As though we weren’t scrambling enough with the Daenerys news, those pesky people at Westeros decided to go and uncover yet another audition tape. This one depicts an Irish actor / DJ named Kristian Nairn auditioning for Hodor.
Fire And Blood: He certainly looks the part, though from what I saw he would more inhabit it physically than skillfully. Were I the one auditioning a Hodor, I would ask the actor to say “Hodor” in as many ways as possible, just to see what kind of different inflections we might get from him. Hodor is a one word role, not a one-note role. From the video (I urge you to see it before it gets yanked) I can’t tell if Kristian is an actor rather than just a big strong guy who looks like Hodor.
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36 Comments
Yeah, that was my one problem, he only really mastered one emotion, and I don't think Hodor is a one-note character. But who knows what they'll go with (if they even include hodor)
Ser_NAQuote Reply
Nice and dopey looking :) He'd be fine.
shadallionQuote Reply
Lia Wieliczko auditions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=istyN5KSJVs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to887T-3eAQ
NinepennyQuote Reply
Thanks, Ninepenny. I think.
I guess having Lia attempt an accent was out of the question. (Take heart, fair Lia, for at least you were better than the guy reading opposite you.)
I think I'll keep this audition on file in case people complain about how bad some auditions are; here is proof there can always be something worse.
Fire And BloodQuote Reply
This is the one I mentioned about finding and not even bothering to bring over, given the reception the others had gotten. It didn't seem like it'd be a nice thing to do.
Especially now that the role has been cast.
paulgudeQuote Reply
I always imagined Hodor talking like Timmy from South Park. There's one episode where Timmy "talks" to his friend about steroid abuse. He says Timmy a hundred different ways. That's how I see Hodor.
Here's a sample. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiZ4C3k0Z4U&fe…
KevinQuote Reply
Completely off topic but……New Dany found! Martin posted on it on his Not a Blog.
YoungDragonQuote Reply
They're discussing it in this thread:
http://winter-is-coming.net/2010/05/mo-ryan-scoop…
Check it out!
paulgudeQuote Reply
HODOOOOOR!!!
LexQuote Reply
Hodor?
LexQuote Reply
Curious…has anyone listened to the audio books for the series? I found the narrator does an excellent job with many of the voices…including Hodor. (which kind of spoils me when it comes to listening to anyone else audition…heh)
RapunzaraQuote Reply
Yikes.
This video is so unprofessionally done, I have a hard time believing it was anything more than a "I'm unknown, but I'm big, can I be Hodor" request from a a fan.
Why would you shoot this in a tiny yard with no room for him to move? His failing at his "feat of strength" was a joke. I'm glad the other dude can't life the table, but if you want to show off your strength, you should maybe try to lift the object in question BEFORE you start filming.
I didn't like the way he was looking up at Bran's signals. Hodor has limited speech and capability, but he isn't deaf. When responding to Hodor-calls, the camera was never in the right spot, and he always had a stupid smile.
The challenge with Hodor is that he DOES have a range of emotion, and this "audition" doesn't show frightened Hodor or worried Hodor or anything other than "horse" Hodor. Which is exactly what Hodor SHOULDN'T be.
stevelabnyQuote Reply
lol yeah I found this at the beginning of the week too, but didn't think it was worth it.
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
Hodor.
ScottQuote Reply
I would still like to see
Neil Fingleton 7ft 7.5ins, Britain's tallest man http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1233143/B…
Gene4244Quote Reply
Well, physically, he fits …
Hear Me RoarQuote Reply
Nice to see that he's getting some stage experience. I'd hope they'd at least give him a shot at Hodor.
paulgudeQuote Reply
I don't like him being so tall. I know it's weird, but for me Hodor's height is not as important as GREGOR's. Sure, Hodor's hot to be a large, bulky, strong man, but this guy is just towering. It might be distracting of the other sides of the character.
I'll say let the real extreme height fo The Mountain that Rides.
CaedesQuote Reply
My one issue is that while Neil is tall, he looks much more "average" than Kristian Nairn. Kristian looks like a big guy to me, with broad features that carry over. If I just saw Neil in a head-and-shoulders shot with no other person to gauge size, I'd have no idea he was that tall.
paulgudeQuote Reply
God …I love you gals and girls…am I the only one who thinks the casting of Hodor isn’t a big deal lol ?
Coltaine777Quote Reply
I pictured Hodor as a bit more graceful than that. Not saying this guy can't "be" that. Just my impression of the character.
dizzy34Quote Reply
hah I kind of have to agree. It would be funny though if they found some esteemed and highly trained stage actor who could bring out all the nuance of their one repeated line… "HODOR!"
ChrisQuote Reply
Besides his height, Hodor has to be strong – after all, he has to be able to carry Bran with ease, not only in the final product we will see (hurray!) but also in every take they might have to take and maybe sometimes in-between. Not every uncannily tall person is fitted for that.
And besides on another practical side, farther above the ground Bran-actor is sailing the bigger the risks are getting. We don't want him to fall (again)… So I don't think the tallest person available is the best option, we have to take in account other aspects.*
* including ability to act, obviously
SnowfellQuote Reply
I've only listened to the audio books – I'm overseas and can't get my hands on English books so easily. I absolutely love the way Roy Dotrice narrates – especially Hodor! I'm only up to the middle of Book 3, but so far, this series is amazing and totally addicting! I can't wait to get my hands on the books and actually READ it through!
JustStacyQuote Reply
This guys not bad, but not great. He might be better with the help of a director.
Nice to see a Hodor audition, though!
LexQuote Reply
I like him very much. I can very well see him as the dumb, but friendly ‘giant’. :-)
By the way, what is all that talk bout Hodor’s actor to be the (best) expierienced stage actor? Hodor IS dumb. What doesn’t mean he has no feelings. He sometimes seems to have a sixths sense. But his feelings feel kind of rare…or obvious. No need of sublte acting.
You must be kidding, right? I’m just too stupid not to find the irony in your posts, right? right? (Seems like we all feel like experts on these castings videos…)
LibelleQuote Reply
I don't think Hodor's actor has to be much trained in acting (luckily, for there wouldn't be that great pool of fitting Olivier-winning giants), but it is still unfortunate that Nairn didn't even try to act any but one emotion during that tape. If it doesn't ask for award-winning acting, it anyway requires somewhat emotive face and a spectrum of different sounding "hodors". There's really no point in just turning around time after time when someone shouts his name… The joke gets old pretty quickly.
On the other hand as Nairn didn't try, he didn't exactly fail either. So depending on how many people have tried out for Hodor, Nairn may get a new chance to show his qualities. If there were many, someone's bound to be better prepared and thus be picked without another round.
SnowfellQuote Reply
I'd say that was more of an issue with the off-camera guy "running" the show, and like you said, if they like what they see they can always give him more stuff to work with when he comes in. Like the old joke:
"Okay, so you're hungry and someone asks if anyone wants some food. You say…"
"Hodor!"
"Okay, now it's dark and Bran is looking for you, but you can't see him. You say?"
"HODOR!!!"
"You think someone made a good point."
"Hodor."
"You uncover a plot to assassinate a prominent noblewoman, but you're conflicted because you think her death could actually save innocent lives."
"Hodor?"
"Hmmm…try again. Maybe a little more 'Hodor,' and a little less, 'Hodor' this time."
paulgudeQuote Reply
lol
Good joke!
MargaQuote Reply
This is what I was just thinking, though a bit more seriously. I like the last prompt :)
But along the lines of "Inquisitive"
"Hodor?"
"Sad"
"Hodor"
"Confused"
"Hodor"
Excited
"HODOR!!!"
Comforting
"Hodor."
The part can easily go to someone whose memory isn't the best, but they do need vocal control.
world_dancerQuote Reply
Isn't Hodor supposed to be powerfully built? That guy looks like 300 lbs of chewed bubble gum. I hate this guy as Hodor.
theflyingcamelQuote Reply
I always thought of Hodor as being big, but not "cut" at all, so he didn't bug me that much on that score.
paulgudeQuote Reply
More on Ian Whyte:
http://www.ianwhyte.com
He's 7'1" and has a lot of film experience:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1613839/
Plus, he follows both Winter Is Coming and Westeros on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Ian_Whyte
His twitter description?
"Enormous, cuddly giant guy, capers about in movies."
Perfect.
If they can get him, I think he'd be awesome.
paulgudeQuote Reply
Of course, now it's all but official that Kristian Nairn is Hodor.
I'm really surprised, but happy at this. I didn't have a problem with him, but it really seemed like an "outsider" tape when I saw his audition. It wasn't some polished tape, just a guy who wanted to play Hodor and gave it a shot.
Then he got the part.
I'm glad I live in a world where something like that can happen.
I'm glad I live
paulgudeQuote Reply
Video is not working. Please re-upload somewhere else.
SinnfreiQuote Reply
My name is Hodor…. It’s the most awesome last name EVER!!! I love being named Hodor!!!
Ashlee HodorQuote Reply
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