Steve Toussaint teases Corlys' dangerous Rhaenyra request fallout
In Season 3, Episode 3 of House of the Dragon, Lord Corlys Velaryon publicly calls Queen Rhaenyra's sons bastards after she refuses to legitimize his own sons, Addam and Alyn. House of the Dragon star Steve Toussaint tells Variety the outburst is a very dangerous, defiant move that could cost Corlys his life and position.
Key Takeaways
- Corlys snaps when Rhaenyra denies his request to legitimize Addam and Alyn as Velaryons.
- Steve Toussaint says Corlys screamed the accusation without fear, daring Rhaenyra to act.
- The clash risks Corlys' role as Hand of the Queen and targets Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.
- Toussaint ties the moment to Rhaenys' plea that Corlys do right by his bastard sons.
- The actor says Corlys would accept execution if it secured a future for the Velaryon line.
Spoiler alert: This story discusses Season 3, Episode 3 of House of the Dragon, now streaming on HBO Max.
What did Corlys ask Rhaenyra in Season 3, Episode 3?
During dinner at the Red Keep, Corlys revealed that Addam (Clinton Liberty) and Alyn (Abubakar Salim) are his bastards and asked Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) to acknowledge them as legitimate Velaryons. She refused, arguing she could not legitimize his sons while questions about her own children's parentage remain politically explosive.
Corlys had spent years publicly treating Rhaenyra's three oldest boys—presumed sons of his late son Laenor—as family, despite rumors of her affair with Ser Harwin Strong. When she would not return the favor for his sons, he confronted her in the halls of her newly reclaimed seat of power.
Why did Steve Toussaint call Corlys' move very dangerous?
Speaking to Variety, Toussaint recalled that the last person who called Rhaenyra's children bastards—Corlys' brother—died within seconds. The actor said Corlys is at the end of his tether: he screamed the accusation and does not care who hears it.
"It is very defiant: I dare you to prove me wrong, because the world has suspected this anyway, and I have kept a secret," Toussaint explained. Whether the move was warranted, it clearly jeopardized his life and his post as Hand of the Queen.
What consequences could Corlys face from Rhaenyra?
Viewers are now waiting to see how Rhaenyra responds to an attack on her deceased sons Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Lucerys (Elliot Grihault), and on her remaining heir Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi). Toussaint suggested Corlys would not flinch if guards were summoned.
"If she had said, 'Right, let us get the guards and we are going to cut his head off,' he would have been like, 'Fine, that is as good a way to go as any,'" Toussaint said. With Rhaenys dead and much of his family gone, legitimizing Addam and Alyn is the last mission keeping the Sea Snake alive.
How does Rhaenys' legacy shape Corlys' request?
Toussaint traced the catalyst to Rhaenys telling Corlys she knew who Addam and Alyn were and that he needed to do right by them—not abandon them. After that confrontation, Rhaenys died, and Corlys has tried to honor her wishes, including apologizing to Alyn before the Battle of the Gullet in the Season 3 premiere.
Corlys feels he has gone to the mat for Rhaenyra while hiding a truth everyone suspected. Asking only that she say "yes, they are Velaryons" felt like a small gesture after his losses. When she refused, Toussaint said, "it all just comes to the boil."
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