An attempt to count the number of movies and series Steve Toussaint has been part of may leave one worn out. The 59-year-old’s movie roles date as far back as 1994 with his debut in The Memoires of Sherlock Holmes’ miniseries.
Notably, Steve Toussaint has been part of Judge Dredd (1995) and Shooting Dogs (2005). He was also part of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time released in 2010.
Coming into the spotlight in recent times as Corlys Velaryon in HBO’s House of the Dragon has made the versatile actor even more famous. It’s not just the franchise that has put him in the spotlight, nonetheless. The character played by Toussaint, a colored man has caused some sort of media uproar.
Did you Know these 10 Things about Steve Toussaint?
1. Steve Toussaint’s Parents are of Barbadian Descent
The British actor was born on March 22, 1965, to parents who hail from Barbados. He was born in Birmingham but later moved to Southeast London. The actor’s father worked on the London Underground while his mother was a nurse, per gossipnextdoor.com
With respect to his schooling, he was said to have attended a Grammar school in Deptford. He went on to study and graduate with a degree in Politics from the University of Sussex. As a young man, the ‘Judge Dredd’ actor had no plans of being a professional actor. However, during his university days, he got an offer for a role in a play and that was the beginning of his acting career.
2. He had a Legal Change of his Last Name
As a member of an Actor’s Union, Steve realized that his last name conflicted with that of a pre-existing member of the Union. As a result of this, he had to change his last name and this prompted the use of the last name ‘Toussaint’.
Steve’s inspiration for his choice of last name came from the Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint Louverture. At the time he changed his name, Steve was reading about the leader in the book ‘The Black Jacobins’ written by CLR James.
3. The British Actor started off with Theatre Roles
Similar to actors like Kurt Egyiawan, Steve started off playing roles on stage in London. He was part of plays like Twelfth Night and Othello. His acting career reportedly started while he was at University.
Here is a list of some theatre plays in which he has been a part:
4. Steve had Previously Auditioned for Roles in Game of Thrones
For the role of Areo Hotah in ‘Game of Thrones’, Toussaint had previously auditioned. He even had a role in another scheduled prequel which unfortunately did not pull through. The prequel which Steve Toussaint was to be part of was ‘The Long Night’.
Consequently, Steve’s hopes of being part of the franchise were dashed until ‘House of the Dragons’ came through. For his part in the series, the Barbadian actor did not even know it was related to Game of Thrones. It wasn’t until he read the first script which sounded familiar.
5. Steve Toussaint is the First Black Lead Character in the ‘Game of Thrones’ Series
With his role as Corlys Velaryon, it is certified that throughout the Game of Thrones franchise, he is the first black lead character. Seeing that he had always had an interest in the series, this is considered a huge reward.
Despite his big role, Steve was met with racial abuse. A lot of ‘Game of Thrones’ fans and followers took to social media to air their thoughts about the actor’s character. In their comments, some of the fans referred to him using the ‘N’ word.
In an interview, ‘The Sea Snake’ addressed the situation and stated that for every backlash he has received for being an actor of color, he has also received accolades. He seems unfazed by the racial abuses and is focused on his career.
6. Do you Recognize Toussaint from any of these Roles?
Steve Toussaint has been very active in the movie and TV industry for almost 3 decades. His first role, as stated, was in ‘The Memoires of Sherlock Holmes’. However, he has been in the following and you may just recognize him from a few of these:
7. How Tall is Steve Toussaint?
Steve Toussaint is a 6 feet 3 inches tall Barbadian-British actor. He is obviously proud of his height and sees it as an advantage to him. He even joked about how his looks in ‘House of the Dragons’ would compensate if the show doesn’t go well.
For his role, Toussaint was even made to keep his beards which he naturally wouldn’t do. This however added to his physical attribute and showed him in a different view.
8. Steve is a Writer
In addition to being an actor, Steve is also a writer. It is reported that his writing skills date as far back as time immemorial. The actor is said to have blogs on major platforms and has a famous story published.
The title of Toussaint’s story is ‘Should I Go or Should I Stay?: The British Black Actors’ Dilemma’. The story is a highlight of the challenges black actors face.
Additionally, the 6 feet, 3 inches tall actor is also the writer of A Viable Candidate. In the movie, he also played the part of Sylvan Bradshaw.
READ ALSO: Karen Obilom 10 Facts To Know About The Talented Actress
9. Is Steve Toussaint Married?
This topic remains one to be debated for quite a while as there aren’t a lot of details about his personal life published. There have been rumors about him being married and having a daughter but that has neither been confirmed by the actor.
There was also speculation that he is married to Simeone Kessell a fellow actor, as his wife. On his Twitter handle, the actor had previously made tweets referring to her as his wife. However, followers speculate that he was only referring to her as his on-screen wife in the miniseries ‘Pine Gap’.
10. Steve Toussaint’s Net Worth
The British actor, Steve Toussaint has been actively on screens for years now. Starting off an acting career in theatres, his move to the big screens saw him portray a lot of characters in many movies and series.
However, Steve’s net worth is said to be about $1.5 million. According to rotten tomatoes, his highest-rated movie was ‘Shooting Dogs’. The movie fetched $38.3k at Box Office.
However, the movie which brought in the most pay for the producers is ‘Prince of Persia’. The movie hit a whole $90.8 million at Box Office.
The $1.5 million rich actor is sure to have his net worth increase with time. Not minding what critics and racists say, he has finally gotten a part to play in the franchise and he enjoys every bit of it.
Seeing that he plays a rich black king in the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel, he is probably going to be as rich as his character in the movie.
In the original movie, Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey, one of the lead characters and the queen, earned as much as $500,000 per episode. With this, Steve Toussaint, ‘The Sea Snake’ could rake in as much with his role.
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