A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms made the correct decision to cast unknown faces for Dunk and Egg

When A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was initially announced, a lot of Game of Thrones fans were shocked, not by dragons or drama, but by the cast. Showrunner Ira Parker mostly chose new faces instead of star actors, particularly Peter Claffey as Dunk and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg to play the protagonists. Initially, this decision was not taken seriously by some individuals, but it worked out really well for the series.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms also feels more authentic and down-to-earth because it did not cast huge celebrity names. The new actors seem quite suitable for the world developed by George R. R. Martin. Their energy gives Westeros a new life: rough, honest, and heartfelt. This casting decision not only avoids predictability but also makes it even more layered and intriguing for the audience.

Why unknown actors worked better in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The decision to cast a lesser-known former rugby player named Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms seemed to be risky at the very beginning; however, it was actually quite rational. The books say that Dunk was nearly seven feet tall, and most trained actors are not that large. The team did not want to use camera tricks or CGI, they simply wanted someone who was naturally huge.

This is the reason why they selected Peter Claffey, who measures 6 feet 5 inches. He possessed little experience as an actor but was a good prospect in auditions. The showrunner then indicated that Claffey did get better after every read-through. In a report via GamesRadar+, Ira Parker said at a NYCC roundtable,

“Peter had done some really, really wonderful work on a Sharon Hogan show. And not much else that I could see, but I remember what our casting director said about him is that because he was sort of fresh – he had just obviously come from being a professional rugby player. He said, 'Every single time I see him, he is just exponentially better than last time.' And that's sort of what you're betting on to a certain extent when you're searching for people who are unknowns. You just want somebody who you think is going to grow as quickly as you need them to grow.”

Other than size and strength, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms required Dunk to have a real companion in his adventures, and that is where Egg comes in, played by Dexter Sol Ansell. The showrunner exclaimed that Ansell’s audition was the first on the list, and after watching it, he was immediately enraptured by the performance. Even though they went through numerous other audition tapes, it was Ansell’s that they eventually went back to.

Ira Parker at the NYCC roundtable stated,

“Casting package number one, number one on the thing: Dexter Sol Ansel. Clicked on it, watched the audition, and [he's] perfect, great. So that was easy. And I remember saying to the casting director, OK, so what do we do? Do we just sign him up? Like, what should we do next?

[The casting director said] 'I think we should go and we should meet other people and do this. And obviously, yes, we went and we did months of these processes and chemistry reads and everything, but to come all the way back to him...It just felt like it had to happen.”

Eventually, the idea of bringing new members on board proved to be effective for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Both Claffey and Ansell also possessed a natural and credible quality that would not be exhibited by well-known actors.

Dunk, Egg, and why fans are here for it

The Dunk and Egg duo is not only interesting due to their physical contrast (big knight and small squire), but also because of the emotional attachment. That sort of chemistry cannot be faked with established celebrity faces and large paychecks. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms made their relationship natural and candid by selecting actors who were new to the lead roles.

According to Ira Parker, the relationship between Claffey and Ansell was instant when they met, and it assisted in making the story what it was all about. This bold casting choice makes the prequel more than just fan service. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms does not depend on celebrity cameos but instead allows the audience to become attached to characters that feel real, fresh, and alive. That’s its biggest achievement.

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