Paddy Considine reflects on ‘chaotic’ childhood and relationship with his father
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Paddy Considine has reflected on his “chaotic” childhood and the nuanced relationship he had with his father.
The House of the Dragon star, who was raised in Burton, Staffordshire, opened up about his background in a new interview.
Speaking to GQ Hype, that actor said that his childhood was “too chaotic for a kid like me”.
“At a certain point in my teens, I just couldn’t cope with it,” said Considine, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s in 2011.
The 49-year-old also spoke about visiting his father, Martin, in Leicester prison.
“When I was little, I thought [being grown up meant] you get drunk, you get in fights, and you go to prison,” he said. “I thought it was an inevitability.
“I thought that’s what people’s dads did, until I got a bit older, and realised not everyone in my class had dads who are in the nick.”
He recalled one specific visit to see his father in prison when he was six years old, shocked to find that he had a front tooth missing.
“He must have been fighting,” Considine said. Years later, he found a letter his father wrote to his mother about his visit that day.
“Dad’s laughing about it, ‘Patrick’s looking at me like I’m Dracula, with my missing teeth,’” he said.
Considine also set the record straight on his relationship with his father, who he had described as a “violent bully” in previous interviews.
“He was a brawler, he’d get drunk and clear the pub,” he said. “But you know, I have fantastic memories with him.”
Considine added that “there was a lot of fondness and humour” and that he had “a lot of love for my dad”.
His father died in 2001 from cancer, without the pair having “resolved” their relationship.
Considine recently appeared in the latest episode of House of the Dragon. You can find the latest talking points from the episode, including the exit of one major character, here.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.
