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Bonding over Mario Kart: How the Nintendo racing game made the Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms become a better show
How Mario Kart helped the Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms become a better show
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To make a successful show, it’s important that the two lead actors have chemistry. There are many ways to do that, but I think the two leads of HBO’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms have found a fun way. The upcoming Game of Thrones prequel, which premieres January 18, 2026, stars 29-year-old Irish actor Peter Claffey and 11-year-old British actor Dexter Sol Ansell. How can a 29-year-old man find common ground with an 11-year-old boy?
“Arcade,” Egg actor Dexter Sol Ansell tells Popverse’s Ashely Victoria Robinson during a New York Comic Con interview.
“Arcade,” Dunk actor Peter Claffey echoes. “Arcade every weekend,” Ansell adds.
The two actors then began a fun back-and-forth about their Mario Kart skills.
“I like to decompress after shooting by just kicking his ass in Mario Kart,” Claffey says. “I win,” Ansell claims. “Rarely in Mario Kart. Air hockey, yes. There’s a Batman and Joker air hockey table,” Claffey says.
“I’m too good,” Ansell says. “But I always get to be Batman,” Claffey replies. “I’m the best at winning tickets,” Ansell adds.
Their friendship and chemistry became clear as the actors bantered. Especially when they talked about their favorite Mario Kart racers. “I’m a Donkey Kong guy, but it’s the one that Zelda is in it as well. Or Link,” Claffey says.
“I can never [pick my race], because you have to spin the wheel to choose, I can never get the right one. I don’t even know who I’m aiming for. Usually, I get like Bowser or something, but I can never get it,” Ansell says. “He always ends up with Peach. We’ll play it on the Switch in the future,” Claffey says.
For more on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, check out the full interview below:
House of the Dragon season 2 may be over, but Popverse is still in the Westeros spirit, and we've got more Game of Thrones articles than could fit on a spiky chair. We've got everything you need to dive into the series, including:
- How to watch through the Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon saga in order
- How to read Game of Thrones in order
- The biggest differences between the two HBO shows set in Westeros,
- The history of Westeros's greatest houses & families
- Every single dragon in House of the Dragon so far
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO's upcoming GoT spinoff
Plus much more coming as it gets announced!
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