In the 4th episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Daeron Targaryen, better known as Daeron the Drunken, emerges as a key figure in the lead-up to Dunk’s Trial of Seven. Actor Henry Ashton, who plays this role, has revealed that his journey into the Game of Thrones universe began long before he ever donned Targaryen silver.
In a recent interview with RadioTimes, Ashton shared that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is not his first brush with the franchise. As a teenager, he actually auditioned for Game of Thrones itself, specifically for the role of Jon Snow.
“I auditioned for the original Game of Thrones when I was either 17 or 18. They came around schools to audition people. It was for Jon Snow. I think they went to every school and auditioned every teenager!”
Fans were extremely surprised by this revelation. Some of them even mentioned how he would have made a different kind of Jon Snow, given his light-coloured eyes feature.
Henry Ashton, who plays Daeron Targaryen in ‘A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS,’ reveals he auditioned to star as Jon Snow in ‘GAME OF THRONES’ 🐉❄️
“I actually auditioned for the original Game of Thrones when I was either 17 or 18 in school – they came round all the schools to… pic.twitter.com/GgcmaNGVhF
— westerosies (@westerosies) February 7, 2026
While that audition didn’t land him the role, Ashton’s eventual casting as Daeron Targaryen feels like a full-circle moment now. Especially because of how central the Targaryen legacy has become across HBO’s Westerosi stories.
Daeron Targaryen’s character growth in episode 4
In Episode 4, Daeron makes a striking impression during a quiet but unsettling conversation with Ser Duncan the Tall. He tells Dunk about a recurring dream involving a dead dragon. Ashton explains that Daeron himself doesn’t fully understand his prophetic dreams, even though he knows they carry weight.
“Daeron doesn’t quite know what his dreams mean, He makes assumptions about what they could represent, but he knows it’s not good for him or his family.”
According to Ashton, Daeron’s reputation as a drunken, cynical prince hides something much darker underneath. His complexity even sparked debate behind the scenes. Ashton revealed that showrunner Ira Parker and director Owen Harris had different interpretations of the character. However, Ashton leaned into the idea that Daeron is fundamentally good, but broken.
As A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms heads toward its Trial of Seven, it is important to see Daeron Targaryen’s role.
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