House of the Dragon star Steve Toussaint has hit back at racist trolls who have criticised his casting in the show.
The star will take on the role of Lord Corlys Velaryon in the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, and appeared at this weekend's Comic-Con (where Digital Spy was in attendance) to speak about the series.
At one point, he addressed racism targeted at him, noting that it was "an issue they have to deal with, I don't have to".
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"Other than certain people's viewpoints about someone who looks like me playing this part, it hasn't really played a part in the role in my experience on the job with my fellow actors," Toussaint said.
"As I said, there are people outside who find it a little hard to stomach someone who looks like me would play this part. But that's an issue they have to deal with, I don't have to."
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The star added: "It's always the same – I just have to say the lines convincingly and avoid bumping into the furniture."
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Earlier this week, the actor revealed that he originally auditioned for Game of Thrones multiple times unsuccessfully before landing a major role in the spin-off.
"I was just hardly ever seen for it," he told Entertainment Weekly, confirming he went for the role of Areo Hotah, the captain of the Martell guard at one point.
"I ended up working with a girl called Jessica Henwick [who played Nymeria Sand, one of the Sand Snakes]. I did a job with her," he recalled. "Now, in her section of the story [in Game of Thrones], there's her and there's her sisters with the whips and stuff."
Toussaint added: "Then there's her mother, and then there's her uncle. Her uncle has a bodyguard. That was one of the roles I auditioned for."
Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray. Spin-off House of the Dragon will premiere on August 21, 2022 in the UK.
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