HBO
Following the conclusion of House of the Dragon‘s epic eighth episode on Sunday night, fans of the Game of Thrones universe immediately flooded social media with praise for Paddy Considine’s Shakespeareanly tragic portrayal of King Viserys.
Editor’s note: this article will contain spoilers for Season 1, Episode 8 of House of the Dragon, “The Lord of the Tides.”
As it turns out, TV lovers aren’t the only ones showering Considine with compliments, as George R.R. Martin — the very creator of the character and the entire Game of Thrones world — perhaps paid him the ultimate one when he essentially said that Considine’s performance elevates the character to greater heights.
George R.R. Martin texted Paddy Considine to tell him that his version of King Viserys in House of the Dragon is better than the book version
“I got a text message that simply said: ‘Your Viserys is better than my Viserys’,” Considine told GQ Magazinein a recent interview. “It was from George R. R. Martin. And I thought: that’ll do it. Thanks for trusting me.”
Earlier this summer, prior to the series premiere, Martin echoed this sentiment on his blog when he explained that Considine imbues Viserys with a “tragic majesty” that he never personally achieved.
“In a similar vein, I am vastly impressed by the show’s version of King Viserys, played by Paddy Considine, who gives the character a tragic majesty that my book Viserys never quite achieved,” Martin wrote.
Considine is absolutely worthy of the plaudits as his heartbreaking turn ranks as one of the great performances in the history of the Game of Thrones universe ever since the flagship series first premiered on HBO back in 2011.
The ninth episode of House of the Dragon Season 1 will hit HBO next Sunday, October 16, which will then be followed by the season one finale on Sunday, October 23.