A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is unlike other Game of Thrones shows in that almost the entire cast is male. We don’t get queens or powerful noblewomen like Cersei, Daenerys or Alicent. Instead, it's dominated by knights and lords.
The main exception is Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford), a traveling performer from Dorne who hits it off with Dunk (Peter Claffey). The character’s role in the first season is relatively small, but that sadly didn’t prevent backlash against casting a darker-skinned actress in the part.
Talking to Wonderland Magazine, Crawford discussed the daunting task of being cast in this role and the expectations that came with it. “It was intimidating to step into something that people are so connected to, love so much, and have a lot of opinions about," she said. "I definitely did get some negativity around race, but at the end of the day, I’m employed — and I’m following my dreams."
For the record, in the original Tales of Dunk & Egg novellas by George R.R. Martin, Tanselle is described as tall and slim, with black hair and olive skin. Crawford does match that in many ways, particularly her six-foot height. However, that hasn’t prevented backlash from some toxic parts of the fandom, mostly directed at Crawford’s social media pages. Thankfully, she has a big name backing her up.
George R.R. Martin loved Tanzyn Crawford's casting as Tanselle
Crawford clarified that if there’s one person whose opinion on her casting should carry weight, it’s Martin himself. She claims that after her casting, the author told her, “You're exactly what I pictured [for Tanselle].”
Despite limited time in the first season, Crawford still managed to connect with the role and offer another lens into Westeros for fans. “The beauty of Tanselle in this series is she’s a softer outlet. The rest of the show is very manly, quite harsh, and brutal,” she said. “I think she’s self-confident, and has her own little passions and worlds that are very separate from everyone else. Of course, her storyline involves Dunk (played by Peter Claffey), but she has her own thing going on.”
It’s uncertain if Tanselle will pop up in season 2. She doesn’t appear in the second book, but the writers may decide to bring her back if they diverge at all from the source material. It would be great to continue her relationship with Dunk, and perhaps explore a romance down the line. But one issue is that Crawford has a role in Netflix’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed show, which would limit her availability.
It’s good to see how well Crawford shines in the part during A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and that she overcame any backlash to make Tanselle a bright spot in this often dark show.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 is streaming on HBO Max.