Connect with us

Interview

Paddy Considine on how he felt while Viserys kept losing his body to sickness

Published

on

king-viserys-in-even-worse-health-conditions-2

House of the Dragon was probably the best show to debut in 2022, and Paddy Considine the brightest gem in its crown. As Viserys Targaryen, Considine brought a new depth to the character which was missing even in George R. R. Martin’s original book, Fire & Blood. Playing a character who’s physically falling apart isn’t an easy task, and despite that limitation, Considine aced every aspect of Viserys.

How Paddy Considine handled Viserys’ condition

In a recent interview with Variety, Considine said, “There was certain amount of, like, in Episode 2, he’s got half a finger. Episode 3, his fingers are starting to go. By 4, he’s lost half of his arm. That had to be worked out because of the VFX work for missing digits and things like that. The only thing that changed was how bad he got in Episode 8. My father died of cancer, and that slow decline, with that weight loss, it’s just an awful thing to see. That came in when we were well into shooting, so there was no world in which I could lose weight.”

king Viserys in episode 8 house of dragon

“I was shooting other episodes and we were jumping around too much. Then the idea that he’d lost an eye. Then the idea that his cheek had rotted. And then he wears this mask. To me it was just like, yeah, give me it all. There was something about playing somebody sympathetic and beautiful who’s still trying to hold on to their dignity, but they also very disfigured by it all.”

Playing a dying character is a strange feeling

Considine admitted that playing Viserys made him feel strange, “Playing somebody who’s dying is a strange thing, especially a prolonged death. When you do it over a period of days, and your breathing’s shallow — my oxygen level started to go down. I had to be taken off set and given regular fresh air, because I was nearly passing out. It’s almost like your brain starts to tell your body that you are sick. It’s really quite weird.”

Read Next: Paddy Considine nearly passed out due to low oxygen levels while filming Viserys’ death

  If you have any important filming news about House of the Dragon, or if you want to collaborate with us or want to write for us, please drop us a message here.  

Sayantan is a keen follower of everything pop culture; from films, shows, anime to video games and latest memes. He started writing professionally for Wiki of Thrones during the 2021 lockdown, and has been developing his writing and editing skills ever since. Sayantan has since worked for several reputed firms, such as Collider and FandomWire, gathering experience and nods from some of the best in the industry. With a growing repertoire amassing renowned websites, Sayantan is your go to guy for all things Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. When he is not hunting for headlines and theories, you can find him engrossed in fantasy shows, conspiracy theories and video games.

Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Trending

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x