Steve Toussaint hopes for some small part in the planned Game of Thrones Sea Snake series

HBO is already planning a potential TV spin-off to further explore a character we'll be meeting in Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. And actor Steve Toussaint hopes he can be a part of it in some way.

Among the various offshoots of the blockbuster TV franchise in the early stages of development is Nine Voyages, also referred to as Sea Snake, a concept that would (if all goes as planned) explore the adventures of a young Corlys Velaryon, one of the most famed nautical explorers in Westeros. The treatment has not yet received a series order.

Toussaint, who will first portray an older version of Corlys on House of the Dragon (coming Aug. 21 to HBO), tells EW he doesn't really think about the Sea Snake prequel's development. "When I heard about that, I was very happy," he says. Toussaint is also assuming he won't be starring in it. "It won't be me. It'll be some younger, prettier guy playing it," he says.

Ollie Upton/HBO Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) consult by the fire on 'House of the Dragon.'

"If I'm lucky, I might say to them, 'Let me just be at the beginning [of the show] sitting with a book saying, 'Let me talk about my life,'" he continues. "That'll be me petitioning. But no, all you can hope for is that what I do is good enough and vivid enough and interesting enough for people to want to know, how did that person get there? And then that show, whatever that is, whenever that happens, it has a life of its own for whoever the lucky guy is that plays it."

It certainly seems like HBO is anticipating a significant reaction to Corlys on House of the Dragon, given the prequel's progress. Bruno Heller (Rome, Gotham, The Mentalist) is still presently working on the Nine Voyages/Sea Snake concept. The working title refers to the famous journeys Corlys made on the Sea Snake, a name for both his ship and himself. Among his travels, Corlys notably traversed the fabled lands of Yi Ti and Leng, bringing back rare riches that doubled the wealth of House Velaryon. Maester Mathis wrote about Corlys' expeditions in the text known as The Nine Voyages. (And here we come full circle.)

Toussaint is not currently involved and admittedly doesn't know what the prequel story entails, but the actor knows the character backstory he used to shape the older Corlys performance on House of the Dragon.

"At one point, I said to [House of the Dragon co-creator] Ryan [Condal], 'Is it possible I could have a history of each of the artifacts that you find in these nine voyages?'" Toussaint recalls. "You'll never see it on camera, but it's just so that when I walk through and I look at something, I, the character, have a memory of how I got that. Ryan, being the genius that he is, produced this wonderful stuff. 'This globe, you got this when you did this.'"

Nadav Kander for EW Steve Toussaint stars as Lord Corlys Velaryon, the famed seafaring explorer known as the Sea Snake, in 'House of the Dragon.'

"One of the things you learn about [Corlys] is that he was on the sea at like 5 or 6 with an uncle or something, but I think he had his first solo voyage at 16," Toussaint continues. "And then he built his own ship, which was the Sea Snake, at 20 or 21. So, clearly, he was an incredibly independent person."

The Corlys we meet in House of the Dragon, however, is closer to Charles Dance's Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones. Apart from the crown, he's perhaps the most powerful man in Westeros and someone who wants what he thinks is best for his kids. Toussaint also sees a parallel with Ned Stark (Sean Bean). "He's more comfortable at sea and Ned Stark was more comfortable in battle," the actor notes. "In terms of Ned's journey, that proved to be a downfall. But for the Sea Snake, it might not be, necessarily."

According to Condal, virtually no one in Westeros has experienced a meaningful conflict at this point in Westeros history. The benevolent King Jaehaerys I Targaryen gave way to another peacekeeper, King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). "We're watching a period of time where every man has been trained for battle since birth, but battle doesn't happen," Condal told EW. "That pent-up energy leaks out between the cracks and starts to wear on itself where you almost need the release of war in order to keep the whole thing from boiling over."

Corlys is the rare exception. "He's the one guy in this world when we meet him on the Small Council who has actually been to battle and actually knows what it is to fight," Toussaint explains. "So he doesn't really have time for these people. He's continually frustrated. There's no time for talking and that s---. Let's just do it."

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