The dragon king
Trouble is brewing for the Targaryens after King Viserys says his daughter will inherit the Iron Throne...
King Viserys overturned centuries of tradition when he named his daughter his heir in last week’s opening episode of House of the Dragon.
His brother Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) is furious to hear Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) will inherit the crown and believes Viserys is a weak king whose decision will put the Targaryen family’s ruling dynasty at risk.
Prophecy
‘Viserys is a good man,’ insists Paddy Considine, who plays him. ‘He’s perceived as weak because he wants peace. In reality, he has a lot of weight on his shoulders. He knows that without their dragons, the Targaryens wouldn’t have the crown.’
Viserys is also the carrier of a devastating prophecy predicting a terrible winter that could spell the end for Westeros.
‘Viserys is carrying a massive secret that will resonate through history,’ explains Paddy. ‘When he names Rhaenyra as his heir, it’s not done lightly. He believes the Iron Throne is a cursed seat, so in a way, he’s cursing his daughter!’
Playing the Westeros ruler has been a career highlight for Paddy.
‘When I got the call, I assumed it would be for a tiny part,’ he says. ‘But when I read the scripts, I felt like I’d been waiting for a part like this to come along because I loved Viserys immediately!’