- - “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” Star“ ”Peter Claffey Says Leading “Game of Thrones” Spinoff Is ‘Terrifying’ (Exclusive)

Julia MooreJanuary 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM

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Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan in 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' -

An all-new Game of Thrones chapter is about to begin with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

The spinoff, based on a series of novellas by George R. R. Martin, stars Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan, who is "just a normal guy" who "doesn't want to sit atop the Iron Throne"

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sunday, Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO

The Games of Thrones universe is not exactly an easy one to enter. For Irish actor Peter Claffey, stepping into the lead role of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the first spinoff series that's not about royalty in Westeros, was, frankly, "terrifying."

"I was a massive original Game of Thrones series fan. I was there for the whole thing, so I understand the reverence that people have for this show," Claffey, 29, tells PEOPLE.

Boarding the new spinoff, which premieres Sunday, Jan. 18 on HBO, he says he was "just hoping to God that the show gets taken well." He adds, "We tried to do as good of a job, to both the book and the TV fans, for sure, in trying to stick to the characters as much as possible. Hopefully, it will get taken well, but it is daunting."

Steffan Hill/HBO

Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg and Peter Claffey as Duncan in 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'

"It is quite terrifying," he admits. "I've never experienced anything of this scale before."

Based on a series of novellas by George R. R. Martin, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms follows Ser Duncan “Dunk” the Tall (Claffey), who is described as a "naïve but courageous knight," and his diminutive squire, Egg (Dexter Sol Ansell).

Per HBO, the six-episode series unfolds about a century before Game of Thrones begins, and sees Dunk and Egg face "great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits."

Claffey says there was "a chase for this role" during the early stages of the series, as "everybody was trying to" land the part. "It's such an amazing novella, and so well written and such a beautiful character that I was just trying my hardest to get the role," the former rugby player recalls.

Duncan stands out as a Game of Thrones character because, for once, "he's just a normal guy ... that doesn't want to sit atop the Iron Throne," the Irish actor says, explaining that "he just wants to be a somewhat respectable knight and maybe sleep under a roof from time to time."

Steffan Hill/HBO

Finn Bennett as Aerion Targaryen and Peter Claffey as Duncan in 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'

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"In the world of Westeros, you're faced with so much backstabbing and adult themes. For [Duncan] to try and navigate that with a decent moral code, it's always very admirable," he continues. "I really love that we've leaned towards how good Dunk is with animals as well. That's always such a nice quality for a human to have."

Steffan Hill/HBO

Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan and Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg in 'A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms'

When the series begins, Duncan is "burying his master, Ser Arlan, and Ser Arlan has left a huge influence on him in regards how to conduct yourself in life," Claffey says. Duncan then "proceeds to try and follow this path of knighthood, adhering to Ser Arlan's values and moral code," but runs into some challenges along the way.

"All these knights that he always had so much respect for and reverence for turn out to be just complete f---ing pieces of shit and really awful people," Claffey says. "He's like, 'Wait, was Ser Arlan right? Or is that the way things are supposed to go?' "

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres Sunday, Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO

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