For now, Tanzyn Crawford can still enjoy a quiet coffee in North Fremantle without being recognised. But the 25-year-old West Australian actress knows those anonymous days are rapidly coming to an end.
As she sat with STM at a small cafe, the staff sensed an undeniable presence—an X-factor in the way she carried herself. They subtly lingered, unaware they were in the company of a star on the precipice of global fame.
The following day, Crawford was scheduled to fly to Europe to join the publicity campaign for one of 2026's most anticipated television events: the Game of Thrones spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Her face is about to be beamed into millions of households worldwide.
From WAAPA to Westeros: An Unconventional Journey
Crawford's path to the epic fantasy world of Westeros was anything but straightforward. After graduating from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2021, her career launched with the 2023 series Tiny Beautiful Things, produced by Reese Witherspoon and Laura Dern. The show earned two Emmy nominations.
Her dual Australian-American citizenship, thanks to her Indiana-born father, opened doors in the US market. Yet, acting wasn't her initial plan. Crawford was two years into a wildlife conservation and biology degree at Murdoch University, aspiring to be a zoologist, when a friend convinced her to audition for WAAPA on a whim.
"I got in, my friend didn't, and the rest is history," Crawford reflects. "WAAPA changed the course of my life."
Stepping into the Game of Thrones Universe
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, based on George R.R. Martin's novellas, is the next expansion in the Game of Thrones franchise. Set about a century before the original series, it follows the story of knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire, Egg.
Crawford plays Tanselle, a witty Dornish puppeteer known as 'Tanselle Too-Tall', who becomes Dunk's love interest. Showrunner Ira Parker said Crawford secured the role by perfectly capturing the character's shy yet intriguing nature in her audition.
"The line that she nailed that got her the job was: 'All men are fools and all men are knights,'" Parker told Den of Geek.
Filming took place in Ireland over seven weeks in late 2024. Crawford describes a positive set experience, bonding closely with co-stars Peter Claffey (Dunk) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Egg). The series has already been greenlit for a second season.
Navigating Fame and the Spotlight
With the baked-in audience of the Game of Thrones franchise comes intense scrutiny. Crawford admits to feeling nervous about the exposure, particularly as one of only a few women in the cast and the only person of colour.
"I have had some maybe not super positive comments, targeting those things," she acknowledges. "But it's very outweighed by the positivity for sure."
Despite the impending fame, Crawford's demeanour remains low-key. She confesses she's only ever watched one episode of Game of Thrones, finding it too "gory and violent." Her focus was on crafting a detailed backstory for Tanselle, imagining her as someone who projects confidence on stage but is less assured in real life.
As for what's next, Crawford is also starring in the upcoming feature film Under the Lights with Lake Bell and Nick Offerman. But for now, all eyes are on Westeros.
Back at the North Fremantle cafe, after Crawford departed, the waitresses—who turned out to be Game of Thrones fans—finally learned her identity. Their offer of lifetime free coffee was a sweet gesture, but one that may soon be impractical. Tanzyn Crawford's world is about to get much, much bigger.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms premieres on HBO Max on January 19, 2026.
