It can be daunting to join an established franchise, especially one with such a fervent fan base as Game of Thrones. So far, the stars of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are doing well at handling the newfound fame and attention such a role brings.
Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan the Tall) and Tanselle Too-Tall (Tanzyn Crawford) discussed the series and how it felt to join, with Claffey noting he feels a bigger obligation being a fan of the franchise.
“I was a massive Game of Thrones fan," he said. "Towards the end, the original series was a phenomenon. It had people betting on who’s going to win and who’s going to die and watching it together in pubs … it was crazy. So I know how passionate everybody will feel about that. There’s a certain amount of responsibility to try and block that out, but I’m shitting [myself], to be honest with you.”
Claffey is at the center of the saga as Dunk, the would-be knight trying to make his way in Westeros. That puts a lot of pressure on the actor. It was even more daunting when he met George R.R. Martin and had to contend with worries of not living up to the author's lofty expectations.
“He said to me, ‘This is my favorite of all my stories … so don’t f--- it up' which was quite terrifying," Claffey recalled. "But he’s just a really lovely, lovely guy. And I feel personally that as long as you’re not straying too far from his character profile, as long as you’re doing a good tribute to what he’s written, he wants you to do your thing. He seemed to be super-duper happy with his set visits and everything he saw.”
That’s good news for both Claffey and fans, showing how Martin has given the actor his stamp of approval.
The article also discussed Tanselle, with Crawford detailing more about her seemingly innocent character.
“She’s a puppeteer, this travelling performer that just happens to be in this little town when everything kicks off," Crawford said. "She is just normal. She doesn’t know who’s who, who’s a prince, what [a] monarchy is. She’s just moving from place to place and in her own little world. That took the pressure off me to be knowledgeable on everything Thrones because I don’t think she would be. She’s just regular and I love that.”
Readers of the novella know Tanselle will play a larger role in things, and it’s possible the series could beef up her role even more. Being the main female lead on a show without many female characters is a lot of pressure, but Crawford seems as set for it as Claffey is.
With both actors giving it their all, it’s no wonder A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is already taking off as another hit Game of Thrones spinoff!
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms streams new episodes Sundays on HBO Max.