Lyonel Baratheon has quickly become a fan favourite among A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms viewers. He hosts boisterous dinners in his tent, laughs when someone matches his energy, and takes a break for a drink mid-tug-of-war. His character is amusing and unpredictable, even to Ser Duncan. Lyonel thrives in chaos and war. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, actor Daniel Ings explained that the Baratheon lord relishes the Trial of Seven, even as the other knights feel anxious about facing the formidable Targaryen house.
Quick points:
- Daniel Ings’ Lyonel Baratheon might be the only one enjoying the Trial of Seven.
- Ings spoke about how the cast was a small part of a much bigger setup for the fight sequence.
- He also reflected on the technical difficulties of shooting some scenes.
Daniel Ings on how Lyonel Baratheon enjoys the battle in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Lyonel Baratheon in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Image: HBO)
Lyonel Baratheon participates in the Trial of Seven from Dunk’s side more than happily. When Dunk hesitates to knight Raymun Fossoway in episode 4, Lyonel volunteers to do it. Daniel Ings discussed the Lord’s intentions in the interview.
He said, “It is a lot about trying to pick the moments where you can really get the character across…There are people here in this seven-on-seven who are s—-ing themselves and terrified about what’s to come. Whereas for Lyonel, this is the juice. This is what he waits for. This is his ’50-year storm’ — to casually drop in a Point Break reference.”
Ings labelled the fight sequence “a very well-oiled machine,” and the cast as “a tiny little cog that gets fitted into that.” The fight sequence is intentionally gritty and ruthless, with the cast and stunt team bringing it to the screen magnificently.
Daniel Ings reflected on episode 5 behind-the-scenes chaos
Before charging into battle, the knights are on horseback, speaking. The scene looks normal to viewers, but behind the scenes, it was not nearly that normal. Ings revealed how that scene would descend into chaos because it was not easy to control the horses.
He recalled, “We’re of course on horseback trying to get seven horses to stand and line up perfectly in a circle and all look badass while you’re doing it. Someone’s just like going backwards and one horse wants to come and try and chew on someone else’s reins. I remember that was pretty tricky.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Ings noted that while all the smoke in episode five looked striking on screen, the reality was far less glamorous. The smoke machines were so loud that they made it difficult for the actors to deliver their lines clearly.
