“I struggled a lot with nerves and anxiety:” Peter Claffey on playing Ser Dunk The Tall

Viewers have a chance to travel back to Westeros with HBO’s new series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Set a hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, the show gives viewers an insight into a hedge knight’s travels after his master dies. He is looking for purpose and direction in life, when he meets a young boy called Egg, who wishes to squire for Dunk so he can join him in his travels.

Starring Peter Claffey as Dunk and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg, the show is quickly gaining momentum, being one of the most watched premieres on the platform.

Peter Claffey shares experience on playing Ser Dunk in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Bagging this role was certainly not easy for either actors, considering how other actors from the franchise were catapulted to stardom overnight. From Kit Harrington and Sophie Turner in Game of Thrones to Milly Alcock and Olivia Cooke from House of the Dragon, actors in the past shows found a place in the industry, thanks to the franchise.

Now, with Irish actor Peter Claffey leading A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, fans expect great things from him. During the premiere of the first episode, Associated Press caught up with Claffey and asked him how he felt while playing the lead role in the series. The actor responded,

“Oh, I really, really struggled. I was a huge fan of the original series. I loved it. So I know how passionate the fan base was, and I struggled a lot with nerves and anxiety, and I have done for a while. I always knew that when I got into acting, to do something like this would be a dream and a complete dream come true. But when it came around, it was so hard to adapt to.”

Claffey further claimed how he is a big fan of the series and the entire storyline which was another reason why he wanted to do justice to the character. He continued,

“I knew I wanted to do it justice because I knew I was one of those fans. I am one of those fans, and I wanted to do those fans justice — not just the television fans, but the book fans as well. I wanted to make sure that they were proud of this portrayal of one of their favorite characters. So it’s been a roller coaster of emotions, but thankfully, along with these guys, I couldn’t have done it without them. They were just the most amazing.”

As a former rugby player, Claffey was just the right height and build to play Ser Duncan The Tall. His aloof and shy demeanour further aligned with Dunk’s personality which made it easy for him to bring the character to life on screen.

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Peter Claffey’s past roles

Credits: HBO

The actor is previously seen in Bad Sisters, Harry Wild, and Vikings: Valhalla. Though he was in considerably smaller roles in these series, Claffey is shining in the spotlight of the central role in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. He finally has a platform to showcase his range as a versatile actor and rise to stardom.

Thanks to his 6 foot 5 inch height, Claffey seems born to play Dunk and be a knight who makes a name for himself across the continent. Showrunner Ira Parker was incredibly happy to have found Claffey and cast him as Dunk. Fans hope the rest of the episodes explore Claffey’s full potential and do justice to the series.

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