Steve Toussaint says he was “racially abused on social media” after being cast in Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon
Steve Toussaint says he was the target of racist attacks after being cast to play Corlys Velaryon on upcoming HBO show House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones.
The British actor, 57, told The Hollywood Reporter he underestimated the reaction when he was cast in the first prominent role for a person of color in the Game of Thrones universe.
“When I got the gig, I literally thought, ‘It’s just another role because I have black friends who had small roles or recurring roles on ‘Game of Thrones,'” Toussaint told the outlet. “I didn’t know it was a bigger deal until I was racially abused on social media when it was announced. Yes, that happened.
The Latest: Steve Toussaint, 57, says he was the target of racist attacks after being cast on upcoming HBO show House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. He was photographed at the London premiere of the show on Monday
Touissant said one person called him the N-word and others made art to poke fun at his casting on the show.
He recalled one instance where a fan said he had experienced the same vitriol while defending Toussaint’s casting on the show.
Touissant said: “There was also a black American guy who is a huge fan of the show who contacted me and said he was being berated for campaigning on my behalf for the role.
“Platforms like Reddit, which I’m not on, have discussions like this about it. I said, “Oh wow,” and then I thought, “Okay, that means a lot to some people,” but I can’t let that bother me.”
Touissant plays the role of Corlys Velaryon in the Game of Thrones prequel
Toussaint said that while he acknowledges “in that sense it’s a big deal,” he’s pushing forward
Toussaint noted that he had heard from various colleagues in the entertainment industry who had also been the target of racist messages after being placed in high-profile roles.
He said someone he “has known for a long time” was the recipient of racist messages after landing a role in a Marvel project.
“A friend of mine who played Hermione in the stage version of Harry Potter understood her,” Toussaint said. “I worked with John Boyega and he got it. If it bothers you that much, don’t look.’
Last May, Moses Ingram of the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi said on social media about receiving racist messages: “There is nothing anyone can do to stop this hate. I question my intentions in even being here in front of you to say this is happening. I do not really know.’
Toussaint noted that he had heard from various colleagues in the entertainment industry who had also been the target of racist messages after being placed in high-profile roles
The actor said he thinks “there’s certainly more color to the house of the dragon.”
Toussaint told the outlet that while he acknowledges “in that sense it’s a big deal,” he’s pushing forward.
“We have a saying that today’s headlines are just tomorrow’s crisp paper; people forget it,” the actor said.
Toussaint told the outlet he thinks “there’s certainly more color to this show.
“For me it’s a good thing. We must never forget that it is a fantasy and based on medieval laws and so on. But it still has to reflect a world. And I think it does. I loved Game of Thrones…but my only caveat was, “Where is everyone else in this world?”
He said that House of the Dragon creator George RR Martin “created a diverse world … if you look at it [beyond Westeros] in the whole thing’ and that ‘this show is closer to that’.
House of the Dragon is scheduled to air on HBO on August 21 at 9/8c.