Paddy Considine shares inspiration for his ‘House of the Dragon’ performance

By Marianne Garvey, CNN

(CNN) — Actor Paddy Considine found inspiration for the role of King Viserys in “House of the Dragon” close to home.

The HBO drama’s first season explored in-fighting within the Targaryen dynasty. Viserys chooses his daughter over his brother as his heir to the Iron Throne and more betrayals unfold throughout the series.

Considine told Variety his own family helped shape his performance.

“A lot of it was emotional stuff that I could relate to,” he said. “I’ve got teenage daughters; I could relate to that aspect of it. I’ve lost people in my life that I love; I could relate to that. And then the main thing was to plot his physical demise.”

Considine said his mother’s health challenges stayed with him in his work.

“I’d seen illness myself. My mom ended up blind and lost both of her legs to diabetes,” he said. “She very much had those qualities that Viserys had, too. She tried to remain dignified, but there was a part of her that had just given up on herself. That was a difficult thing as a son to watch.”

However, Considine said, in “House of the Dragon,” he has found more freedom as an actor.

“Some of my performances over the years were: ‘How beautifully restrained by Considine.’ But I’d see someone who’s scared to do anything, to really jump the fences and dive in there,” he explained. “Viserys gave me the opportunity to do that. I saw all this conflict in him. I saw all this dignity. Those were really interesting things to play, to be a dignified man in that cutthroat world.”

Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” will debut in 2024. HBO, like CNN, is part of Warner Bros. Discovery.

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