‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ stars Peter Claffey and Tanzyn Crawford break down Dunk and Tanselle’s “absolutely hilarious” flirtations: “That’s how bad I am with women”

One of the most charming parts of HBO‘s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the role that chivalric romance plays. While Ser Duncan the Tall (Peter Claffey) may not have a castle to his name, or even a family coat of arms, he does have a crush. Tanselle “Too Tall” (Tanzyn Crawford) is a Dornish artist and puppeteer who captures Dunk’s attention, setting up numerous adorably awkward scenes between the two. But does Tanselle like Duncan?

**Spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2 “Hard Salt Beef,” now streaming on HBO Max**

We first met Tanselle in the very first episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. She was narrating an ornate puppet show about a brave knight using a mirror shield to defeat a dragon. Duncan was captivated by the beauty. So much so, when Prince Baelor Targaryen (Bertie Carvel) instructs him to get Ser Arlan’s shield repainted with his own coat of arms, he thinks of Tanselle for the job.

What follows is a sweet scene where Dunk attempts to flirt with Tanselle. When she commiserates with him over their shared tall heights, noting the boys called her “Tanselle Too Tall” as a girl, Dunk nearly steps in it by saying she’s just the right height for… Well, something he dare not say.

“I was holding laughter that whole entire scene,” A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms star Dexter Sol Ansell told DECIDER. “Because he was saying stuff like, ‘Oh, it’s just for…’ And then I just pop in with, ‘Puppets!’ That scene was absolutely hilarious.”

“I didn’t have to act for that, really,” Peter Claffey said. “That’s how bad I am with women there. So there was no acting involved.”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is based on the first “Dunk and Egg” novella by George R.R. Martin, “The Hedge Knight.” That short story only gives us Dunk’s perspective, so we never really get to know Tanselle outside of the young knight’s crush. The HBO show gives us a few more clues about her via Tanzyn Crawford’s performance.

When DECIDER caught up with the Australian actress, she admitted that she had conversations with series showrunner Ira Parker about Tanselle’s true feelings for Dunk.

“We landed on maybe in the beginning it’s not so much a mutual attraction,” Crawford said. “I think it grows over the the episodes.”

“Yeah, I like that it’s kind of a mystery because I think that’s how it is in real life. I mean, how often have you been in love with someone and no one’s ever known? And then that person just passes you by and you never speak to them again. So, yeah, I think it’s like a little bit unrequited maybe on both sides at points in certain conversations.”

Part of what makes Tanselle stand out, aside from her great height and beauty, is her talent on stage. Claffey and Ansell gushed about the puppets they saw on set, noting the dragon breathed “proper fire” in person, too. Crawford revealed to DECIDER that the reason why Tanselle might be playing different roles in each show — she’ll take the part of the knight next week, for instance — is actually a nod to her ambivalence towards the stage.

“Why not just do the same role every night? Everybody has their roles,” Crawford said. “What I landed on is that maybe this is not really her jam. Maybe she’s not really a performer.”

Crawford thinks that Tanselle preferred “being behind the scenes, painting or crafting or whatever.” What her “little troupe” does is swap in players when other actors are unavailable.

If so, it makes Tanselle’s talent even more impressive considering it’s not her passion. Painting, though, is. Which also makes Dunk’s request for her to paint his new coat of arms all the more precious.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms returns this Sunday at 10 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.