‘Viserys was a gift. I am so honoured he found me,’ the actor said (Picture: HBO)
Paddy Considine has bid an emotional farewell to House of the Dragon following the death of his character King Viserys I Targaryen, emphasising how much of an impact Queen Aemma star Sian Brooke had on his performance despite his co-star only being in one episode.
In episode 8 of the Game of Thrones prequel, the time jump saw Viserys’ physical state deteriorate even further, to the point where he had lost one of his eyes and was frequently being medicated on milk of the poppy.
The King was able to muster up the last few ounces of his strength to walk through the Great Hall and sit on the Iron Throne so that he could defend his daughter Princess Rhaenrya Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) against the latest accusations of her children being illegitimate.
He later drew his last breath in bed, seemingly visualising his first wife Queen Aemma in his final moments – and now Paddy has shared a post on social media expressing how much playing the character meant to him.
Sharing two stills of himself as Viserys and Sian as Aemma from episode one, he wrote in the Instagram caption: ‘Thank you for the kind words. I cannot reply to every comment, but I’d like to acknowledge that they haven’t been lost upon me.
‘It was an incredible adventure where I made lots of new friends that will be with me for the rest of my life. I’d like to thank the creators for allowing me the freedom to make Viserys my own. I have never loved a character so much.’
Paddy paid homage to Sian, whose character Aemma dies in episode one after undergoing a forced C-section, a decision that was made by Viserys in order to try and save the life of their son.
He penned: ‘I want to give massive love and respect to @brooke.sian who came in for only a few days, but changed the course of my character with her brilliant performance and commitment to the work. The impact stayed with me until my final improvised words.
‘She unlocked the missing piece of the puzzle for me, and allowed my story to come full circle. From the moment she dies, so does Viserys. It was a love story. That’s the secret I carried with me.’
Viserys comes to Rhaenyra’s aid in the Great Hall (Picture: HBO)
Paddy explained that as ill as Viserys becomes throughout House of the Dragon, ‘he never, himself, demands any cure’.
‘He quietly accepts his suffering, never forgiving himself for putting his beloved wife through such torture in her final moments,’ he said.
‘Viserys was a gift. I am so honoured he found me. Now, no more.’
Miriam Lucia, who worked as intimacy coordinator on the production, wrote in the comments: ‘It has been sheer joy to watch your work and to have been a part of this incredible show as the intimacy coordinator and acting coach. Your Viserys is a masterclass in acting.’
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One fan wrote that ‘Emmy Award winner Paddy Considine does have a nice ring to it’, while another admirer said: ‘People who have lost a parent were so touched by your performance… I couldn’t stop crying. Thanks so much Paddy! You were incredible.’
Someone else shared that they only started watching the show after seeing one of his scenes in a preview, as they added: ‘I’m so grateful. You are masterful at your craft. Thank you.’
House of the Dragon next airs on Monday from 2am on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
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‘Viserys was a gift. I am so honoured he found me,’ the actor said.