Finn Bennett has made a career of playing the good guy, and he is fond of playing nice characters. So, when ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ came knocking, he was skeptical. But no one can deny that his portrayal of the Targaryen villain Prince Aerion in the ‘Game of Thrones‘ spinoff is spectacular.
However, the actor stated that he never wanted to play such a role and was not interested in it during his audition. Then, what made him change his decision?
Finn Bennett Felt “Disheartened” Auditioning for ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’
During a recent interview, Finn Bennett opened up about his audition for Prince Aerion and admitted he never felt the role suited him. The actor recalled thinking to himself, “This is so not for me,” as he prepared for the part.
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He explained that rehearsing the lines actually left him a little disheartened. It’s because the character was so far from the kind of roles he enjoys playing.
Bennett shared, “I’d been rehearsing the side that they sent out to me, and I was a little bit disheartened. I made up my mind to go into the audition, and if they had notes, I’d respond to the notes and then move on”. It was clear from the get-go that Bennett would have to escape his comfort zone.
Bennett Felt “Nasty” Playing The Twisted Targaryen Prince
Adapting to new and unique character arcs was not something Finn Bennett was used to. He revealed how the combat training drained him for several weeks. “There was virtually no acting involved. I did no acting for eight weeks while I was doing warfare,” said Bennett.
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He described feeling overwhelmed during the early days of filming. Bennett continued, “There was a moment of, ‘Have I forgotten how to perform?’” He admitted how confused he was while playing the main antagonist in the show. It seemed “nasty” to him.
“I guess there is the added thing that if you’re a villain, you don’t like what you’re doing because it feels nasty,” added Bennett. It’s clear that he despises the role of Prince Aerion, but he knows some viewers might say otherwise. It’s because he has played the role with commendable conviction so far.
Despite his personal discomfort with the role, Bennett’s honesty has only made fans more curious about his performance. Sometimes, the actors who resist a character the most end up bringing the most depth to it. And that may well be the case here.
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