King Viserys' Biggest Regret In House Of The Dragon, According To Paddy Considine Himself
After eight seasons of "Game of Thrones" and several episodes of the critically-acclaimed spinoff "House of the Dragon" (via Rotten Tomatoes), it has become pretty clear that being King of Westeros is not all fun and games. Its probably safe to assume that the millions of people watching the HBO fantasy drama (via Variety) have noticed that sitting on that chair of melted swords is more than just uncomfortable and that King Viserys (Paddy Considine) has struggled to maintain peace, as well as his own happiness, while in power.
King Viserys bears many scars from his time as the highest authority in Westeros and has endured so much loss. The conflicts within his family seem to be his biggest burden, and despite his best efforts, the poor guy can't get everyone to get along. Managing a family and a kingdom isn't easy, and those ordeals are most assuredly exasperated when one suffers from a debilitating illness. While many people will have their opinions about King Visery's choices, some will arguably agree he did the best he could and has shown remorse for what he considers to be less-than-ideal actions in the series.
If one were to ask if the King of Westeros had any regrets, it would likely be that Viserys could very well have a few. The actor who plays the flawed monarch Paddy Considine believes that there is one particular thing that weighs heavily on the good king's conscience.
King Viserys regrets what happned to his wife Aemma
The eighth entry of "House of the Dragon," "The Lord of the Tides," showcased an impressive performance from Paddy Considine as an ailing King Viserys that The Hollywood Reporter believes could get the actor some attention from the Emmys. Even on death's doorstep, the king made every effort to maintain the peace, but the desire for power almost always leads to war.
When discussing his Targaryen persona's fate with The Hollywood Reporter, he discussed the character's struggle with being a good dad for all his children and, ultimately, what he regrets the most above all else. "Viserys doesn't hate his children. He just doesn't love them the way he loves Rhaenyra. Because Rhaenyra's mom Aemma is the love of King Viserys' life. In a way, he's responsible because he was so dogged about wanting a male heir, and there were several failed pregnancies." King Viserys' attempts to fulfill Aegon Targaeryans Song of Fire and Ice prophecy cost him greatly, and Considine believes that was a detrimental mistake.
But despite his errors, Considine believes that Viserys isn't necessarily a bad guy saying, "He is a good moral man. I just don't think he was cut out to be king in the way that people wanted ... I think he's actually inherently a good person."
It's pretty obvious that being king is very difficult, and securing a successor can be even more challenging, leading good people to do crazy things in the name of tradition and power. While Viserys Targaryen was never ill-intentioned, even the king's actions have consequences, and his efforts toward peace and love will most assuredly only lead to fire and blood.