House of the Dragon made a sensational entry into the highly competitive world of platforms, meanwhile becoming the best start for an HBO series with 10 million viewers. Unfortunately, there is a downside. Internet users are at the origin of a wave of racism against one of the main actors of the series, Steve Toussaint.
A rich black character in House of the Dragon
In House of the DragonSteve Toussaint plays Lord Corlys Velaryon, the richest character in Westeros, whose role is central in fiction. These two points have not failed to provoke hatred of Internet users. The latter used as a pretext for this racist wave the fact that in books by George RR Martin, House Velaryon is described as having white skin, purple eyes and fair hair. However, in the series, the characters are black and wear long silver dreadlocks.
On August 16, the 57-year-old actor testified The Guardian how he reacted to these racist comments:
“I thought, ‘Oh, I get it.’ When we were criminals, pirates and slaves in the other series, you agreed. But since this guy is the [personnage] the richest in the series and that he is a noble, this is a problem for you. “
The crystallization of a Game of Thrones debate
On August 22, the actor from Doctor who or even of Judge Dredd is still expressed in the columns of Men’s healthexplaining the period dramas :
So many people get it an idea of an era from some films made in the 50s, 60s and 70s, which bears no resemblance to reality. Historically, people of my color and your color, we didn’t come here in the 70’s or 60’s. (…) And as you said, they are happy with a flying dragon. They are happy white hair and purple eyes, but a rich black? He is beyond what they can accept.
This controversy may echo that of the representation of sexist and sexual violence around the world game of Thrones. The historical context is sometimes used as a pretext to take power away from the aggressors and to ignore realitya scourge that persists in the contemporary world. Fortunately, Steve Toussaint also echoed positive reception of his character:
“ The wonderful thing is that for every toxic person who somehow ended up on my timeline, there were so many more who supported me. […] When we were shooting certain scenes, it was there secondary actors who came to visit us and said “It’s great to be represented.” “
Feature image credit: © HBO
Source: Madmoizelle
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
