House of the Dragon actor speaks out after fans make insulting comments on his birthmark
House of the Dragon star Robert Rhodes has implored people to be more thoughtful when it comes to their 'use of language' when talking about scarring.
House of the Dragon season two first started airing on 16 June and it saw the introduction of actor Robert Rhodes, starring in the role of Silver Denys - a man living on Dragonstone who claims to be a descendant of one of King Maegor I Targaryen’s illegitimate children.
Rhodes - who you might recognize from Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022) or Masters of the Air (2024) - took to his Instagram earlier this week to share 'a couple of BTS shots from House of the Dragon season two episode seven'.
Advert
The 30-year-old said: "Had an absolute blast (literally) filming this and bringing Silver Denys to life!
"Massive thanks to all the regulars for making me feel so at home, the absolute masters behind the magic in the hair and make up department and of course @loniisalwayslooking for the best dragon acting EVER!!!"
However, the actor has also taken to his Twitter to respond to a post which included a photograph of him in character from House of the Dragon, explaining why it's important certain language is used when 'referring to scarring' - the actor having a scar on the left hand side of his face as a result of being born with a rare birthmark called a congenital melanocytic nevus which had to be removed by doctors given a chance it could become cancerous, Rhodes wrote in a piece for Metro.
In a tweet shared earlier today (2 August), Rhodes stated: "Just a quick one about correct use of Language when referring to scarring...
"Call it a scar or a difference, the word DEFORMED isn't very pleasant and insinuates I am half formed/incorrectly formed, I'm not incorrect, just a bit different Big love @FaceEquality."
In a piece of poetry shared back in 2021, Rhodes stressed his birthmark and the story surrounding it is 'personal' and while he doesn't mind sharing his experiences in a bid to educate and raise important awareness, it's 'the way [people] approach it' which can leave him feeling 'hurt'.
The actor has also spoken out about how some films and TV series have covered characters in 'facial scarring' in a bid to portray them as 'evil'.
However, Rhodes' House of the Dragon role has received praise for completely avoiding any of that sort of stereotyping.
One viewer tweeted: "Absolutely class seeing someone else with visible difference on telly playing something other than a ‘disfigured’ villain.
"There will be loads of other people out there with birthmarks/scaring that have never seen a positive representation of themselves on screen."
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact Changing Faces' support line on 0300 012 0275. However, if you require urgent help or mental health support, the organisation asks for you to contact Samaritans on 116 123 for help 24 hours a day.
Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, House Of The Dragon, Mental Health, Social Media
Poppy Bilderbeck