The Royal Brat

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Daniel Ings didn’t watch Game of Thrones when it originally aired. He attributes this to the disappointment of not being cast in the show. Like many British actors, he auditioned for multiple roles: first for Theon Greyjoy, and later for Oberyn Martell. Ultimately, Alfie Allen and Pedro Pascal were chosen – Ings acknowledges they were the right picks. However, he playfully imagines how he could have brought a unique intensity to the character of Reek or a lighter touch to the Red Viper.

Ings is a classic English character actor, consistently bringing welcome comedic moments to his roles. He’s known for memorable performances like the chaotic, drug-using brother in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen series. His expressive eyebrows and hair have been put to work in shows like the dark comedy I Hate Suzie, the teen comedy Sex Education, and the thriller The Woman in Cabin 10. In The Crown, he played a scandalous figure who caused trouble for Prince Philip. However, he’s arguably most famous for his role as Luke in the beloved sitcom Lovesick (originally titled Scrotal Recall), which gained a wider audience after moving to Netflix. Ings consistently brings a playful, slightly arrogant energy to his characters, often communicating through exaggerated expressions and comedic timing.

While a Greyjoy delivering that kind of line might seem strange, it fits perfectly for the role Ings has finally secured. After fifteen years of auditioning for an HBO pilot, he’s getting another chance to work on a George R.R. Martin adaptation, playing Lyonel Baratheon, a loud and memorable ancestor of Robert, in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

This Game of Thrones spinoff (based on Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas) takes place about a century before the original series and a few decades after House of the Dragon. Unlike its predecessors, which were large-scale epics, Knight is more intimate in scope, featuring no CGI dragons, and has a noticeably lighter, more welcoming sense of humor. The show begins with Ser Duncan the Tall (played by Peter Claffey), a humble knight traveling through Westeros, heading to a tournament. As the iconic Thrones theme music starts, the camera focuses on Dunk’s determined face—only to be interrupted by the sound and sight of him urgently running behind a tree to relieve himself.

Dunk, a scruffy and dirty character, is positioned as the hero, but Lyonel’s extravagant appearance – a flashy cloak, gold crown adorned with antlers, and a single earring – suggests he has a very different role. Author Ings explained over coffee and cheesecake in Crouch End, London, that it was enjoyable working with showrunner Ira Parker to develop Lyonel’s harsh dialogue. He aimed to create a character who felt unpredictable and a little rebellious, and he believed that erratic behavior was the most effective way to achieve this.

When not on camera, Ings prefers comfortable clothes: a soft gray button-down shirt over a white t-shirt with a funny cartoon he calls a “wiggly slug king.” He’s wearing colorful, vintage sneakers – he gets most of his clothes from Vinted or by keeping items from film sets – and a bright yellow beanie. He sheepishly pulls out a brightly colored vape pen, joking that there’s nothing cooler than a middle-aged man with a banana-flavored one.

I was curious about a story I’d heard regarding a scene in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Apparently, during a long and physically demanding night shoot introducing the characters Lyonel and Dunk, actor Claffey accidentally stepped on Ings’s foot, supposedly breaking his toe. Ings confirmed the incident, explaining that Claffey did indeed step on his foot while both were wearing heels – a strange choice that ultimately canceled out any height advantage. While Ings doesn’t want to ruin a good story, Claffey didn’t actually break his toe. Ings noted that Claffey’s willingness to admit fault, even if it meant appearing clumsy, is part of what makes him perfect for the role of Dunk. The mishap actually resulted in a fantastic take for the series. When Dunk steps on Lyonel’s toes on screen, Dunk looks genuinely horrified, but Lyonel, despite initially appearing to be in pain, playfully sticks his tongue out and winks. The rest of the evening turned into a lighthearted and fun interaction between the two characters.

Even while physically pushing himself on set – to the point of almost injuring people – actor Daniel Ings hadn’t gotten around to watching Game of Thrones. He deliberately avoided it, feeling the show’s atmosphere was too different from his usual preferences. He only started watching after finishing his role on Knightfall. Interestingly, he had several good conversations with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin on set, but didn’t feel comfortable asking in-depth questions about the show until after he’d seen it. He finally approached Martin at the Knightfall premiere in Germany and said, “Let’s talk Hodor!” Now, four episodes of the new series have aired, with two remaining, and viewers are already comparing Ings to Peter Dinklage, praising his wit, sarcasm, and slightly grumpy personality. His character, Lyonel, is someone you’d enjoy sharing a drink with, even if you’re a little wary of what he might do next.

After coffee and cheesecake, we strolled around Crouch End, the neighborhood where Ings lives with his wife – whom he met at Lancaster University – and their children. This is their second time living in the area. They initially moved away because they found it full of mothers they considered too conservative, but after getting married and starting a family, they realized they had become more conventional themselves and decided to return. Though Ings grew up in the countryside of Wiltshire, he also spent a lot of time as a child visiting his godfather in London. While browsing the DVDs at Flashback Records, he expressed sadness about the disappearance of video rental stores, fondly remembering places like “Vulture Videos.” He describes himself as a devoted movie lover – an actor who always knew that’s what he wanted to do with his life. His parents were consistently supportive, attending all his school plays, perhaps out of a worried curiosity, as they had no connections in the entertainment industry.

Having not come from a traditional Hollywood background, he sometimes gets excited meeting famous actors on set. He recalled his first big movie role – a small part as a guard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – where he was incredibly impressed by the legendary Richard Griffiths. He described Griffiths as a hilariously funny, charming, and wonderful actor, especially because he loved sneaking inappropriate language into scenes that would never make it into the final Disney film. He also fondly remembers working with Joanna Lumley, known for Ab Fab, in a short film for Sky TV in 2012. He was surprised to find that, despite her fame, she was actually quite nervous, and genuinely a kind and down-to-earth person.

He says people might assume he always aimed for comedic roles, but he used to take himself as a serious dramatic actor very seriously. He recalls playing Simon in a school production of Lord of the Flies – a character who dies tragically – and remembers a bizarre rehearsal where his teacher had them perform the scene outside during an actual storm. He ended up with a cold, but thought the experience was amazing. His next roles are quite diverse: he’s appearing alongside Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Amazon Video crime film Kill Jackie, with Cynthia Erivo in the adaptation of the play Prima Facie, and with Ryan Gosling, Mia Goth, and Amy Adams in the 2027 Star Wars film, Starfighter.

Even if you’re not a big Star Wars fan, being on that set was amazing. There were droids moving around, and someone was controlling an alien head with a remote control – it was just really cool. However, Ings’s father, who visited the set, wasn’t as impressed. According to Ings, the director, Shawn Levy, came over and asked his dad if he was a Star Wars fan, and his dad said he wasn’t. Ings was filming both Prima Facie and Star Wars simultaneously, which he felt was a sophisticated experience. He often reflects on what it means to grow up. While he doesn’t enjoy the idea of aging, he does enjoy getting older because he feels more self-assured and at ease.

We’ve already enjoyed a walk through Queen’s Wood, one of London’s peaceful parks, and stopped for coffee at the charming Queen’s Wood Café, a cozy cabin hidden in the trees. Before we finish up, we’re heading to the historic Highgate Village, close to where George Michael once lived, for a final drink. Throughout our walk, Ings has sparked lots of interesting conversations – he talked about why he stays away from social media like Instagram (“I haven’t used anything since Facebook, and I quit that over a decade ago – it either made me feel bad about myself or arrogant”), where he’d travel to in time if he could (New York or Los Angeles in the 1970s), and even whether Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote about justice is really true. (“It’s not a smooth line,” he said, comparing it to an EKG.) According to Ings’s phone, we walked almost 15,000 steps – a pretty good effort!

Ings recently turned forty and proudly showed me the birthday present he bought himself: a tattoo of a Bruce Lee quote, written in his wife’s handwriting. He calls it “lame” but admits he loves it. The quote, “Be like water,” resonated with him, and he later added small wave designs to his wrist. He feels the message reflects his life, constantly shifting between different worlds – one moment surrounded by his acting colleagues (‘we’re a bit odd,’ he says), and the next back home with his family, making dinner for his kids. He describes middle age as a uniquely strange experience.

He’s eager to create his own projects, but he wouldn’t say no to appearing on Celebrity Traitors. When asked about a potential return to Lovesick, Ings enthusiastically said he’d love to do it, fondly remembering filming in Glasgow while starting a family with his co-star, Flynn. He remains close with the show’s producers, Andy Baker and Ed Macdonald, and is currently collaborating with writer and creator Tom Edge on a new project. While nothing is confirmed, Ings suggests a Lovesick revival isn’t impossible, possibly as a 90-minute film. “Nothing is official, but maybe… I hope so,” he says.

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2026-02-12 16:58