The Controversial yet Essential Casting of Corlys Velaryon
Image via HBO
I must say, I'm pretty disappointed in my fellow fans of fantasy and Game of Thrones who are still condemning the casting of Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, the head of the Westerosi-based Valyrian family, House Velaryon of Driftmark. We're supposed to be the ones who accept (not tolerate, I hate that word in this context) the differences in people because we are different ourselves. We're supposed to be creative and have vivid imaginations expanding beyond the normalcy of the real world. Yet, we are just as guilty of unconsciously and passionately whitewashing our beloved stories and mythos.
For those who don't know much about House Velaryon, let me introduce you. Like the Targaryens, they are a less prominent family from Valyria; however, they are not Dragonriders. They established their house on the small island of Driftmark, very close to Dragonstone, and dominate most of the shipping trade in Westeros long before the Targaryen's left Valyria to seek out their own fate in Westeros. The lead male of the house is always bestowed with the title Lord of the Tides. From what we know, House of the Dragon will begin with the Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of the Dragons. At that time, the head of House Velaryon is one of my favorite characters from Fire and Blood, Lord Corlys Velaryon. Also called "The Sea Snake," he is the most famed nautical adventurer in the history of Westeros – completing nine successful voyages. The Velaryons are in command of the largest navy in the world (beat that Iron Islanders) and are more prosperous than the Lannisters in wealth, and in case you're curious, their sigil is a sea horse.
Most of the history we have been given on Valyrians is that they often or generally have pale skin, silver-gold hair, and purple eyes – along with those supermodelesque high cheekbones. They do seem to be the elves of ASOIF without the added benefit of immortality. (Though I do hope that Amazon's Lord of the Rings will add diversity to their casting as well). It is never stated emphatically that all Valyrians are White. And, the whole idea of them keeping the "bloodlines pure" (mainly through incest) has nothing to do with the color of their skin but the ability to ride dragons along with their magical powers of sorcery. There were many different families in Valyria. Even if they were a majority White, they conquered much of Essos, which was racially diverse. So, it is only logical that they intermingled with people of color.
If that isn't enough to assuage the question of color, we are never given a physical description of Corlys Velaryon. Nor is there any record of his mother or his grandmother's identity. Which also leaves room for his extra melanin and lack of pale skin. The deeper issue is that this shouldn't be an issue at all. The color of his skin has no significance on the character whatsoever. And the "purists" who keep insisting it does are doing a disservice to themselves.
I get it. You read a book, and you create an idea of what the character looks like in your mind. It's usually not intentional, but if you're White and most people in your social circle are White, then your brain copies that ideal into your imagination. I'm White, and very often (unfortunately), I do the same thing. When Hollywood decides to change that idea you had in your mind, it throws you for a loop because our unconscious is powerful, and we want to reject this change. No matter how much we want our minds to be open, even in 2021, we have been guided to stereotypes and beliefs that are very outdated. The key is to realize this, accept it, and then consciously open our minds to this new idea and realize it's not political; it's not checking a box; it's simply the truthful representation of the various people in this world that has been suppressed for so long. And it is essential.
In all honesty, when I first read Fire and Blood, I imagined Corlys Velaryon looking like Yuhl Brenner from The King and I. And guess what, Yuhl Brenner is primarily a White actor with Swiss-German, Russian, and Buryat (Mongol) ancestry. So, my imagination took a White guy dressed up as a man of color to represent this character. What does that say about me? If I'm psychoanalyzing myself, my imagination's intent was to see this character as a person of color. Still, it selected an inaccurate and untrue version of that – it doesn't make me a bad person. But, when they released the casting for Corlys Velaryon, I went, "Huh, he's black. Okay. I see it." – and that doesn't make me a woke person either.
That is why it is so important to evolve from this idea of a character's skin color. While I believe in colorblind casting, this isn't a historical representation, and if it was, there is much evidence to support casting a Black actor in this role. So, I urge you to really think about why that is important to you and open your mind. Then, maybe one day, we won't question why a person of color is cast for a significant role in a film or TV series.