Game Of Thrones Star Emilia Clarke Is “Almost Like A Prophet” As Spinoff Actor Struggled With New Targaryen Character

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Please be aware that this article contains slight spoilers for episode 3 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, titled “The Squire.” A recent addition to the Game of Thrones universe discussed the challenge of creating his own character while honoring the memorable performances of previous actors who played Targaryens.

Set about a hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms centers on Ser Duncan “Dunk” (Peter Claffey), a relatively unknown knight, and his young squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell). The third episode introduces a major plot twist: Dunk and Egg cross paths with Prince Aerion Targaryen (Finn Bennett), the second son of Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell), who is himself the king’s second son.

Finn Bennett discussed the difficulties of playing Aerion in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, explaining he carefully considered the best way to approach the character. THR noted his deliberate avoidance of being influenced by previous depictions of Targaryens, to which Bennett jokingly admitted it was hard not to be, given how excellent those performances were.

According to Bennett, the way Emilia Clarke portrayed Daenerys Targaryen didn’t quite match what he envisioned for the character. He noted that Clarke’s performance in Game of Thrones – a calm, stoic presence with hidden intensity – felt like that of a prophet, and that approach didn’t translate to his own work.

Bennett reflects that realizing his limitations as an actor was a turning point. He acknowledges that his approach might evolve with age and changes in his appearance, prompting him to explore new techniques. With plans for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to potentially span over twelve seasons, Bennett anticipates a long run playing the character of Aerion, and a need to adapt his performance over time.

The third episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms gives us a deeper look at the personalities of Maekar’s sons. While the oldest son, Daeron (Henry Ashton), hasn’t been seen yet and is known for enjoying parties, Aerion is described as both conceited and malicious. The episode shows Aerion deliberately injuring another knight during a joust and then cruelly tormenting the puppeteer Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford) because he didn’t like the way Tanselle portrayed Targaryen history.

Emilia Clarke famously played the Dragon Queen striving to regain the Iron Throne, but other actors have also portrayed Targaryens, including Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, and Paddy Considine in House of the Dragon. Though many of these characters ride dragons, Aerion stands out for his particularly harsh and realistic cruelty.

As a big fan, I’m really excited to see the show continue to center on Dunk and Egg’s bond. But it sounds like Bennett’s character, Aerion, is going to be a much bigger deal in the last three episodes of season 1 – apparently Dunk will find himself right in Aerion’s sights! We’ll have to wait and see if the show runners get to tell the whole story they envision, but the good news is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has already been picked up for a second season, which is fantastic!

You can now watch A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms on HBO Max. New episodes typically come out on Sundays at 10 p.m. Eastern Time on both HBO and HBO Max. However, episode 4 will be available early – on Friday, February 6th, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time / 3:01 a.m. Eastern Time – so it doesn’t clash with the Super Bowl.

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2026-02-02 17:38