Genius at Age 11: Dexter Sol Ansell From the Seven Kingdoms to Bill Nighy’s Advice
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, British 11-year-old star Dexter Sol Ansell is currently making his mark in Hollywood with the same charm and wit as his beloved character, “Egg.” The young actor, who recently became the youngest recipient of IMDb’s “StarMeter” Award, talks about his sudden rise to fame, the release of his new film, and the fascinating advice he received from Bill Nighy.
Ansell began acting at the age of four with an audition for a British series, subsequently climbing the ladder of success with standout performances in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the horror feature The Moor. However, no one was quite prepared for his stunning genius in the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms—the hit Game of Thrones spinoff that premiered on HBO in January, where Ansell’s portrayal of “Egg” (who is later revealed to be Prince Aegon Targaryen) earned universal critical acclaim.
George R.R. Martin’s Approval and On-Set Camradeship
George R.R. Martin, the legendary creator of this fantasy universe, approved of Ansell’s casting right from the start. Recounting his meeting with the author, Dexter says: “Martin was very happy. He didn’t give me any advice; he just said, ‘You look and sound exactly like you jumped right out of my books!’ If you look at the comic book illustrations for this story, drawn five years before I was born, you’ll see Egg looks exactly like me. It’s as if they waited for me to be born before making the show!”
The young actor, who is currently in Ireland filming the second season of the series, considers his close friendship with Peter Claffey (who plays Ser Duncan the Tall) to be the project’s greatest reward. “We hang out constantly behind the scenes,” he notes, “and we even want to make a duo music album in the future called The Twin Dessert-Eaters!”
The Release of the Indie Film “500 Miles” and Co-Starring with Veterans
The primary focus of the interview with Ansell is the release of his new feature film, 500 Miles, which recently hit theaters across the UK. Directed by Morgan Matthews, the film is an adaptation of the novel Charlie and Me. In this moving drama, Ansell plays a young boy named Charlie who, along with his older brother (played by Roman Griffin Davis, the star of Jojo Rabbit), embarks on a 500-mile journey from Sheffield to the west coast of Ireland to find their estranged grandfather (played by Bill Nighy) and reunite their broken family.
Reflecting on his experience working alongside the veteran British actor Bill Nighy, Ansell says: “I didn’t realize how big of a deal he was before working with him, but during our breaks on set, he would suddenly deliver these amazing speeches about life.” When asked if Nighy had given him any specific advice, Ansell laughed and replied:
“Yes! Bill told me: ‘Pay your taxes on time, don’t smoke, and stay away from any bad stuff!’ Of course, I was never going to do those things anyway, but hearing it from him was really cool.”
The film also features an interesting crossover with the Game of Thrones universe, as Maisie Williams (who played Arya Stark) joins the two brothers on their journey in the role of an Irish street musician.
Dreams for the Future
Dexter Sol Ansell harbors grand ambitions. Citing Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Jim Carrey as his favorite actors, he dreams of one day starring in a film directed by Steven Spielberg. His plan for his Hollywood future is simple yet ambitious: “I want us to make five seasons of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and in between filming each season, I want to star in a major independent feature film.”
