House of the Dragon: Paddy Considine says George RR Martin told him ‘your Viserys is better than my Viserys’

Paddy Considine has opened up about a text he received from George RR Martin about his performance in House of the Dragon.

The British actor has starred in the Game of Thrones spin-off series as Targaryen family patriarch and king Viserys Targaryen.

*Major spoilers for House of the Dragon episode eight below – you have been warned*

Throughout the series, Viserys’s health has slowly deteriorated, with Sunday (9 October) night’s episode showing him breathing his last breath as he pleaded for “no more” pain.

In a new interview with GQ Hype, Considine revealed that his portrayal of Viserys had been given the ultimate seal of approval by Game of Thrones creator Martin himself.

“I got a text message that simply said, ‘Your Viserys is better than my Viserys,” he said.

“It was from George RR Martin. And I thought: that’ll do it. Thanks for trusting me.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the Hot Fuzz star said that he didn’t understand fans who suggested his House of the Dragon character was boring.

“He was the only person in this kingdom who had any f***ing morals whatsoever,” Considine said. “He holds everything together as long as he absolutely can. I thought he was a joy to play. He believed in duty above everything. I don’t know if people fully understood that correctly.

“There’s this perception that he’s weak, which I think is absolutely nonsense. He’s just too compassionate for the job. I think the sense of duty is what got to him.”

You can read the biggest talking points from House of the Dragon episode eight here.

House of the Dragon continues in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Mondays at 2am, before repeating at 9pm later that day. It is also available to watch on NOW.