Things were not looking good for Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Season 3 after the Sea Snake was taken captive by Ormund Hightower (James Norton) of the opposing Greens.
His future looked especially grim when Ormund sadistically cut off Corlys’ finger – ring and all – to send as proof of life, when just the ring would have sent the message. Still, Corlys faced the prospect of imminent death with honor, never selling out. And yet, against the odds, he survived the Aug. 9 Season 3 finale (now streaming on HBO Max).
“The way the scripts were leading, people were asking me, ‘Are you alive?’ I was like, ‘I cannot really say.’ I’m glad they cared,” Toussaint tells USA TODAY. “I knew how the character’s arc would end this season. It was just a matter of keeping my mouth shut around friends and well-wishers.”
Here’s where British actor Toussaint, 61, is headed with his nine-fingered character.
Why did Corlys lose his finger, anyway?
Getting his finger cut off just goes to show how cruel Ormund was before perishing perfectly in the Season 3 finale.
“I was actually going to use a swear, but I was like, ‘Why can’t he just send the ring?'” says Toussaint. “But no, it’s Westeros, so we have to go extra.”
Obviously, Corlys braved through the cut with a heavily bandaged hand. The loss of the major digit will play into Season 4. Toussaint will need to wear a green VFX glove for the rest of his time on “House of the Dragon,” just like Paddy Considine had to in Season 1 as King Viserys Targaryen progressively lost fingers.
“That horrible green glove is apparently in store for me now,” says Toussaint, who wants his prop finger back. “I have no idea where the finger is. I would assume it’s in the dusty annals of the special effects team. I must ask for it. It might be nice to have.”
Corlys tried to make peace before Battle of Tumbleton
The Greens use Corlys as a bargaining chip in a last-ditch effort to stop the battle against the Blacks, led by Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Even Corlys tries to negotiate for peace rather than see more devastation inflicted on soldiers and innocent people alike (not to mention the children Ormund lines around the city’s gates as human shields).
“Corlys is one of the most experienced men in the realm at warfare. He’s been there and done that,” says Toussaint of the Battle of the Gullet survivor. “In this season, in this chapter of his life, it’s getting to the point where Corlys is like, ‘There has to be a better way.’ He’s seen this too many times.”
But Daemon dismisses Corlys’ plea for peace as treasonous to Queen Rhaenyra and takes him prisoner.
Does Corlys save Daemon’s life in the Battle of Tumbleton?
Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) goes rogue on his dragon, Silverwing, turning the fire on all forces and nearly killing Daemon with falling rubble. The shell-shocked Daemon appears to go into death mode, woozily taking on all comers, before Corlys grabs his sometime rival and urges him to flee the hopeless battle.
“It seemed like Daemon was just finding people to fight so as to die in battle,” says Toussaint, comparing it to a Season 2 conflict when the Sea Snake had to be pulled from battle. “I don’t think Daemon would ever admit it was life-saving, but I think it is. He’s gone so far until Corlys grabs him. It takes Daemon a moment to realize, ‘Oh, this is where we are. We’re going to live to fight another day.’ That’s my take on it.”
But don’t expect Daemon and Lord Corlys to be best buds going forward.
“Corlys looks upon Daemon as a formidable warrior who you want to have on your side. But he’s not somebody who you want to have too close or rely on,” says Toussaint. “They’re not going to be bosom buddies after this.”
What will happen to Sea Snake in Season 4?
Of course, survival on “House of the Dragon” is only guaranteed until the next episode. But Corlys is alive heading into the final Season 4 (expected in 2028). The Hand of the Queen will have a treacherous road ahead, especially with the increasingly dictatorial Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), who was in no big rush to save Corlys from Ormund’s clutches.
Toussaint says he’s had just one brief conversation with “House of the Dragon” showrunner Ryan Condal about Corlys in Season 4 and insists he didn’t get much intel.
“Ryan just said that it is going to be very interesting,” says Toussaint. “I’d imagine a large part will be trying to maintain some sort of influence with Rhaenyra and whether he wants to repair that relationship. And if he doesn’t, what does that mean? He’s losing some respect for her and the way she’s handling things. Especially towards the end, she’s becoming a lot more cold and hardened.”