The first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has premiered on HBO and HBO Max, introducing new characters in the world of Westeros. One of them is Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell, who was nine years old at the time of filming. As it has been confirmed that the show is getting a second season, showrunner Ira Parker is addressing one an important production concern: Ansell aging.
In an interview with Variety, Parker was asked about Ansell aging up as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms enters production on its second season and beyond, and whether they're worried it will create a situation similar to Stranger Things. According to Parker, the young actor's age doesn't concern him, and he believes that Ansell's involvement in the show will give him a future in acting if he decides to continue.
"Dexter is going to have whatever career he decides that he wants," Parker said. "He’s so talented. He’s come in season 2 like an old pro. He's so confident, calm, and he can give you different versions now. He’s really come into himself. I think he’s the best child actor on Earth, there’s no doubt about it."
Parker also noted that he wants to do more stories with Egg in the future, perhaps exploring the character further, from being a young boy to him becoming a prince. Additionally, Parker has already accepted that Ansell will age as the show continues, but is open to the idea of seeing the character grow up, as not only will it mean more room for character development, but also opens doors to seeing what Ser Duncan (Peter Claffey) and Egg's journey would be like once they embark on more adventures.
"The planned books that George has take Dunk and Egg through their whole lives," Parker said. "I’ve joked about this with HBO, to which I’ve definitely got some eye rolls, but I would love to do three, four or five seasons with Egg the boy and then come back in five or 10 years and do a few more with Egg the prince. Then come back in five or 10 years from then and do him at the end of his life — Linklater method. They go off, do whatever they want to do in between, they can have lives, then we come back and get the crew back together and we tell a little bit more of the story because I think it would be really interesting. The idea of taking two people on a journey through their lives, I haven’t seen a lot of that. But I embrace the oldening of Dexter and Egg. He’ll grow older with the character; he’s supposed to get older. Hopefully, it’s not all based on him having a cute, high voice. We understand how important that is right now, but hopefully he will develop and the characters will develop, and it will still be a lot of fun."
Who is Dexter Sol Ansell?
Ansell is a child actor who made his acting debut in 2016 in the British TV series Emmerdale, playing Carl Holiday. Since then, he has 10 acting credits under his belt, one of them being Young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Following his appearance in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Ansell is set to appear in an upcoming drama film called 500 Miles, directed by BAFTA Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Matthews, which will also star Bill Nighy and Maisie Williams.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is available to stream on HBO Max, with new episodes airing every Sunday.