House of the Dragon star turned down Game of Thrones because it had dragons in

House of the Dragon star Paddy Considine apparently turned down Game of Thrones because it was about... dragons.

As we gear up on our iron throne (sofa), eagerly waiting for Dragon Day, also known as 21 August, some pretty hilarious news has come to light.

Paddy Considine – who plays King Viserys Targaryen in HBO's new prequel series – says he wasn't in the original Game of Thrones because, well, he thought it was a show about dragons.

Bold, from a man literally leading the Dragon house now.

For anyone not familiar, House of the Dragon is the new prequel series that focuses on the story of the Targaryen civil war that took place about 200 years before events portrayed in Game of Thrones.

Paddy is pivotal character in the new series and spoke to the Sunday Times about it recently, revealing that he was somewhat misinformed about the show.

Back when Game of Thrones was casting, Paddy was sent a script, but according to the actor, his agent said 'it's about dragons,' so Paddy said 'no thanks'.

Apparently he 'didn't even read it' – and while most people would be kicking themselves, the actor seems to have rolled out of that one pretty nicely. "If I couldn’t be arsed to get myself down to an audition, that’s my lookout," he said. In fact, he didn't even watch the series until a few years later, in lockdown in 2020, after he got the part in House of the Dragon.

HBO

And, it seems that this new role is much more fitting for Paddy, who said that King Viserys reminded him a great deal of his mother.

Paddy's mother battled diabetes but maintained her kind demeanour; he took a lot of his admiration for her and put it into the kind king who's dynasty is on the verge of collapse.

"If anything Viserys was based on my mother. She was the most powerful woman I knew, for a long time. Until she neglected herself," the actor said.

He went on to explain that: "By the end of her life my mum had diabetes. I adored my mum. But her illness became her comfort zone. It was tragic to see that decline and I put that – plus her kindness and her love – into Viserys."

HBO

We can't wait to see the new king in action, but Paddy's mum isn't the only woman at the centre of the new series.

In the prequel, female characters are front and centre, namely Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her best friend Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).

The character's relationship is at the centre of the season's drama and highlights a divide in the House of the Dragon that leads to the bloodiest civil war the country has seen.

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