Sam Spruell or Maekar Targaryen from HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms recently appeared in an interview with Film Inside. He gave high praise to the production team’s world-building, calling the detailed sets and costumes the real stars of the show. He reflected on how the setup helped them in acting better.
“There’s so many things on the show that helped us. Really fantastic costumes, a kind of complete, full and textured world that we came into and shot on, so the world viscerally was all there.”
Quick read:
- Sam Spruell praises the production team of AKOTSK
- He said actors could act better due to the immersive sets and props
- This made shooting more enjoyable
Ashford Meadow set (Image: HBO)
An already fully built world of Westeros
The Maekar actor explained that the actors had very little heavy lifting to do in terms of selling the fantasy setting.
“So there was very little for us to do in terms of we’re the cherry on top kind of thing. So much creation had gone before, so it was a joy to do.”
Spruell’s comments highlight one of the biggest strengths of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: the practical, hands-on approach to recreating George R.R. Martin’s Westeros. Instead of relying heavily on green screens or digital extensions, the production built tangible locations like markets, tourney grounds, castles, and camps; complete with every texture, prop, and detail.
The costumes, too, were described as “really fantastic,” helping actors instantly feel like they had stepped into the past. For Spruell, playing the stern, battle-hardened Maekar Targaryen, stepping onto those sets and into that armour meant the character was already halfway there.
Intricate armour design (Image: HBO)
Making the actors’ job easier and more enjoyable
By creating such an immersive environment, the crew allowed the cast to focus purely on performance rather than imagining the world around them. Spruell’s “cherry on top” metaphor is perfect as the actors were the final touch to an already rich, complete cake. It echoes similar praise from other cast members about how the grounded, lived-in feel of the show brings the Dunk and Egg stories to life. For Spruell, the experience wasn’t just technically impressive, it was a genuine joy.
