Exclusive: Finn Bennett and Shaun Thomas Open Up About Their New Series, ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
HBO is set to release their latest Game of Thrones spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in the next few days. Based off the novella, The Hedge Knight, BeautifulBallad had the opportunity to chat with two of stars of the series, Finn Bennett and Shaun Thomas.
On whether they believe in the classic Game of Thrones saying, that every time a Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin, either Targaryen is bad or good:
Bennett: “I think they all have not great elements about them. I think that’s what power does to people. Sorry, I don’t know why I’m on this slate. I think that in terms of madness, absolutely.
On playing characters who jump dramatically into extreme with no notice:
Bennett: “It’s really fun. I guess people ask, is it fun to play a villain? Because I think it can feel good to work anger out of yourself. It’s also super fun to wear a fun wig, and put on cool armor. So yeah, really fun.”
On working with fellow costar, Peter Claffey:
Thomas: “I think Peter was the greatest leader, one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever worked with. And on and off set, we just hung out and got to know one another, and that kind of built a relationship and a trust between us, where we could go on set and not have to worry about anything other than the material that we were performing. And I think Raymond just really invests in Dunk, just because he’s not kind of what he expects. And I think he sees Dunk as someone who gets treated lesser than, and he can kind of relate to that.
Bennett: “In terms of the villain of it all, I guess my job was really just to see if I could find anything to empathize with Aerion. And I think the reason for a lot of his actions is he feels embarrassed by the state that House Targaryen is in. He thinks they’ve kind of lost a grasp on power, and he thinks it’s time for them to be taken more seriously. And then there’s this very interesting spanner thrown in the works. A Peter Claffey size spanner. And that really shakes things up for him, and he kind of sees an opportunity to make a big bold statement and call for a trial of seven.”
On whether they took inspiration from other Game of Thrones’ characters:
Thomas: “I’d heard about Game of Thrones. I knew how big it was and how respected it was. But when I got the role, I didn’t want to subconsciously inherit anything from anyone else. I wanted to try and keep Raymond organic and original, and let him be his own person and his own character, in his own place. So once I finished filming then, I did watch Game of Thrones, and I was just taken back by the fact that I’d just done the prequel. I was like, ‘No way, this is crazy’.”
Bennett: “I guess for Aerion, I think he’s somebody who really feels the weight of the lineage, the weight of the Targaryen lineage. So it’s impossible not to watch Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon without really admiring those performances and wanting to take away aspects from it. But when you do get close, you think, ‘Okay, great, but what now? How do I make this original? What can I find that I can leave my mark on this?’ So yes and no.”
On how their characters’ family relationship affects the decisions that they make in this series:
Thomas: “Raymond kind of ends up in a position where he’s given someone a word, and I feel like he’s always wanted to break free of Stephan, try to get away from him. And then when he sees the opportunity to do so, I feel like he grabs it with both hands.
Bennett: “There’s an overbearing pressure on Aerion that kind of makes him act the way he does. And I think a lot of his action is to do with trying to impress people, trying to impress his father. He obviously goes about it in quite a funny way. ButI think family is hugely important to him. He doesn’t like feeling like his family’s not feared and respected.”
On how involved they were in stunts:
Bennett: “Every single one, all of us, 100%. I’m my own stuntman. No, we had great stuntmen, but I think it does fill you with the adrenaline”.
Thomas: “I remember just getting an overwhelming adrenaline and it was like a moment of, ‘Whoa, this is the start of something huge.’ I got the sense and with everything, everyone working on set, doing what they had to do, say, doing the smoke, I was taken back by how powerful it felt.”
On what you learned about yourself after filming:
Bennett: “I learned I have a very, very long way to go. I came into filming with such a plan, and I had to learn to let go of that plan sometimes, and trust in the process. And I don’t think there’s ever been a piece of work that I finished and I did everything perfectly. I think this is really one that I wish I could go back and do it all again, not necessarily to change things, but to experience all that again, and learn all of those things again.”
Thomas: “The biggest thing that I learned, going on to set and getting the role and not feeling very confident and almost feeling like, ‘Oh, am I going to be able? Am I going to give the people what they want?’ I have come away from it being more like, ‘Well, I stepped out of my comfort zone and moving forward, I need to be a little bit more confident in myself, and understanding that it’s not just given, it’s kind of also earned.’ I kind of walked away from it thinking, ‘Oh, I am an actor.’ I’ve just been on the HBO show, I’m an actor. Just accepting that.”
On whose armor was the most uncomfortable:
Bennett: “I had spikes on my gloves, and I also had spikes on my shoulders, so anytime I’d hug somebody, they would go, ‘Ow.’ That was kind of difficult. It was like trying to learn to use your hands again, which I thought was quite weird.”
Thomas: “I gave Sam Spruell a hug on set and impaled myself on his armor as well. He’s like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so sorry.’ I was like, ‘No, that was probably my fault’.”
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO on January 18.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Photo Credit: Steffan Hill/HBO