House of the Dragon Star rejected GoT because it had dragons
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House of the Dragon star Paddy Considine turned down the chance to star in the flagship series after his agent told him it was about dragons.
Paddy Considine, who plays King Viserys Targaryen on HBO House of the Dragonhe turned down the chance to star game of thrones because he had dragons. Miguel Sapcochnik and Ryan Condal’s upcoming series premieres on August 21 and serves as a prequel to game of thrones. Where the latter series was based on George RR Martin’s fantasy novels, Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon is inspired by Martin’s Fire and Blood and novels like The princess and the queen detailing the history of the Targaryen dynasty. In addition to consideration, House of the Dragon stars Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, Graham McTavish, Steve Toussaint, Sonoya Mizuno, Ryan Corr, Jefferson Hall, Bill Paterson and Eve Best.
House of the Dragon picks up 200 years before the events of the flagship series, following the Targaryens at the height of their power with dozens of dragons. Its plot centers on the decision of the King of the Seven Kingdoms to name his daughter heir to the Iron Throne, which triggers a civil war known as the Dance of Dragons. As Considine sits on the throne House of the Dragonit turns out the actor may have traveled to Westeros more than a decade ago.
In a recent interview with The Sunday Times (via IndieWire), Considine revealed that he was approached to star game of thrones before the fantasy series changed television forever. However, when his agent told him that the show was “about dragons”, the actor refused to read the script. Read the full quote below:
“He said, ‘It’s about dragons.’ I said, ‘No thanks.’ I didn’t even read it.”
Before game of thrones scored its creators a slew of Emmys and made Martin a household name, the series was a risk for HBO. Although Peter Jackson’s adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings had been a hit in theaters, there was still a “nerd” stigma attached to the fantasy genre. With its sex, violence, political intrigue and tradition, game of thrones captivated audiences of all demographics. These days, it seems like every streaming service is trying to capitalize on their success with shows like The Sorcerer i The wheel of time (not to mention The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power), including HBO, which has several spin-offs in development House of the Dragon.
Before game of thrones, starring in a fantasy series was not an easy decision for an actor. Suffice it to say, playing King Viserys House of the Dragon it wasn’t a difficult decision for Considine, who jumped at the chance to make amends by previously ignoring Martin’s source material. Ironically, the very thing that makes the new show so exciting is what kept its star from passing on the original series.
Source: The Sunday Times (via IndieWire)
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