The debut of the highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel has been marred by backlash over the casting of a Black actor.
British actor of Barbadian descent Steve Toussaint was cast as Lord Corlys Verlaryon, or The Sea Snake, in the newly-released series House of the Dragon.
Like its widely successful predecessor, the new series is based on the writing of George R. R. Martin, specifically the book 'Fire and Blood'.
While the book doesn't directly describe Lord Verlaryon as white, his hair is described as 'Targaryen white-blonde'.
Steve Toussaint at the Amsterdam premiere of new HBO Max series 'House Of The Dragon'. Source: Cover Images
"It seems to be very hard for people to swallow," he said.
"They are happy with a dragon flying. They're happy with white hair and violet-coloured eyes, but a rich Black guy? That's beyond the pale."
While the negative reviews remain, Toussaint is instead focusing on the good.
"What has been wonderful is for every toxic person that has somehow found their way into my timeline, there have been so many others who have been so supportive," he said.
He said that even during filming, supporting artists would comment on the power of his casting for on-screen representation in the franchise.
