Stranger Things is arguably the show that defined the 2010s, second only to HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Its later seasons were affected by its child cast growing up, and writers had to find new ways to circumvent the issue.
The same problem could plague future seasons of the new GoT spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, despite the impactful performance of Dexter Sol Ansell as Egg.
Highlights
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner hinted at a long-term strategy to sidestep a major problem that hurt Stranger Things.
- Ira Parker explained how he planned to deal with child star Dexter Sol Ansell’s aging as the series progressed.
- The young star opened up about receiving praise from the Game of Thrones creator and joining one of TV’s biggest franchises.
However, showrunner Ira Parker admitted to having a bold solution.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner shares why Dexter Sol Ansell’s aging won’t be an issue
Image credits: Game of Thrones/YouTube
In the series, Dexter Sol Ansell plays Egg, the 10-year-old squire of Ser Duncan the Tall, a wandering hedge knight played by Peter Claffey. The spin-off has already been renewed for a second season, but showrunner Ira Parker has plans to expand Dunk and Egg’s story.
Naturally, Ansell, who is currently 11 years old, will age up as the series progresses, a hurdle Parker has already planned for.
During a chat with Variety, the co-creator revealed that he had jokingly pitched HBO a plan to divide the series into batches of 3 to 5 seasons, each exploring a different period in Egg’s life.
Image credits: HBO
“I would love to do three, four, or five seasons with Egg the boy and then come back in five or 10 years and do a few more with Egg the prince,” he said.
Parker compared the plan with director Richard Linklater’s approach to the 2014 Academy Award-winning film Boyhood, which captured actor Ellar Coltrane’s growth from 6 to 18 years old in real time.
“Then come back in five or 10 years from then and do him at the end of his life — Linklater method,” Parker added.
Dexter Sol Ansell revealed the scene that earned him George R. R. Martin’s approval
Image credits: HBO
In a separate interview with Radio Times, Ansell discussed his experience of working on the show’s first season. The English child actor revealed that a gruelling tug-of-war scene was the moment that earned him the props of franchise creator George R. R. Martin.
“I was dangling off this rope, I was holding, literally for my life, 'cause I really didn't want to fall in the mud," he said.
Ansell admitted that everyone was so committed to the scene that it became an actual game, and he had to dangle himself on the rope to ensure his side won, as written in the script.
His commitment did not go unnoticed, as Martin, who was present during the scene’s filming, praised his performance.
"So, I go over, I go over to him, and he says, 'Wow, you're so good, and you look, and you act like you've really just jumped out (of) the books.' And that's amazing to hear from the creator of my character," he said of the interaction.
Dexter Sol Ansell reacts to becoming a part of the Game of Thrones universe
Image credits: HBO
Ansell, who hails from Leeds, told ExtraTV that he had never watched the original show and was unaware of its huge fan following. However, when he was cast as Egg, he learned just how big the franchise was from his family.
He said, “It's crazy and all this. It's amazing to be part of.”
The 11-year-old actor is the son of singer Jonathan Ansell, who is a member of the pop-opera group G4, and Debbie Ansell, the former host of the British reality game show Quizmania.
Image credits: HBO
He debuted as a child actor in 2016, playing Carl Holliday in the daytime soap opera Emmerdale. In 2023, he appeared as Young Coriolanus Snow in The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
Ansell is next expected to appear in the upcoming drama movie 500 Miles, directed by Morgan Matthews.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is currently streaming on HBO Max.