Putting on battle armour and crowns while stepping into the world of ‘Game of Thrones’ is no small feat, but for Sam Spruell and Daniel Ings, it was rather ‘blissful’ riding into ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’. The show takes a different route to Westeros, trading in epic dragon fights for humbling, human experiences and ditches politics for a coming-of-age story. Sam and Daniel, who step up representing the Targaryen and Baratheon houses, sat down for a chat with ETimes, where they got candid about taking up the legacy of their characters teased in other ‘Game of Thrones’ series. When asked whether the legacy of their characters influenced how they approached their performances, Spruell and Ings reflected on the mounting pressure that often tags along with entering such a beloved universe. Daniel Ings began, “I feel confident that fans, (and) the original fans of the books, will embrace it. It’s super faithful to the novellas. I think it really has that spirit of George’s writing and the kinds of characters that he creates.”Ings admitted that his own journey into Westeros came without the weight of familiarity. He shared, “I hadn’t seen either of the previous shows. I’d read the first book, A Song of Ice and Fire, years and years ago, and so I came to this, I read these books, and really just tried to zero in on who this character is and forget everything else.” Instead of bingeing on hours of the HBO hits, both actors found themselves repeatedly returning to George R.R. Martin’s text. Sam Spruell explained, “I think it was about honouring the spirit of George’s writing, which is what he wrote so beautifully and was so good at. And what we all committed to as well. We’d all read the novella that this particular season is based on. There was some clarity to be found there.”Spruell, who plays Maekar Targaryen, spoke on his character’s perspective within the Targaryen storyline and said, “My family is in a kind of low point, if you like, power-wise. So there was a lot to concentrate on that was slightly different from what had existed on either side of it.”With dragons bowing out after the fiery battles like those in ‘House of the Dragon’, Sam says, “The Targaryens are forced into not having the power of the dragon to aid their power foundation. They have to pursue a more political route, a more pragmatic way to maintain their power in the kingdom. It’s also quite confronting to a kind of natural privilege that they got used to.”During a round table discussion attended by ETimes, the actors were also asked about the most compelling layer of this show. Daniel bbegan by said, “I think there’s a real sweetness to this show. I mean, it still feels very much like ‘Game of Thrones’. There’s a toughness to it and a kind of earthiness. And it’s Westeros, it’s dangerous and people die, but there’s a kind of sweetness, I think, to these two central characters – Duncan and Egg. And because it’s much more singularly focused on them. It’s still very much an ensemble show. But we follow these two characters on their adventures.”He went on to add, “This is a different sort of perspective. And actually you’re used to seeing the great houses. You’re used to seeing the politics and the machinations going on, the ambition and vying for power. But there’s something really refreshing about seeing two people just trying to find their way, really. One of them is a Hedge Knight, he lives under a tree and he’s just trying to make a name for himself.”Daniel stepped in to add, “I think, it is an underdog story as well as a coming-of-age underdog story. It’s the double whammy. It is a story of people realising what they’ve lost sight of, and being confronted by a kind of morality that has left them.”‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ also features Peter Claffey, Dexter Sol Ansell, Bertie Carvel, Danny Webb, Shaun Thomas, Finn Bennett, Edward Ashley, Tanzyn Crawford, Henry Ashton, Youssef Kerkour, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor and Daniel Monks. The show, which has already been renewed for a second season, is set nearly 90 years before the events of ‘Game of Thrones’. The show follows the adventures of hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire Egg when the Targaryens still rule Westeros, but the age of Dragons has faded. Watch a new episode of the show every Monday. Go to Source
