#572: Actor Peter Claffey on Starring in HBO'S New Game of Thrones Spin Off and The Journey from Connacht Rugby to Knight of the Seven Kingdoms!

Today's show is an in person podcast with Peter Claffey.    Peter is a former professional rugby player turned actor.    He is the co-lead in the new HBO show, The Knight of The Seven Kingdoms (available on HBO and Sky Atlantic now)    On top of being a long term friend of mine and an incredible human being, Peter has such an inspirational story about following a passion and your path of curiosity, even if it looks crazy from the outside.    We go longer than normal in this episode as we cover everything from Peter's upbringings, the ups and downs of professional sport and getting cast as the lead in Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to identity, psychedelics and mental health.    A great conversation that you can also watch on YouTube.     Watch the full video on YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/c/briankeanefitness     Sponsored by the Circle https://briankeanefitness.com/online-mastermind   Time stamps from today's show 00:00 Introduction & Recording the Episode In-Person 01:05 Who Peter Claffey Is & HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms 02:30 Brian & Peter's Personal Relationship and Family Dynamic 05:10 From Connacht Rugby to Questioning Identity 08:00 Growing Up in Ireland & Status Through Sport 11:00 Trying to Impress Dad and Finding Belonging 14:00 Discovering Rugby and Making It an Identity 18:00 The Academy System & When Things Stop Clicking 22:30 Loneliness Inside a Team Environment 27:30 Early Creative Urges: Film, Music, and Performance 31:00 Social Media as a Creative Outlet 35:00 When Rugby Stops Feeling Aligned 39:30 Leaving the Academy & Identity Collapse 44:00 Making Decisions for Parental Approval 48:30 Breaking Old Identities to Build New Ones 52:00 The Initial Leap from Rugby to Acting 57:00 Fear, Confidence, and Zero-to-One Transitions 1:02:00 Film School, Auditions, and Early Risk-Taking 1:07:30 COVID Disrupting the Acting Industry 1:12:30 Showcases, Agents, and Missed Opportunities 1:18:00 Self-Doubt, Patience, and Long-Term Vision 1:22:30 Psychedelics, Ego Death, and Identity Reset 1:29:00 Anxiety, the Nervous System, and Human Wiring 1:33:00 Mimetic Desire, Comparison, and Living on Your Terms 1:37:00 Advice for Anyone Stuck Between Identities 1:39:00 Final Reflections & Episode Wrap-Up