With his lead role on the “Game of Thrones” prequel “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” Peter Claffey is about to see his life transform, whether he wants it to or not. “I have this hopefully not false hope that it won’t change massively,” the Irish actor says, speaking ahead of the Jan. 18 premiere. “I’m terrified for the release, not knowing what that looks or feels like.”
Understandable, since this is a big first for Claffey. The 29-year-old is a former professional rugby player who made his onscreen acting debut in 2022. He’s since appeared on Apple TV’s “Bad Sisters” and Netflix’s “Vikings: Valhalla.” But for the 6-foot-5-inch actor, this is his tallest order yet. Adapted by Ira Parker and George R.R. Martin from a series of Martin’s novellas, and set roughly 100 years before “Game of Thrones,” HBO’s “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” stars Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, aka Dunk, a lowly hedge knight whose search for purpose is complicated when he takes on a new squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).
Claffey is thankful to be finding success in a space that he for so long wanted to be a part of. “It’s very easy to look back now and go, ‘Yeah, I made the right decision, and I always knew,’ ” he says. “But nobody ever knows how any of this is gonna go.”
What was it about Dunk that most appealed to you?
In “Game of Thrones,” characters find it incredibly tough to get through a life where there’s so much politics and backstabbing. There’s a really good moral compass to Dunk, and that’s quite endearing to try and live by that in such a hard world.
Unlike “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon,” this series does not have a sprawling cast—it really is on your shoulders. Were you intimidated by that?
It was very hard to not think about it [beforehand], because I was a huge fan of the original series, so I knew the following behind it. And the fact that it follows Dunk, I was worried about the tremendous workload. Until the second half of the shoot, it was quite nerve-racking; but, because you’re always in [scenes], you don’t have time to think about it.
How did you and Dexter develop your dynamic?
I met him in the chemistry reading, and the impression that you’re talking to a 10-year-old quickly dissipates, because he’s got such maturity to him. And he’s just a phenomenal little actor. There’s a [scene] at the end that’s some of the best acting I’ve ever seen. It was great to have a partner in crime to help each other through things. Where we were staying was right beside an arcade and bowling alley, and we used to go there to bond.
Even as you were playing rugby, was acting something that you were attracted to as a future path?
I always loved performing, whether it was music or acting, and that got put on the back burner when rugby got serious at 13. I grew up in a small town in Ireland, and there’s a traditional macho outlook, and anyone doing acting is laughed at. If there’s anything I could tell my younger self, it’s: You don’t realize how empowering it is when you stop giving a fuck what anyone thinks about you. When I was younger, I neglected things in my own heart because I wanted to impress girls and the cool guys, and it’s all just such bullshit.
I actually feel sorry for my [younger] self. I allowed rugby to become my sole identity, and when I finished playing, I’m glad that I took the chance and went to acting school. I’ve redeemed that aspect of myself by trying to face into that part of me that was so deeply repressed for so long.
What advice would you impart to aspiring actors?
The ability to make a good short film is in your pocket—use it. Take advantage of what an iPhone can do now. So many people are like, “Oh, I can’t write; I can’t do this.” Shut up, and just do anything. Find someone who can write and film it with them. You have the power to get yourself out there and express and work your muscles. Get used to having a camera in your hands, and the more that you try these things, the more you will get there.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
