George R.R. Martin signs off on Dunk and Egg actors: "You're going to love him"

Late last week, we found out who would be playing the two main characters from HBO's newest Game of Thrones prequel series: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Irish actor Peter Claffey is Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk, a noble-hearted, somewhat simple-minded knight who lived about a century before the events of Game of Thrones. And child actor Dexter Sol Ansell is Egg, aka Prince Aegon V Targaryen, Dunk's diminuitive, bald-headed, sharper-witted young squire. Together, they'll travel the Seven Kingdoms having adventures...probably starting sometime in 2025.

This new show is based on the Dunk and Egg novellas by George R.R. Martin, the same author who wrote the Song of Ice and Fire novels and Fire & Blood, which were turned into Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon respectively. He's involved on the production side of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and took to his Not a Blog to share his thoughts on the casting news. The short version: he loves both actors and can't wait for us to see them in action.

Peter Claffey will play Dunk. "He’s a former professional rugby player turned actor," Martin wrote. "And he’s tall. Ok, maybe not quite as tall as Ser Duncan the Tall, but still plenty tall, and with the magic of television…His readings were terrific. I think you’re going to love him."

In the Dunk and Egg novellas, Dunk stands at nearly seven feet tall, which is a high bar to clear. According to his profile on It's Rugby, Peter Claffey stands just over 6'4" and weighs in at 262 pounds. He's a big dude and I daresay he'll be convincing as a hulking knight. For reference, here he is showing off his bulk in the BBC show Wreck:

Peter Claffey isn't seven feet tall, but George R.R. Martin thinks he'll be a great Dunk anyway

"As Egg, we’ve cast Dexter Sol Ansell," Martin continued. "Most recently seen in the HUNGER GAMES prequel, but he’s got an amazing amount of experience for his age. I am told he cannot wait to shave his head. (Love that sort of commitment). His auditions were wonderful as well."

It's true: Ansell recently played young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. You can check out some of his work here, if you can make anything out through the dim lighting:

"Many more parts to cast, of course, but we’re seeing some great candidates," Martin finished. "More news soon, I hope."

There are indeed a lot more characters featured in the three Dunk and Egg novellas yet published. Find out more about them here:

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.