Peter Claffey, the actor behind Ser Duncan the Tall in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, has opened up about the gruelling physical demands of shooting one of the series’ most anticipated sequences: the Trial of Seven. In a recent appearance at the Dublin Comic Con, Claffey described the experience as physically “epic” and “miserable,” admitting that looking back, he still wonders, “how the hell did I get through it?”
Quick read:
• Peter Claffey called the Trial of Seven shoot physically “miserable”
• His stunt double handled most helmeted action while he did the close-ups
• He aims at doing most of the shots himself moving forward
Dunk vs. Aerion in Trial of Seven in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Image: HBO)
The exhausting shoot of the Trial of Seven
The massive battle sequence, drawn from George R.R. Martin’s The Hedge Knight, pits Dunk against seven opponents in a dramatic trial by combat. Claffey explained that tight scheduling forced the production to prioritize interior studio work first. This meant much of the armored fighting, except for close-ups was handled by his stunt double.
“Everything with the helmet on apart from the close-up bits was brilliant stuntman work. I had prepped to do everything. But those two lads (his and Aerion’s stunt doubles) put themselves through misery.”
Once the helmet came off, Claffey took over for a full week of intense shooting. He described the conditions as punishing: heavy armour that weighed him down, miserable weather, and even wasp infestations on set. The physical toll was immense, leaving him exhausted at the end of each day. He was also left in awe of the second-unit stunt team who handled the night shoots and early weeks of the battle.
“When I say miserable, I mean physically, it was epic to shoot. There are a couple of things where you look back at the end of the day [and think], ‘How the hell did I get through it?’”
Claffey jokes about taking over his stunt double
Claffey gave special praise to the stunt performers who made the chaotic, large-scale fight look seamless and brutal on screen, crediting their endurance for the sequence’s impact. Looking ahead, Claffey is already planning a different approach for future seasons. He joked that next time he’ll try being in “every single bit” of the action, determined to give his stunt double a well-deserved rest.
The Trial of Seven remains one of the most talked-about moments in the Dunk and Egg stories. And Claffey’s candid reflections highlight the real dedication behind bringing such ambitious combat to life.
