Finn Bennett may play one of Westeros’ cruelest Targaryens, but behind the scenes he’s just as much a fan as the rest of us. In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bennett admitted that diving into Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon before auditioning for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms actually made things harder. Why? Because those shows carried so much weight that they risked shaping his expectations of what Dunk and Egg’s story should look like.
Quick Read
- Finn Bennett watched Thrones and HotD before auditioning.
- He says it gave him too many preconceptions.
- Credits Ira Parker, Sarah Bradshaw, and Owen Harris for bold leadership.
Breaking free from Thrones’ shadow
Bennett confessed that coming into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with Thrones baggage wasn’t ideal. He explained: “Yeah, it’s really difficult, because I had watched Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon before I even had this audition. And in many ways, I wish I hadn’t, because it would have given me much less of a preconception about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
I think what it required and what we got was brilliant leadership from Ira, from Sarah Bradshaw, our producer, and Owen [Harris, director]. It’s really bold and brave of them to make that choice when you’ve got so much fan expectation, to stay true to that vision. All they required of us was flexibility and to accept when something wasn’t working, [and] to do something totally different.”
That honesty shows how hard it is to step into Westeros without the looming shadow of its predecessors. Bennett’s take makes Aerion’s cruelty feel even more distinct — not a Thrones retread, but a fresh, bold interpretation.
Credit: HBO
Why this matters for Dunk and Egg’s saga
The beauty of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms lies in its ability to carve out its own identity. Bennett’s comments remind fans that this isn’t Thrones 2.0 or a prequel designed to mimic House of the Dragon. It’s a smaller, more intimate story, and the creative team’s willingness to break free from fan expectations is what makes it work.
For Aerion, that means leaning into his vicious streak without worrying about how he compares to Joffrey or Aemond. For Dunk and Egg, it means telling a story that feels mythic in its own right. Bennett’s wish that he hadn’t watched the earlier shows is a testament to how much this series thrives when judged on its own terms.
