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Few people have had a tougher go in House of the Dragon season 3 than Corlys Velaryon. The legendary Sea Snake, played by Steve Toussaint, saw his castle and much of his fleet destroyed in the Battle of the Gullet at the start of this season. He’s also lost several family members, and the Sea Snake’s request to have his bastard sons recognized as Velaryons was awkwardly rejected by Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), who’s still grieving her own children.
Things get worse for Corlys when he’s abducted by the enemy and held as a hostage. That puts him in perhaps the worst place possible as House of the Dragon season 3 reached its climax with the violent Battle of Tumbleton, though he manages to play a pivotal role both before and after the fighting.
So what does Toussaint make of all this? Polygon caught up with the actor after the season 3 finale to break down what happened both onscreen and behind the scenes, and to tease out a few details of what to expect from House of the Dragon‘s fourth and final season.
1
What does Corlys really want in the House of the Dragon season 4 finale?
There’s a fascinating moment in the episode where Prince Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) tries to avert a bloody battle at Tumbleton by freeing Corlys. With Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) leading the army, the negotiation doesn’t go well, and at one point Corlys even attempts to step in to help broker a power-sharing deal between the two sides. This fails miserably, but it raises an interesting question. What does Corlys actually believe when it comes to who should rule Westeros?
Here’s the answer, according to Toussaint:
“He genuinely thinks that what he posits could be a way out of this. He realizes that where Gwayne [Hightower] is going, this idea of two monarchs, is a non-starter, which is why he steps in and basically says to Gwayne, ‘Shut up.’ But he sincerely thinks this might be the way to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
“Corlys is tired of warfare. He has personally lost so much in this cause. I think he is genuine towards the end of that speech, where he says to Daemon, ‘You have to decide what you want, whether it’s Rhaenyra on the throne or a mountain of dead Hightowers.’
“And the minute he says it, he kind of thinks, ‘Oh God, I actually know where this is going.’ And, of course, Daemon doesn’t disappoint him. He’s like, ‘What do you think?’ And there is a real genuine despair.
“I don’t think it’s about giving the Hightowers anything. I don’t think he cares for them at all. For him, in an ideal world, they would still face some kind of justice for what they’ve done. But there’s no reason for so many innocents to die.”
2
How was the Battle of Tumbleton filmed?
Game of Thrones was famous for shooting on location, and House of the Dragon is no slouch either, filming across Europe to create the world of Westeros. For the Battle of Tumbleton, the crew relied on a mix of real-life locations and fabricated sets.
“The battle was filmed just south of London,” Toussaint says. “It’s like a huge valley that they filled with extras and built some stuff. The bulk of the exterior, where I talk with Daemon and Gwayne, was shot there.”
He adds: “The interior stuff, like the scene where I pull him out of the battle, that was shot on a built set.”
3
Is he worried about his character dying?
Nobody is safe in Westeros, not even a pivotal character like Corlys Velaryon. Toussaint admits to “constantly” worrying that his House of the Dragon character will get killed off, especially during one moment earlier in season 3:
“At the end of episode 1 of this season, when Corlys tumbles into the sea, I’m like, ‘Oh God, here we go. Am I alive in episode 2?’ Because people just get chopped off nonstop,” Toussaint says.
Of course, one easy solution might be to read the book that House of the Dragon is based on — even if showrunner Ryan Condal has made some notable changes — but Toussaint has refused to find out what happens in the end.
“I made a conscious decision very early on that I wouldn’t read the book,” he says. “I didn’t want to fall in love with anything that he did in the book that then was deemed unnecessary in the script. My job is to try to bring to life the script, as opposed to the book. They’re two different things.”
4
Any House of the Dragon season 4 updates?
“Still waiting,” Toussaint says of the season 4 script. “The last time I spoke with Ryan, at the London premiere of this season, he said to me that they were just finishing the first draft of season four. And all he would do is give me that cheeky smile of his and say, ‘You know, it’s going to be pretty good.’ But in terms of actual details, no, I have no idea.”
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max.
