SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from episode 6 of House of the Dragon on HBO.
Even by the bloody standards of Westeros, Corlys Velaryon has endured more than most – losing, variously, his wife, brother and some of his offspring. Steve Toussaint plays Corlys – aka ‘The Sea Snake’ – and talks to Deadline from London about his character’s journey and the revelation that he has not one, but two, sons by another woman.
In House of the Dragon lore, an affair out of wedlock would ordinarily rank as a minor indiscretion, but carries heavy emotional weight, given the relationship between Corlys and Rhaenys (Eve Best) was one based on love rather than politicking or expediency.
Rhaenys’ death during a mid-air dragon fight was arguably the most dramatic moment yet of season two, and leaves Corlys bereft. Toussaint said: “When we were reading through the scripts in the first meeting and we got to that episode it was… ‘devastating’ is too big a word because this is Westeros and we’re all going to die, but it was like, oh, no. For Corlys, she was the one person with whom he could be completely who he wanted to be, and he could share his vulnerabilities with her. For her to be gone leaves him untethered.”
The revelation of Corlys’ affair and children by another woman delivers a House of the Dragon curve ball. It also becomes clear that the sons, Alyn and Addam will have parts to play as the battle for power rages. Toussaint, whose work spans films including Prince of Persia, as well as numerous TV series and stage plays, breaks down what we’ve learned about his character in House of the Dragon.
DEADLINE: Steve, the chemistry between Corlys and Rhaenys provided some humanity amid the brutality. Did the revelations this season about his affair and sons with a different woman come as a shock?
I initially I found it very difficult to get my head around. I hadn’t read the books – I chose not to because it’s a different medium – so all the time we were promoting season one, I was just like, yeah, they’re in love… and then I’m presented with this story and I’m like: Oh, shit.
DEADLINE: How does Corlys justify his actions to himself?
There is the saying about sailors having a woman in every port and I wonder if that’s how he sees things. Maybe that’s what it is for him; it’s just, I’m away from home, and I’m away for months and months. But then the issue, and I haven’t resolved this yet and we’ve had lots of conversations, myself and Eve and the directors, is that this man has an affair and there’s a child… but he goes back and does it again.
DEADLINE: That’s a crucial point. This wasn’t a one-off, Alyn has a brother, Addam.
Yes, and it makes you think perhaps their mother was something more special than he’s letting on. To be honest, I’m still exploring this. Eve and I used to have long discussions about it. I’d say to her: “Well, you know, as far as he’s concerned, that was then, and then he came back.” But she said: “It doesn’t matter that he did it, it’s that it meant something more to him.”
DEADLINE: It pulls the rug from under us. It makes us question whether the relationship between Corlys and Rhaenys was everything it appeared to be.
The one thing that I was sure of was that his relationship with Rhaenys is true.
I can only assume that when he was with that person way back when, he was thinking; this is great, when I’m away from home, I’m doing this. How that ended, I don’t know. That would be interesting; did she go away, is she still alive? I certainly don’t know.
When I spoke to Claire [Kilner] or Alan [Taylor] our directors about it, they weren’t sure either, so I have to go with that really sort of macho masculine thing of, you know, when I’m here, this is kind of cool, but when I’m at home, I have a thing.
DEADLINE: An interesting thing about his sons from the illicit relationship is that he maintains a connection with them. He gives Alyn a position of power on his ship, he wants them in his world, or at least in his proximity.
I think there’s several things that play into this. First of all, his daughter and son are dead, well, his son is ‘dead’. Then he makes his grandson, who’s not really his grandson, his heir, and that child dies. Whatever else he says, he’s still about legacy, his name has to be passed on and who’s he going to give it to? Who’s left?
Play into that the fact that the last time that he and Rhaenys had a meaningful on-screen conversation, she said to him: “I know who that man is and he saved your life. He shouldn’t be swept under the carpet, he should be exalted and given his due.”
And I think, for Corlys, after she has passed, that’s almost like permission. He has very few people left who could follow his legacy, but this is his blood, and his wife has said to him, “You can’t just ignore this child, his life is not his fault.”
Rachel Smith
DEADLINE: A lot fits into place in episode 6, but it has already been established that Rhaenys knew about the illegitimate sons
Yes, and that’s the point for Corlys. I think had she lived, they would have had further discussion. I don’t think she was comfortable with the situation, but being Rhaenys, she’s practical about it. And I think one of the things that we discussed a lot was that there have been rumors following this boy around in the workplace the whole time, his crew kind of know, or suspect.
And I think for Corlys as he sits there, grieving for his wife and then later on with the box with the Hand in it, he’s thinking, okay, my wife was the practical one and she’s right, maybe this is the person who could possibly be my heir. Of course, the boy still has to say yes.
DEADLINE: Corlys is grieving for his beloved wife, but he is still thinking about legacy and power. He is still ambitious?
He is still the same man, so there is ambition there. He might not admit it. There is a bit later on when he says: “Whatever I do now, I do for my wife.” I think that’s true, but being right there next to the throne, to power, he’s got an eye to the main chance. We don’t change that much.
DEADLINE: As a viewer you have to join the various dots as the series moves around locations and storylines intertwine. To what extent are you aware of the bigger picture? Or do you have to just focus on what’s in front of you?
Yes, I think you do, and when I’ve spoken to the other cast, it’s the same thing, particularly for this season. Last season there were at least four or five episodes where we were all together. Now, because we’re about to go to war, we’re not seeing each other. I didn’t see Matt (Smith), Fabien (Frankel), Olivia (Cooke), Tom (Glynn-Carney), Ewan (Mitchell) and any of those guys at all, because of the different storylines.
When we first got together for season two, we were all in a room so then you’ve got an idea of the basic arc of the whole story, but once you start shooting, they don’t give us all the whole script, we only get our pages. I had my journey through these eight episodes, but I didn’t know everybody else’s. When we had the premiere, the first time I watched it, it was like: ‘Oh, that’s how it all fits in.’