Steve Toussaint Faced 'Racial Abuse' After 'House Of The Dragon' Casting: 'Doesn't Bother Me'

Steve Toussaint has revealed he received massive online backlash after he was cast in "House of the Dragon." The British actor portrays The Sea Snake (also known as Corlys Velaryon) in the upcoming "Game of Thrones" spin-off.

"I didn't realize [the casting] was a big deal until I was racially abused on social media," Toussaint told The Hollywood Reporter. "Yeah, that sh-t happened."

The 57-year-old actor further shared how it made him realize that his race "means a lot to some people" but he shouldn't allow that to "bother" him.

"House of the Dragon" is based on George R.R. Martin's 2018 book "Fire & Blood."

In the interview, Toussaint noted the series was based on fantasy but "it still has to reflect a world. I loved Game of Thrones, but my only caveat was, 'Where's everybody else in this world?'"

"Because it's a diverse world Martin has created if you look [beyond Westeros], and I think this show comes closer to that," he explained.

Ryan Condal, who serves as the showrunner of the "House of the Dragons" along with Miguel Sapochnik, had previously reflected on the show's diverse casting. He explained how creating a show that doesn't just have a bunch of white people was important.

"It was very important for Miguel and I to create a show that was not another bunch of white people on the screen," Condal told EW last week. "We wanted to find a way to put diversity in the show, but we didn't want to do it in a way that felt like it was an afterthought or, worse, tokenism."

The official Twitter account of "House of the Dragon" shared the first-look photos of the characters in May. It featured Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (portrayed by actress Eve Best) and Prince Daemon Targaryen (played by actor Matt Smith).

In another photo, Toussaint can be seen standing alone on a rocky shore, with the blue sea in the background.

"House of the Dragon" will consist of 10 episodes. It will tell the story of the Targaryen civil war. The series is set 300 years prior to the events of "Game of Thrones."