In HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, young actor Dexter Sol Ansell delivers a nuanced performance as Egg, the squire who hides his true identity as Prince Aegon Targaryen. Set 90 years before Game of Thrones, the series adapts George R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas, following hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his clever little companion.
Egg’s secret adds layers of tension and humour to the story, as he navigates life among the common folk while his royal upbringing occasionally peeks through. Ansell’s approach to this duality has earned praise for its subtlety, making Egg one of the show’s standout characters.
Quick read:
• Dexter Sol Ansell played two personalities in one person in AKOTSK
• He added deliberate “princely” moments to strike balance with his smallfolk disguise
• Egg idolizes Dunk’s honor and wants to be seen as a humble squire
Credits: HBO
The challenge of embodying two worlds
Playing a character with a hidden royal lineage required 11-year-old Ansell to walk a fine line. Talking to Vulture, he said,
“It’s very hard because I have to be a smallfolk boy and then I also have to have that element of being a prince.”
He aimed to portray Egg primarily as an ordinary boy, influenced by his disguise and shaved head; a Targaryen tradition to avoid recognition. Yet, the prince’s education and poise couldn’t be fully suppressed. Ansell explained that the royal outfit in key scenes made him feel more regal, but he resisted overplaying it to maintain authenticity.
Moments where royalty shines through
Ansell incorporated “princely things” sparingly, creating believable slips that hint at Egg’s background without shattering the illusion. A prime example occurs in a tent scene where Dunk mentions Ser Donnel of the Kingsguard as “the son of a crabber.” Egg retorts, “His father owns half the fleets in Westeros,” before quickly covering with, “Um, I like fishing.”
These moments, Ansell noted, show Egg catching himself, “Oh, bit too far there.” Such details ground the character in Martin’s world, where Egg’s knowledge stems from court life, not smallfolk experiences.
Credits: HBO
Staying true to Dunk’s perception
Central to Ansell’s performance was Egg’s desire to fit Dunk’s ideal of him as a humble squire.
“If Egg was being really princely, then it would upset Dunk, and he would say, ‘You’re not anything I thought you were,’” Ansell said.
Egg idolizes Dunk’s honor and wants to embody it, suppressing his Targaryen traits to preserve their bond. This internal conflict adds depth, especially as Egg learns from Dunk’s grounded worldview, foreshadowing his future as King Aegon V.
