Peter Claffey stars as Ser Duncan the Tall in HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the new Game of Thrones spinoff, and according to the Irish actor, he has never read George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg.
The former rugby union player opened up about how he bagged the lead role despite not having enough acting experience. His agent sent him a brief for an audition, and since he’s a huge fan of Game of Thrones, he’s familiar with Westeros. Unfortunately, he hasn’t read the books (via Money Control):
I had heard of Ser Duncan the Tall sporadically but I got these couple of scenes, didn’t really know what they were and just tried to give them the best shot I could. Then I got a recall which meant, ‘Oh God, there’s something that they actually liked.’ You get further down the line and closer and closer to it… I was losing sleep and terrified knowing I was so close. I suppose I must have done something right to get it in the end.
He ultimately secured the role, even winning Martin’s approval after the author expressed his satisfaction with the cast’s performance and the show’s overall production.
Ira Parker Reveals How He Knew Peter Claffey Was Perfect As Dunk
Casting Dunk and Egg was a challenge for showrunner Ira Parker. In his interview with TV Insider, he admitted that searching for an actor who is nearly 7 feet tall and can do both drama and comedy was the real test.
Name:Peter ClaffeyDate of Birth:July 28, 1996Occupation:Actor, former rugby union playerNotable Works: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Vikings: Valhalla
Claffey was never at the top of the call sheet, but because he was a former athlete and he starred in Vikings: Valhalla and Bad Sisters, he was considered. The casting director remarked that the 28-year-old star showed incredible progress every time he showed up at the audition.
We saw that during the process, how much he grew into the role just in front of our eyes. By the time he was coming in for the chemistry reads, he and Dexter stood next to each other. It was the easiest decision of my life.
The actor confessed that playing the role was a fulfilling endeavor. His character allowed him to portray different kinds of emotions, and for someone who is just beginning a career in the industry, this project was a dream come true.
GoT Spinoff’s Success Can Bring More Tales of Dunk & Egg Stories
Ahead of Season 1’s premiere, a second installment has already been confirmed and is reportedly in the works. Martin mentioned in his blog back in 2023 that if the first season ends up performing well, they will adapt the next two novellas.
The author noted that the daunting part of this plan is that before they reach the end of the published stories, he will need to find time to write the rest of the Tales of Dunk and Egg series. In fact, he plans to write six more installments.
There is a high chance he would finish another Dunk and Egg novella before we get to Season 3, but this, of course, remains to be seen.
Are you excited to watch the new spinoff series? Let us know in the comments!
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will premiere on January 18, 2026, on HBO (USA).
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
