How Peter Claffey Landed A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Role Without Ever Cracking Open the Book

Let’s talk about HBO’s next big Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. This time, the focus is on Ser Duncan the Tall (if you’re deep enough into Thrones lore, you just perked up)—but here’s the twist: the guy who actually landed the lead role, Peter Claffey, had barely heard of Ser Duncan before his audition… and (brace yourself, book fans) never even read the source material.

How an Ex-Rugby Player Became Westeros’s Biggest Knight

So, Peter Claffey—Irish actor, former rugby union player, and, as of now, large dude wielding a sword on HBO—is about to be your new Ser Duncan the Tall. The path to Westeros wasn’t your standard actor’s journey for him. Here’s the quick version:

• Name: Peter Claffey
• Date of Birth: July 28, 1996
• Past jobs: Rugby, acting (mostly on Viking turf)
• Notable credits: Vikings: Valhalla, Bad Sisters

The story goes: Claffey’s agent sends him some audition material—he knows Thrones, but not the ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’ books (and honestly, until this show got announced, most casual fans probably didn’t either). Claffey’s words:

'I had heard of Ser Duncan the Tall sporadically but I got these couple of scenes, didn’t really know what they were and just tried to give them the best shot I could. Then I got a recall which meant, “Oh God, there’s something that they actually liked.” You get further down the line and closer and closer to it… I was losing sleep and terrified knowing I was so close. I suppose I must have done something right to get it in the end.'

In short: big guy, zero medieval fantasy homework, still lands the role. Also, not for nothing, he eventually got George R.R. Martin’s stamp of approval—a rarity and, let’s be real, probably a huge relief.

Finding the Right Dunk Was Not Easy

Let’s not pretend this casting process was a walk in the park. Showrunner Ira Parker told TV Insider that finding an actor who’s 'nearly seven feet tall and can do both drama and comedy' was a headache, and Claffey wasn’t an obvious pick from the start (not exactly topping any call sheets).

Still, Claffey won them over—including casting director and showrunner alike—mainly because, and this is kind of wild, he just kept getting better every round. The chemistry read 'Dunk and Egg' moment (Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg, for the curious) clinched it.

'By the time he was coming in for the chemistry reads, he and Dexter stood next to each other. It was the easiest decision of my life.'

Claffey admits the job is basically a dream gig—he gets to play a hugely emotional, complex guy in a sprawling fantasy world, and for someone newish to the industry, that’s about as good as it gets.

More Dunk and Egg on the Way?

Here’s something a little wild on the franchise front: Season 1 hasn’t even aired yet (mark your calendar: January 18, 2026, HBO), and a second season is already in the works. If the show’s a hit, they’ll adapt the next two novellas, according to Martin. The challenge? The guy famously hasn’t even finished writing the rest of the Dunk and Egg stories. He’s floated the idea of adding at least six more installments, but let’s not start placing bets on a timeframe.

Martin claims he could finish another novella before the potential Season 3—but if you’ve followed his writing timelines, you know how cautiously optimistic (or downright skeptical) we should all be about that.

So: ex-rugby dude becomes the Tallest Knight, HBO goes boots-deep back into Westeros, and George might actually have to finish a book this time. I’ll buy my popcorn.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms hits HBO in the US on January 18, 2026. Let me know if you’re actually excited, or just here for the Thrones brand.