Finn Bennett details the only upside of playing Aerion: “It’s nice to let out rage and aggression”

Playing Aerion Targaryen in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been a demanding experience for Finn Bennett, but the actor admits there was one unexpected upside. In a candid interview, he explained why embodying Aerion’s cruelty offered a short‑term release, even if the role carried heavy emotional weight.

Quick Read

• Bennett says he won’t miss Aerion, only the wig and his friends on set.
• He enjoyed working with horses during filming.
• Playing a villain gave him catharsis by channeling rage and aggression.

The catharsis of playing Aerion

Bennett was clear that Aerion isn’t a role he’ll miss. “I won’t really miss Aerion,” he said (Man About Town). “I’ll miss the wig. I’ll miss all of my friends on set,” including the horses he grew fond of during production. He recalled how he would often take one for a walk while the crew set up shots.

When asked if playing the villain was fun, Bennett admitted the appeal was limited. “There is a short‑term catharsis to it,” he explained. “It’s nice to let out rage and aggression. But I think there is also something quite upsetting in that you’re constantly wondering if you’re doing a good job.” For him, the challenge was balancing the release of playing Aerion with the pressure of portraying a character who carries one of the heaviest narrative burdens in the story.

Living up to Game of Thrones villains

Bennett also acknowledged the legacy he was stepping into. “The villain, naturally, has one of the heaviest narrative burdens to shoulder in a story aside from the lead. Especially in Game of Thrones, because you have some really, really special villains played by some really, really fantastic actors.”

It’s a comparison he has made in previous interviews, often noting how Aerion’s arrogance and volatility had to stand alongside the likes of Joffrey Baratheon or Ramsay Bolton. For Bennett, the upside of playing Aerion was the catharsis of channeling rage, but the real challenge was ensuring his performance lived up to the towering standard set by Westeros’s most infamous antagonists.

Read next: Finn Bennett didn’t think he was the right fit for Aerion: “This is so not for me”