House of the Dragon had a very real reason for casting black actors as Velaryons, who weren’t just trying to be inclusive

The critically acclaimed Game of Thrones precursor, House of the Dragon set around the rise and fall of the Targaryen dynasty, has made waves with its great mix of action, drama and fantasy, appealing to a wide range of viewers. Furthermore, the spin-off added an element of excitement alongside the standout performances of Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy and featured legendary stories of great George RR Martin’s homes Fire & Blood.

Standing side by side with House Targaryen, House of the Dragon focused on another family, the Velaryons, aided by the sea serpent, Corlys Velaryon, and his wife, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. By putting them at the center of this story, House Velaryons is clearly portrayed as a black family. While one assumes this was done solely for the sake of inclusivity, this conscious creative choice is actually more than just for a diverse cast.

House of the Dragon Showrunner Ryan Condal addressed the diverse cast

Game of Thrones’ long-awaited spin-off, House of the Dragon, centered around the Targaryens, simultaneously sheds light on the Velaryons, another powerful and influential family, in the show. However, fans noticed that the spin-off series stunningly re-imagined the Velaryons as a Black family.

This conscious creative choice later sparked excitement and curiosity among fans, as they assumed it was only done to portray the diversity in the cast. But shockingly, House of the Dragon co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal inquired The cover that there is a deeper reason than just the idea of ​​inclusivity behind an all-black Velaryon family.

“I guess it wasn’t that simple. I think the reason it’s been a successful choice, honestly – I mean, not everyone is ever going to be happy – the reason it’s been successful is because it was thought through, it wasn’t just done perfunctorily or it wasn’t just but to check a box or to be seen as progressive or to be seen as someone who covers all the bases or something like that.”

“It’s 2022, it’s a different era than the shows were made in the past. We have an incredibly diverse audience that spans not only America, but multiple countries speaking all kinds of different languages, representing every color under the sun. And it was really important to see some of that on screen.”

“This is a fantasy world. I think if this were a piece of historical fiction it would be a more nuanced discussion. But I think, simply because of the fantasy world, if we believe in dragons, shapeshifters, and direwolves, we can believe that everyone in the story is not white.

Ryan Condal revealed that they realized that when they were making the show, given the era in which House of the Dragon will be released, people will expect some diversity in the show. So they thought to add some black cast House of the Dragon. But the vilification of the entire Velaryon family had a lot to do with the novels of George RR Martin.

Ryan Condal fulfilled the creative desires of George RR Martin around Velaryons

Creating the Velaryons Black undoubtedly allowed the show to explore themes of identity, power dynamics, and systemic racism within the world of Westeros, while adding depth and nuance to the story. But apart from the positive inclusivity in House of the Dragonit was actually done to stay true to the vision of George RR Martin.

According to Ryan Condal, although they wanted diversity in the cast, they never thought they would create the entire Velaryon family of Black. Apparently it was George RR Martin who considered the Velaryons the right house to create Black. Therefore, Condal explained the original reason why they chose the specific house to be racially inclusive, and later revealed how the idea was actually rooted in something Martin said about the family years ago.

“Why we went to the Velaryons in particular was because that felt like the most fantastic race in the show, and it felt like these were people from a lost continent that we don’t really know much about. We know they all have silver hair, we know they have an affinity for dragons, some of them. And we know that, as quoted in the books and in the show, they are seen as closer to gods than humans.

“So what does that all look like? It always stuck with me, this article that George had talked about when he was going to write these books, because he wanted to make all Velaryons black, and black people with silver hair, that always stuck with me as an image.

“For me, I mean I don’t even think about it anymore. There are so many Valerians in the show, having the Velaryon family, having the Sea Snake family, who look different from the Targaryens is actually very helpful in casting and in differentiating people on screen and remembering who comes from which house and perhaps making it even clearer that Rhaenyra has children of questionable parentage.

Because the casting decision was ultimately in line with the show’s themes, George RR Martin’s original version, and fans’ desire for diversity, Ryan Condal said he made the Velaryons Black. Furthermore, Condal mentioned how the specific racial distinction helped people distinguish the silver-haired Targaryens from the Velaryons, and Condal concluded the more nuanced reasoning behind this conscious choice.

House of the Dragon is available on Max.