House of the Dragon has been a huge hit with viewers, and viewers have been full of praise for Paddy Considine's portrayal of King Viserys I, Rhaenyra's father who struggles with an increasingly debilitating disease which finally took his life in episode eight.
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While fans have speculated what is wrong with the King – with the Westeros’ disease greyscale being a popular prediction with fans, Paddy has revealed all about what the condition is.
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Chatting to the West of Westeros podcast, he explained: “He’s actually suffering from a form of leprosy. His body is deteriorating; his bones are deteriorating. He is not actually old. He’s still a young man in there. He’s just, unfortunately, got this thing that’s taken over his body.
The King has a form of leprosy
“It becomes a metaphor for being king, and the stress and strain that it puts on you, and what it does to you physically, what it does to you mentally.”
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Viserys certainly faces stress in his reign, with his daughter Princess Rhaenyra being a particular source of tension in his life as his heir to the throne of Westeros, along with his brother, the unruly Prince Daemon, and his wife, Queen Alicent. The King finally dies in episode eight aged 52, according to George RR Martin's book, Fire and Blood. The quote reads: "Viserys of House Targaryen closed his eyes and went to sleep. He never woke. He was 52 ... Then the storm broke, and the dragons danced."
Paddy opened up about the role
Series one has been critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike, and even Game of Thrones star Kit Harington shared his thoughts on it. He said: “I'm really enjoying it. My friend Miguel [Sapochnik] show-run it, so I'm really enjoying it. I think they've done a fantastic job. It's a weird one to start a whole new show in the same kind of realm and to make it its own thing. I think that they've really done that."
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