Stepping into iconic universes is nothing new for Sam Spruell. He turned in a uniquely brilliant and intimidating performance on Season 5 of FX’s “Fargo” before recently appearing on HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy.” And now the British actor joins HBO’s version of a royal family: the Targaryens.
The “Games of Thrones” prequel series “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” takes a lighter and funnier tone than its predecessors while following the adventures of an unlikely pair: a lowly hedge knight, Dunk (Peter Claffey), and his new squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). But the young Egg is hiding the fact that he’s the son of Spruell’s harsh Prince Maekar Targaryen, who sits behind his older brother in line for the throne.
“It really does feel like its own thing,” Spruell says of “Knight,” in comparison to “Game of Thrones.” “And it’s quite nice being a Targaryen. I had that bleach blond hair, and my wife loved it.”
Here, Spruell discusses his easy fit and his often tough time talking about his craft. “Acting is kind of a mercurial thing,” he says, “and sometimes you just go, I actually have no idea how I do any of it.”
What drew you to this character?
I could immediately see how flawed this guy was. He’s the disgruntled second in line to the throne, behind a more popular older brother, and those tensions exist in royal families. We’ve seen that in our own royal family here in the U.K., and what it is to be a royal family that is losing its power.
And he’s obviously a father who’s failing his children, and I thought that all the failings shown by his children exist in him, because we are our parents in some respects. So I thought there was a lot to work with.
You have plenty of experience in these old worlds where swords are the weapon of choice. Do you just inherently understand how to exist as an actor in these environments?
I like visceral worlds, and being around horses, dirt, mud, grime—the kind of jostle of medieval worlds, the lack of politeness. I suppose I kind of fit in that dirt—and my face seems to fit as well. This show is horse heavy, and I love that because it situates you. As soon as you put the armor on and get on a horse, you’re there.
Your mother, Linda Broughton, is an actor. Did you always know you’d follow in her footsteps?
I grew up surrounded by actors, but I was interested in other stuff. I thought I was going to grow to 6-foot-6 and play high-level basketball, and then, suddenly, I realized I’d sat an entire game on the bench. The whistle blew and I was like, Oh, I’m done. It was humbling, and it’s probably important that everyone experience something like that in their life. I then joined the National Youth Theatre and found my people. There was a moment where I just felt like I could take it seriously and study a script and characters, and that was really exciting.
How do you think you’ve evolved as an actor over the years?
Your evolution as an actor has an ebb and flow to it, and it’s usually to do with confidence. Being able to execute when you’re asked to requires a level of confidence, feeling, and touch that you try to nurture through your career. But just because you spend more time in the business doesn’t equate to being a better actor. One thing that I have noticed and get a bit annoyed at is, How come good child actors are so good? They just turn up and are brilliant. I have thought a lot about how you evolve into an older actor but keep your young self alive. The thinking around that has been important to me—to seriously think about your character, the technical sides of filming, but to also then let that go and let your childish instincts take over.
What advice would you give to young actors?
To enjoy the brilliance of other people, because I think that makes you a more generous person and actor. Starting out, some people explode, some don’t. I was a slow burner, and it’s hard to stay the course with that. Recognize that good acting comes from a kind of curiosity and experience of the world, so encourage that in yourself.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
