The next Game of Thrones spin-off star has already shaved his head in preparation to play Egg in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight. Based on George R. R. Martin’s books, the show will follow Dunk, a hedge knight looking to make a living in Westeros decades after the end of House of the Dragon. Alongside him is Egg, a little boy serving as his squire and keeping his Targaryen identity secret from the lonesome knight. It will star Peter Claffey (Dunk) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg) and is expected to be released in late 2025.
The Hedge Knight has its cast, and the Targaryen star is slowly starting to settle into his role. As Egg has to shave his head to hide his Targaryen hair, Ansell took to Instagram to show off his transformation. Check it out below:
In the video, an excited Ansell announces that he will be shaving his head, then reacts with shock as the barber removes strips of his hair. Partway through the video, Ansell states that he “won’t need shampoo for a while”, before stepping outside to show off his finished shave.
Who Is Egg In The Hedge Knight?
Egg Is A Targaryen Prince Who Shaves His Head To Hide His Identity
As the latest Game of Thrones spinoff, The Hedge Knight will follow House of the Dragon’s direction as a Targaryen-led show. While it will focus heavily on Ser Duncan the Tall, the second protagonist is Egg. While he attaches himself to the unwitting and unwilling Dunk, Egg is secretly Prince Aegon Targaryen, the son of King Maekar I. Dunk has no way of knowing it, but his squire will eventually grow to become King Aegon V, better known as Aegon the Unlikely. The two spend much of Egg’s youth wandering Westeros in search of wars to fight.
Despite being in line for the Iron Throne, Aegon is low in the line of succession and has other, more realistic dreams for his future. He wants to become a member of the Kingsguard, and he initially plans to squire for Daeron, his older brother. Daeron shaves his head to disguise his identity, so the two can wander the countryside aimlessly. Shaving him is a clever ploy, as the Targaryens possess distinctive silver hair. By shaving, Aegon remains unidentifiable and can easily pass as a typical member of the smallfolk.
The story takes place 90 years before Game of Thrones and is unlikely to feature dragons or magic, which both play significant roles in House of the Dragon. It is a more grounded story, where styling and removing hair replaces a Faceless Man’s magical glamor. The shaved head means that the next Game of Thrones spin-off required that drastic change for Dexter Sol Ansell. To disguise Egg, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight required that Ansell shave his head, and the actor rose to the occasion.
