Peter Claffey never expected George R. R. Martin to feel so approachable on the Belfast set of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
The 29-year-old Irish actor leads the latest Game of Thrones prequel, adapted from Martin’s novellas about the green-but-noble Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, played by Dexter Sol Ansell. Claffey tells News Of Los Angeles that the 77-year-old author turned out to be “a really, really sweet, really lovely guy” whose easy manner helped him slip into the armor of a character readers met in 1998’s The Hedge Knight.
Martin’s Hands-Off Approach
Claffey says Martin “kind of left me to my own devices,” never hovering or giving line-by-line notes. Fans keep asking what “advice” the writer offered, but Claffey never pressed him.
“I didn’t really want to” pester Martin, the actor explains, figuring the creator had already weighed in during casting. “I’m sure he probably saw the way that I wanted to do things… and he seemed to be pretty happy.”
Between takes, the two talked Thrones lore instead. A self-described “ginormous nerd,” Claffey soaked up stories from the man who built Westeros. “We spent hours… talking about different scenes that I loved,” he says. “He likes talking about his creation, and I love talking about his creation.”
Early Renewal and Future Stories
News Of Los Angeles confirms HBO had already ordered season 2 before the season 1 premiere. Cameras are rolling now on installments based on The Sworn Sword.
Martin, who co-created and executive-produces, told The Hollywood Reporter the show “turned out very well, and I’m very happy with season 1.” He called the casting “a home run” and praised show-runner Ira Parker as “terrific,” noting Parker “seems to have the same priorities I do-he’s trying to do something that’s very true to the characters.”
The author’s bigger headache is source material. He has “only written three novellas, and I have a lot more stories about Dunk and Egg in my f-ing head. I’ve got to get them down on paper.”
At a Glance
- Peter Claffey says George R. R. Martin is “super down-to-earth” and never micromanaged his performance.
- HBO renewed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms for season 2 before episode one aired.
- Martin declares himself “very happy” with the adaptation and calls the casting choices “a home run.”
- Why it matters: Early renewal and Martin’s praise signal strong studio confidence in the latest Westeros expansion.
New episodes air Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO.
