who else is in House of the Dragon?
Matt Smith is Prince Daemon Targaryen, Viserys’ liability of a brother
If you’re looking for the inevitable treachery in House Of The Dragon, you know it is going to come from Matt Smith.
Emma D’Arcy is Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Viserys’ daughter
When House Of The Dragon begins, Viserys chooses her to succeed him as queen. The first time a woman would rule. It doesn’t go down well.
Rhys Ifans is Ser Otto Hightower
Rhys’s character is The Hand of the King and fiercely loyal to Viserys. His
distrust – and dislike – of Prince Daemon will be a natural sparking point for confrontation as the series rolls on.
Olivia Cooke is Lady Alicent Hightower
She is the daughter of the Hand of the King and the ‘most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms’. Which is a nice title to have, I suppose. She starts off as Rhaenyra’s friend but they soon turn into bitter rivals.
Steve Toussaint is Lord Corlys Velaryon
The Lord of House Velaryon and the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros. He has built his seat into one that rivals the Lannisters for riches.
Eve Best is Princess Rhaenys Velaryon
Cousin of Viserys and Daemon, she is married to Lord Velaryon and has twice been passed over for the throne. A fact she’s sure to make known to Rhaenyra…
House Of The Dragon starts on Sky Atlantic on Monday
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