In HBO’s hit series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Daniel Ings brings Lyonel Baratheon to life with a mix of humour, strength, and charm. Showrunner Ira Parker recently shared high praise for Ings, calling him a “genius” who helped shape the character beyond what was in the scripts.
Quick read:
• Ira Parker revealed Daniel Ings was perfect for his role from the get-go
• He praises Ings for helping expand the character beyond the books
• The showrunner wishes for Ings to get more roles
Credits: Steffan Hill/HBO
This information comes from an interview with A.V. Club where Parker talked about how Ings nailed the role right from his audition. Lyonel, known as the “Laughing Storm,” is a fun, larger-than-life lord and knight who stands out in the tournament scenes.
How Ings won the role
Ira Parker revealed that he was worried about the character at first.
“I had seen a few people at that point for that role, and I was beginning to worry that I just hadn’t written this character very well because nobody was giving me what I was hoping for. Danny sat down and read this thing like I had f***ing scored it for him. So I just went, ‘Okay, this is easy’ when it came to him.”
Ings brought his own energy to Lyonel Baratheon, making the role feel full and real. Parker added,
“It’s not fair for me to say that Lyonel was in any way fully formed on the pages of our scripts. If it wasn’t for Danny, we would have been in a lot of trouble.”
The special charisma that stands out
What really impressed Parker was Ings’ “natural charisma.” He compared Ings to big stars like Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.
“He has such a natural charisma about him, and he’s obviously very fun and funny, but he also has a thing that great actors have, which is unpredictability without doing too much.”
Parker noted Ings can go from smiling to intense in a flash, which fits Lyonel’s bold personality perfectly.
Looking ahead for Lyonel and Ings
Lyonel has become a fan-favorite, and Parker hopes Ings gets more big roles.
“He should be a f***ing superstar… I hope he gets to go and do even more huge things.”
While season 1 focused on the tournament, fans wonder if Lyonel Baratheon could return in future stories. They have loved his dynamic with the show’s protagonist, Dunk, and would love to see more of them together.
