“I’m excited for you to see how rotten the world can be”: Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell and Ira Parker on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Last Friday, The Upcoming had the pleasure of attending a special preview of A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, a brand-new series from the Game of Thrones universe. After the screening of the show’s first episodes, the showrunner, Ira Parker, and the main actors, Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell, told us what to expect from this gem of a show.
Right from the start, Ansell recalls meeting George RR Martin, which was a dream come true – and as good as one can only imagine. And, it happened right after he “defeated me in chess”, Claffey laughs.
But, what about the series? First of all, Parker underlines that this is the only novel from Martin’s universe with one POV – this is why the matter of casting has meant so much to him. The showrunner believes that no one else could bring Egg’s interpretation to life like Ansell. So, when they found him during the early process, Parker understood he had to make a call.
However, finding Peter was much more difficult, and it “kept [Parker] awake at night”. They needed an actor who could do both comedy and drama, and who would physically fit the role of Dunk. They had to search in the most unexpected places – until they finally found a former rugby player. We also learned from Parker that the crew has just started shooting season two – and he promises it will be even better.
So, what was the most challenging element for Ansell? As he admits, every single day meant looking up hours and hours – Claffey is at this point much taller than the young actor. Meanwhile, Claffey says he met Dexter for the first time at the chemistry read – and it all worked out from then, as something “clicked” during their first meeting. During the Q&A, it was clear that he genuinely cares about Dexter even more. They both have the energy of an older and a younger brother. Also, Claffey doesn’t forget to praise the whole crew: “They should have been the ones on stage!” he says.
When asked to tell us more about his character, Claffey explains that Dunk is a hedge-knight who learns organically. What Dunk knows is what he learned from his old mentor, so basically, he has to navigate this ruthless and vicious world of Westeros. “I’m excited for you to see how rotten the world can be,” Claffey jokes.
Does Westeros feel like home for both of them? Dexter admits it took him a while to feel it, but he says “yes” without any hesitation. Even Claffey admits that Ansell “was born for this”, and he will just keep surprising us in the near future.
And, where do we end up with season one? As Parker believes, the main question is whether these guys are going to stay together or not. We know they will – but under what circumstances? You will have to find out on your own: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is out now.
Jan Tracz
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is released on Sky on 19th January 2026.
Watch the trailer for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms here:
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