The young actor playing Egg in the new HBO series lives in a house full of Westeros superfans who went crazy when they found out about his audition. At 11 years old, Dexter Sol Ansell is starring in one of the biggest shows on television, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. But there is a strange and funny twist: he is the only one in his family who has not actually watched the original Game of Thrones series that made this universe famous.
Ansell plays the role of Egg, a young squire traveling with Ser Duncan the Tall in the new prequel set 100 years before the events of the original show. While he brings the character to life on screen, his family members are the ones giving him advice on the lore. During a recent interview at New York Comic Con, Ansell shared the story of how his relatives reacted when he first told them he was trying out for a role in the Game of Thrones world.
“All of my family are like the biggest fans of the world of Game of Thrones, and when we got to tell them, they were like, ‘WHAT?! Go away!’” Ansell recalled. The excitement was so loud that even his dog got involved. “And they were all going crazy. And when I heard I got the job, my dog came rushing down because she’s a massive fan of Game of Thrones,” he joked.
The Young Star Is Too Young to Watch the Show He Stars In
One of the most unique aspects of Ansell’s casting is his age. He was just 10 years old while filming the first season, and at 11, he still has not seen the R-rated original series that started it all.
“I haven’t watched Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon because I’m obviously way too young,” Ansell explained. The HBO fantasy drama is known for its graphic violence and mature themes, making it unsuitable for viewers his age. However, that did not stop him from preparing for the role. After he was cast, he picked up the novellas written by George R.R. Martin to understand his character better.
Ansell shared that he read A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms books after landing the part. “But not before, but when I heard I was joining I read them,” he said. This preparation helped him connect with the character of Egg, who is a clever and determined young Targaryen prince hiding his identity.
A Bald Head and a Business Deal
Getting into character for Egg required a major change to Ansell’s appearance. The character is described as having a shaved head, and the young actor did not use a bald cap.
“It was not a bald cap. I did have to shave my hair,” Ansell told Nerdist. His commitment to the role was so strong that he nearly brought a razor to his final audition. He explained that they had a plan to shave his head right there in the room. “What if you don’t get the role? Then I’m going to go to school with a bald head for no reason,” he recalled thinking.
The decision paid off, but the cold weather on set was a surprise. “The first thing is, it’s very cold. It’s very cold being bald,” he said. However, Ansell turned the situation into a small business opportunity at his school. Because everyone wanted to touch his newly shaved head, he started charging for it. “I went, ‘Right, if you want to touch my head, then you have to buy me something.’ And I made a whole thing,” he shared.
Building a Bond With Peter Claffey Off-Screen
The chemistry between Ansell and his co-star Peter Claffey, who plays Ser Duncan the Tall, is the heart of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. For the young actor, finding the right Dunk was important from the very beginning of the audition process.
“Me and Peter, actually, at the first auditions I did, I was with lots of Dunks, and Peter, Dunk, he was my favorite and I really wanted him to get the role,” Ansell said on the official Game of Thrones podcast. The two actors spent a lot of time together before filming started to build their relationship.
Ansell explained that they hung out outside of work, playing video games and going to restaurants. “We had a good bond with each other. And off camera and on camera, we worked great,” he noted. During a separate interview, Claffey added that they spent months as the only two cast members during early preparations, which helped their friendship grow naturally.
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What’s Next for the Young Actor
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premiered on HBO and Max on January 18, 2026. The show has already been renewed for a second season, which is scheduled for 2027. Ansell will return to continue the story of Egg and Dunk as they travel through Westeros.
Before his big break in this franchise, Ansell had already built an impressive resume. He played a young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and appeared in the British soap Emmerdale. He also comes from a family of performers. His mother, Debbie Ansell, hosted the game show Quizmania, and his father, Jonathan Ansell, was a member of the pop-opera group G4.
For now, Ansell continues to work on the series while his family watches from home. And although he remains the only one in the house who has not seen the original Game of Thrones, he is living the experience through his own role. When asked which house he would join, Ansell did not pick a traditional one. “I make my own. I’ve got an idea for one. It’s like a blue and red shacked background with a sword for a fish,” he said.
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