In a recent interview with Shortlist magazine, actor Henry Ashton, who plays Prince Daeron Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, shared enthusiastic praise for the production’s set design. He emphasised how the fully constructed environments made the fantasy world feel incredibly real and actor-friendly.
Quick read:
• Henry Ashton praised AKOTSK’s set to be his favourite one yet
• He says actors didn’t need much imagination since everything was physically made
• Authentic set designs help actors perform better
Credits: HBO
The glamour vs. reality of film sets
From the outside, movie and TV shooting sets often look glamorous. In reality, they’re bustling hubs of organized chaos: teams juggling costumes, heavy technical equipment, famous faces, and creative builds. For Ashton, the experience on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms stood out as particularly special. Answering the question for his favourite set design yet, he said,
“The latest one is probably the most impressive set,” referring to this Game of Thrones prequel series. He singled out the massive jousting arena and detailed campsites as highlights.
“The jousting arena, the campsites, it’s amazing for an actor because you don’t need much imagination, they built everything.”
This practical approach: building full-scale, tangible locations instead of relying heavily on CGI or green screens, allowed the cast to immerse themselves better. This would have in turn helped them to perform better in front of the camera.
Why is the set authenticity important
Henry Ashton’s comments highlight one of the biggest strengths of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It is its dedication to practical, large-scale production design. Even George R.R. Martin himself was “overwhelmed” after seeing the Ashford tournament setting as revealed by lead actor Peter Claffey (Dunk). This gave the production an instant approval that they had indeed succeeded in delivering whatever was expected of them.
As the series moves to a different setting in season 2, it will be exciting for the fans to see how the visual balance between drought-stricken lands and royal places would be delivered.
