The Game of Thrones universe returns on January 18 with the release of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, introducing fans to a new star of Westeros in Peter Claffey.
The 29-year-old Claffey, originally from Portumna, Ireland, plays Ser Duncan the Tall in the HBO Max fantasy series, which serves as a prequel to Thrones and is based on George R.R. Martin’s 1998 novella The Hedge Knight.
Although few details have been released about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and its plot, Claffey has assured fans the series will offer the same political turmoil and gory violence of its TV counterparts—with an added touch of humor from Ser Duncan.
“The comedic aspects of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are, they’re earned kind of, towards the start. And for any fans that are nervous about that side of things, it all works,” Claffey told Nerdist. “I, too, was wondering and self-conscious about whether I was going to deliver these lighter things in such a serious world. And it does work in the end.”
Claffey added leading one of the most anticipated shows of the new year is a “dream come true.”
“You’ve an opportunity to play so many different themes and emotions and stuff. So it’s almost like the dream come true for an actor to be able to do all these different things,” he said.
But you might be surprised to learn the leading man is a relative newcomer to acting—having only started in earnest the last handful of years.
Here’s what else you need to know about his background and performance.
Claffey played professional rugby before acting
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Peter Claffey works out during training for the Connacht rugby club in 2018 in Galway, Ireland.
The first thing most probably notice about Claffey, born in Portumna on July 28, 1996, is his imposing presence at 6 feet, 5 inches tall. Growing up, he used that stature to his advantage as a rugby union player.
Claffey competed for Ireland’s under-20 national team in the 2016 Six Nations tournament and played for the Galwegians Rugby Football Club and Connacht Rugby. He was a lock (second-row forward), a position important for adding power and stability to his team’s formation in a scrum.
However, Claffey never made a match appearance for the Connacht senior team and was released in 2019, pivoting to acting shortly after.
Claffey previously described himself to Rugby Players Ireland as “the jester in any team I’ve played in,” which he admits may have led others to question his commitment. “But I did care. I worked my ass off and tried to prove myself every single day, especially when it became clear that I was never going to be on the teamsheet for the weekend. That was tough.”
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He made his stage debut in 2022
Claffey honed his performative skills for a year at Bow Street Academy, Ireland’s national screen acting school located in Dublin. Named after its location on the road formerly home to the original Jameson whiskey distillery, the facility has trained other notable actors including Saltburn (2023) lead Barry Keoghan and Midsommar (2019) star Jack Reynor.
Transitioning from rugby was a challenge at first for Claffey, who had to temper his emotions on the pitch interacting with referees and teammates. “By comparison, I have found that the best stuff I have come out with in my acting is when I find that flow, be in the moment and I let the emotions rule me. You let them run their course. It’s a very personal experience,” he told Rugby Players Ireland.
Once he was comfortable in his new environment, Claffey made his professional stage debut in an Abbey Theater production of A Whistle in the Dark in 2022. He played Iggy Carney in the Tom Murphy play about a violent Irish family of immigrants living in England. “Iggy is the quietest of them but also the most formidable in a sense,” Claffey told the Connacht Tribune. “He only speaks when he feels he needs to but when he does speak, he’s heard.”
When he has a break from traversing Westeros, Claffey is open to doing more theater work. “I’d love to go over to the West End. I have a dream of doing something on Broadway,” he told Screen Daily.
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Claffey acted with Irish Oscar winner Cillian Murphy
Claffey is relatively new to movie and TV acting, and his credits include recurring roles on the British horror comedy series Wreck, the Netflix historical drama Vikings: Valhalla, and the Apple TV+ black comedy Bad Sisters.
In 2024, he appeared in his first full-length film, portraying Barry in the screen adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel Small Things Like These. The movie stars fellow Irish actor Cillian Murphy, best known as Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders and an Oscar winner for his performance as the American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in 2023’s Oppenheimer.
He dealt with imposter syndrome on the Seven Kingdoms set
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Peter Claffey and costar Dexter Sol Ansell speak during a panel event at New York Comic Con in 2025.
Those previous roles prepared Claffey for his biggest project to date, playing Ser Duncan—simply known as “Dunk”—in Seven Kingdoms. The series, which contains six scheduled episodes for season one, also features Dexter Sol Ansell as Prince Aegon V Targaryen, or “Egg,” who serves as Duncan’s squire.
Shortly after Variety broke news of the duo’s casting in 2024, creator Martin offered his own praise for Claffey. “And he’s tall. OK, maybe not quite as tall as Ser Duncan the Tall, but still plenty tall, and with the magic of television … His readings were terrific. I think you’re going to love him,” Martin wrote.
“Peter and Dexter. They should make one hell of a pair,” the author added.
Claffey wasn’t as sure at first, and admitted to battling self-doubt on the set.
“Unless you’re Joaquin Phoenix or Christian Bale, where you’re so goddamn good, there’s no way that you couldn’t have that imposter syndrome. I’m sure every actor is kind of like, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’” he told GQ. “Fortunately for me, it kind of contributed to playing Dunk, because he has all of the same qualities, and nervousness, and the lack of confidence within himself.”
You can judge all the endearing qualities of Dunk for yourself starting Sunday, January 18, when the first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms debuts at 10 p.m. ET on HBO Max.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he’s not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.