I’ve heard from a reliable source that Neil Fingleton, the UK’s tallest man and self-described world’s tallest actor, has auditioned for the role of Gregor in Game of Thrones. The audition occurred a few weeks ago in London, so it is possible that the role may have already been cast by now. At any rate, Fingleton would have to join Conan Stevens on the short list (no pun intended!) of actors tall enough to play Gregor.
Winter Is Coming: In my opinion, Fingleton doesn’t quite fit the role as well as Stevens. Despite his height, he lacks the physical presence that I think Stevens has. That being said, if they wish to stay accurate to Gregor’s height as described in the books, the over 7 1/2 foot tall Fingleton is spot on.
UPDATE: Another interesting find on Twitter, this one courtesy of Paul Gude. Ian Whyte, a 7′ Welsh actor/stunt man, has tweeted, “Tense, nervous wait on audition news, hit all my lines, perfect physically, just waiting. Need a collective, karmic crossing of fingers!” Obviously this could refer to anything, however check out who Whyte recently began following on his Twitter account, Westeros and yours truly. Proof he auditioned for Thrones? No. A strong sign? I think so.
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182 Comments
Doesn't look like Gregor to me, but I'm SURE they could find another role for him in there somewhere!
LexQuote Reply
He looks too nice to be a Ser Gregor.
@alicelouise58Quote Reply
Definitely. No shortage of tall characters in ASOIAF. I was thinking, with some camera tricks, he could be Left and Right, if the series makes it that far.
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
Hodor!
JRQQuote Reply
Nah… I assume/hope he didn't get it. Conan Stevens should have been called in, though. To think we don't know if he even got to audition for Gregor…
sjweningsQuote Reply
I'm sure it's easier to film when all actors are the correct heights for their characters, but is it really necessary? What about Lord of the Rings, where the 6'1" John Rhys-Davies played the dwarf Gimli? Then again, I have absolutely no knowledge of film, so there could be circumstances I'm not aware of.
@emgettQuote Reply
Haha that's a great idea
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
He is very tall, but that's about it for the resemblance. And I don't know how easy it is to build muscle on a frame like that, but he had better start trying if he gets cast.
GeorgeQuote Reply
I second this.
NiceShotQuote Reply
I think it's not imperative to have muscled actor in the role, since most of the time we see Gregor he is wearing full plate armor. Even acting skills aren't paramount. It's more important to have really tall guy. Or maybe not so much important, but definitely very cool. That being said, this is the "actor" I always pictured in the role of the Mountain: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/My_…
(no, not Billy Crystal :) )
MilanQuote Reply
This is my golden opportunity to reprise my petition to have Nikolai Valuev play Ser Gregor…
http://www.liftingfaces.com/uploads/nikolaivaluev…
Images spek for themselves my friends. If this isn't Gregor incarnate I'll eat my pants.
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
Like I said the last time this was suggested, people have remarked on the resemblance between Rory McCann and Conan Stevens, Nikolai Valuev has a look to me like a larger, more brutish version of Rory, which would completely work. The only issue for me about Nikolai is what I assume his voice sounds like. Until I hear him speak without an accent Conan is still my favorite.
I understand that you could have another actor do the voice of Gregor when Nikolai has a helm on, and maybe they could cut all of his lines when he has it off, but something would be weird enough about it that I think any benefits of Nikolai's "look" would be off.
As far as Neil Fingleton goes, this clip makes me a little more comfortable with him playing Hodor, if that's what they eventually decide.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRMsmNrD6Wo
paulgudeQuote Reply
He does look like Left and Right, in my mind.
pualoQuote Reply
I would feel very comfortable with him as Hodor. He has "gentle giant" written all over him. What a nice guy!
Stella MarisQuote Reply
Its gotta be Conan Stevens. He's got the right height, the right physique, and as mentioned looks like Rory McCann. He's also done plenty of fight scenes in his time. It would be a crying shame if he hasn't got the chance to audition.
JG84Quote Reply
The height effects in LOTR took a LOT of hard work. However, Gimli was an interesting one. As you say, he was 6'1" (actually the tallest member of the fellowship!), BUT there was one very lucky fact: he was proportionately the right height compared to the hobbit actors! If there was a scene with just Gimli and the hobbits, no effects were needed.
LexQuote Reply
I second the Conan Stevens vote.
What's the deal withhttp://www.conanstevens.com? It's almost like a Advertisement executive's suitcase blew-up in there.
RerQuote Reply
Basically, I think he's looking to get money any way he can:
http://www.conanstevens.com/acting-movies-tv-film…
That'd include squeezing every little last bit of ad revenue from his site, I'll bet.
paulgudeQuote Reply
"Gentle giant" is right. I can really see him as Hodor. Should that ever be the case, I hope Isaac isn't afraid of heights ^^
Sarah Curry BurchQuote Reply
Conan Stevens can be my Hound and Neil Fingleton my Mountain That Rides. There is no substitute for height and you can't coach it in acting class. He is a nice guy but that doesn't mean he can't ACT mean. His bulk can be convincingly handled but he isn't absurdly thin at all. Watching the video of Fingleton was pretty convincing to me.
MrCereQuote Reply
There's only so much coaching can do, and height isn't everything. Like Ryan Dunn has mentioned when backing his choice, there's a difference between acting mean and being a monster.
Besides, our current Hound (Rory McCann) is tall enough at 6'6", and he has the necessary chops to play Sandor the way he deserves. This is in no way a slight to Conan Stevens, just that I wouldn't go sticking him into another actor's role just because he's taller.
Still, I'd agree that Fingleton seems to look thinner in pictures than he does when moving around. I've just never seen him act on screen before.
paulgudeQuote Reply
I don't think he'll be either Gregor or Hodor.
humusTasterQuote Reply
I always imagined Gregor as a Semmy Schilt kind of guy, Semmy is a fighter in K-1 and is right at 7' tall and about 300 Ibs. Beast of a man really, he would make a good Gregor IMO
TheHegemonQuote Reply
I would also prefer Conan Stevens for role of ser Gregor, but this actor would be good choice too. He is too nice to play Gregor??? Grow him a beard, give him some scars or little make-up tricks(which is simple and quick) and he will be beast.
MoldaQuote Reply
Whoa. He wouldn't even have to really talk, just grunt. SO much scarier than Stevens. I like this pick Ryan!
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Besides being tall, I just don't see it. Gregor is a 7.5ft sociopath and bad-ass of a warrior. This actor just has a "nice" feel to him and doesn't look like he would be a very capable fighter, seems a little ungainly – which is expected for someone his height. Both Conan and Nikolai Valuev are not quite as tall as Neil, but they are both huge, mean and athletic. They also both have backgrounds in wrestling and Conan with some martial arts and weapon training, I see them both being equally good choices for Gregor.
ChrisQuote Reply
This guy has Hodor written all over him imo. My only concern is that he might even be a little too tall for Hodor.
Lord Ned's HeadQuote Reply
If he put on a bit of weight, I could see this guy as Hodor. But I can't really see him as Gregor; he's just not the right proportion IMO. No offense to Neil – he seems a right nice guy – but his head seems a bit small for his stature and he totally has a baby face. Just based on appearance, he looks way too friendly and a little on the dopey side….
Just sayin'…
LaurenQuote Reply
That clip makes me think he wouldn't be so bad as Gregor after all.
GeorgeQuote Reply
Solutions for this guy should he be picked.
1) Give him added weight with a fat suit. Gregor is kind of over weight so just give him some artificial weight.
2) Too nice? Give him a huge beard, a long wig, scar his face, and give him some facial prosthetics to make his nose and brow bigger. There ya go, a right mean Gregor.
3) Make him train with a huge two handed sword until his hands bleed and he can wield it one handed.
alan777Quote Reply
Gregor is overweight as in fat??? Are you sure about that?
JG84Quote Reply
He has been my pick for Hodor for a long time
Gene4244Quote Reply
A new comments setup? Let’s give it a try… it seems it broke my old link for Nikolai Valuev, so here it is again…
http://www.liftingfaces.com/uploads/nikolaivaluev.jpg
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
Aye, agreed.
Hear Me RoarQuote Reply
yeah, the initial picture made him look more like a basketball player, big long legs. But the clip we can see he's actually proportioned pretty well, and once you put him in plate mail he'd look like a terror. Not to mention with some more muscle on him.
GabeQuote Reply
Looking at his physique right now, it'd be pretty easy for him to bulk up with a lot more muscle, especially if he doesn't need to stay very lean while doing it. And I know I've always pictured Gregor as a huge bear of a man, not a Conan the Barbarian.
His measurements, just for kicks:
Height: 7'7", waist 44", chest 54", 42" arms
GabeQuote Reply
Seeing the video, I agree he has got the physique, and is not so lanky as he has seemed in photos., But I would still go with Conan Stevens because of the edge in acting experience. Although Gregor is not the subtlest of roles, it still needs that bit more than panto acting IMHO
PS Jimmy Nails for Yoren!
TPFKA Thoros of MyrQuote Reply
I think I'm in the minority here but I believe whomever they get to play Gregor needs to be able to deliver a few lines pretty convincingly *and* fight effectively. It would make the fight between the Mountain and the Viper totally awesome, as opposed to just awesome.
We know that Valuev can fight. Ryan mentioned this elsewhere. Stevens can fight, too. I'm still not sure what Valuev's delivery would be like, but maybe, as @KelseyCMSchmitz mentions, they could cut Gregor's lines. I think we'd be missing out if we did that. Then again, maybe Valuev could work with a dialect coach.
Neil Fingleton is a big unknown for me. He's the right height, but I know next to nothing about his ability to perform. So keep that in mind when I say this:
Some people seem to think the only requirement for Gregor is an actor who can fill a really big suit of armor. I would rather have someone who fills out a slightly less large suit of armor who can also act.
Again, maybe Neil can do both. I'm very interested to see who's finally cast. Of course, If it's anything like almost all of the other castings that have happened recently, it won't be anyone we've suggested.
paulgudeQuote Reply
This guy would be the PERFECT Gregor: http://www.ianwhyte.com
AndrewQuote Reply
I feel sorry for the horse he will ride on.. If they don't find an immensely large one for him ;) and if they chose to shoot scenes with him on top on a horse at all..
StuQuote Reply
Nikolai Valuev looks perfect
covenantQuote Reply
1) Gregor is not fat, he's all muscle.
2) Why does he need a huge beard? I've always pictured him beardless, actually, with just a hint of a 5 o'clock shadow.
RinsoQuote Reply
Wow! Just cheked that Ian Whyte site … he was the Predator!!!!
That's one scary mother!
Imbo BinsQuote Reply
Judging by the picture to the right…..his brain must be in the size of a walnut.
covenantQuote Reply
well there are a lot of large horses =)
LiesieQuote Reply
Height can be fixed in the studio. Acting can't. I'd rather have a talented shortie play the character than an inexperienced giant. An actors basic physical appearance is perhaps the least important of his qualifications.
Gene LinetQuote Reply
word
StuQuote Reply
Neil F getting an acting lesson from Warick Davies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El1puprdjtw
MormegilQuote Reply
On the plus side, he's not only the right build but he's fit enough to carry armour and sword for a long time. On the other hand, this guy will probably be expensive. He's used to fighting for heavyweight titles and those pay a LOT. That said I don't expect he'll be fighting for a title again anytime soon and may want to pursue a different career
JohnQuote Reply
Nikolai Valuev looks like a neanderthal.
Neil Fingleton couldn't scare anyone with that face.
Conan Stevens looks like Rory Mcanns bigger, older, more evil brother. Oh…!
sjweningsQuote Reply
Large horses are VERY strong beasts. There are draft horses out there that dwarf even guys like Conan Stevens. This is the least of my concerns.
BrudeQuote Reply
Conan Stevens! Let us yell loud enough so they have no choice but to cast him!
PKVQuote Reply
dude looks like a neanderthal. he's perfect! :O
LaurenQuote Reply
indeed. we should start a petition. :D
LaurenQuote Reply
To me it's going to come down to who can deliver the most intensity and has an appropriately intimidating voice. The mountain has to make you terrified for Loras when he's stalking over to him shouting for his sword.
@wabawangaQuote Reply
I love this guy's look. How tall is he?
shadallionQuote Reply
Finding a large horse won't be a problem, there are some huge ones out there, check this sample out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2czke2xBwc
just imagine a 7' bodybuilder with full armor riding one of this things, you get the sense of the phrase "The Mountain That Rides".
humusTasterQuote Reply
If the criterion is being tall why not this guy, Jerry Sokoloski, Canada's Tallest Man & Biggest Hands, check him out: http://www.thetallestman.com/images/jerrysokolosk… http://www.thetallestman.com/images/jerrysokolosk…
he is 7'4.5/224.8cm and pretty bulky.
humusTasterQuote Reply
Jesus, look at that photo, he's almost as tall as Big Ben.
Dolorous DaveQuote Reply
I completely agree with this. I do think height is going to be important, but to me it's not about who's the tallest, but who has the biggest presence.
paulgudeQuote Reply
He's already done some film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irPb0-AEmGw
He looks like the good guy in this, so maybe he'd go for the opportunity to play a baddie in a US show.
paulgudeQuote Reply
@shadallion
Valuev is 7ft 0in / 2.13 m tall, and his walk-around weight is around 350 pounds.
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
@Gabe
Back to my case for Valuev…
Height: 7' 0"
Waist: 48"
Chest: 52"
Reach: 88"
Bicep: 18"
(I'm not sure where that 42" arms measurement came from from you, was it from arms to armpit? That would make the most sense).
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
There are tons of great options for actors to play both Sandor or Gregor. Casting Directors can only go 2 ways when choosing this kind of actor… either they take the best actor and spend more money on costume, make-up and physical training… or, they take the guy with the best physical assets, save some $$$, but possibly hurt the role.
Really, it depends on the casting directors personal tastes, or the instruction they've been given by the producers.
Considering HBO's track record, I'm betting they'll take the best actor and find ways to make him fit the part.
oddmottQuote Reply
Paul, I think you'd honestly have us all majorily concerned about each little role's 'ability to act' if you could! hehehe. I do agree that it isn't just a blundering idiot that is big enough that is needed, but I feel for Gregor, presence and intimidation far outrank acting chops. He'll say 3 words the whole season. with the amount of characters we NEED to have speaking and nailing their lines, a silent but deadly Gregor would suit me.
On the other hand…maybe Valuev could be….AN OTHER! lol
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Totally disagree. If it were any other character, you'd be spot on. But Gregor…MONSTER physically and ugly as sin is the way to go.
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
I think it's hilarious that he was both Predator and the double for Madame Maxime in Harry Potter!
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
In the voice department, Conan has exactly the deep, gravelly voice I imagined the Mountain to have:
youtube interview
@wabawangaQuote Reply
Heh, you've actually totally got me pegged on the acting thing. However, I agree with you about presence and intimidation for Gregor.
paulgudeQuote Reply
Did you guys see this?
http://twitter.com/Ian_Whyte/status/14890406546
Obviously it could be for anything. Good luck to him for whatever, I say!
paulgudeQuote Reply
haha, its ok, you make excellent suggestions based around your drive to have only the best in any role!
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Stevens DOES ressemble Mcanns. I hadn't noticed the last time 'round when his name came up during speculation for roles!
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Oooooo Nice find Paul…WiC, don't post anything, that spaceman guy might get his panties in a knot…lol
Hmm I do wonder….I have an itching suspicion he could be waiting on our GoT! Just that 'perfect physically" line…either way, good luck to him, from what was described about his role in Harry Potter, he's a meticulous actor that cares about his representation and presence.
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Gotta admit when his face is all bloody in that trailer he looks about as perfect for the role as is possible. Would be pleased to see him in it, I have a lot of respect for the guy as a fighter aswell.
JohnQuote Reply
wow the horse Goliath from the youtube clip would be awesome for Gregor (not happening though, I know, but still…)
LiesieQuote Reply
Also look whom he is following. You will recognize the WiC snowflake.
qwertQuote Reply
Jesus, I hadn't even bothered to look at that. I'd make a horrible detective!
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
AND he's following the Westeros site too!!!!!
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
I'm just going to say, if he auditioned for Hodor, "hit all my lines," is a great joke.
paulgudeQuote Reply
that's really interesting and exciting! I really hope the audition is about GoT
LiesieQuote Reply
HAH!
Had me laughing out in the graduates' silent lounge. Thanks Paul. Who can write a thesis these days?
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Id suggest Tyler Mane, 6-9/6-10ish. Easily can put on boots/lifts to be in the 7x range.
KinsethQuote Reply
I say have Nikolai play Ilyn Payne. It turns out to be a bigger part and his accent won't be a problem
Gene4244Quote Reply
thing is, on tv there really isn't going to be much difference between 7' and 7' 6''. anyone tall enough to play gregor is gonna come across as huge, we won't really notice those extra 6 inches. so i agree its better to have someone slightly smaller who's a better actor over the tallest guy they can find. people have said its a lot easier to teach acting than height, but its a lot easier to fake height than acting.
MonkeyQuote Reply
He seems like a nice guy, too. I think he'd be great as Hodor, and hope that even if that isn't the audition he's talking about that he gets a shot. I mean, take a look at his Twitter description:
"Enormous, cuddly giant guy, capers about in movies."
Perfect.
paulgudeQuote Reply
Thank you, I almost spit iced tea on my keyboard.
@VohdreQuote Reply
So it looks like Ian Whyte, Neil Fingleton, and likely Conan Stevens have all auditioned for the role.
Although I think Stevens has the best look, Whyte gets my vote. More acting experience, probably more weapons training, and most importantly, he's got the right accent. I saw an interview with Stevens and his accent is straight from the outback..
Isaac MoyerQuote Reply
From his own self-description I still think he's great for Hodor, but I think he could work as Gregor. He definitely won't have to worry about speaking English. See him at 3:16 here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgp17pxjOH4
There's also a plus that from playing a Predator, he's going to be used to being in a suit all day. Not an easy feat, I imagine.
paulgudeQuote Reply
Conan Stevens, he wants the role, most of us fans want him to have the role, he looks perfect, he is a tad over 7 ft., he is built like an ox and could really wield a 30 lb. claymore like it was a shortsword and the best part is he can act.
TysnowQuote Reply
Neil Fingleton is perfect for Hodor.
TysnowQuote Reply
I could see Ian as Hodor. Think he's sarcastic enough to say "nailed my lines" when auditioning for Hodor?
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Is Ilyn that large? I certainly must have missed that descriptive passage. And to train Jaime I think they'd need a much more agile swordsman type, maybe Conan Stevens can play Ilyn.
;)
Sorry Paul, I had to.
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
It's just as likely he's being sarcastic with his "cuddly" twitter description, since almost all his roles have been anything but cuddly. Besides Predator, I think he played some sort of giant mummy in Clash of the Titans.
Isaac MoyerQuote Reply
I am just really glad they are going after actors who physically fit the roles. Some people think that just because other movies (LOTR, Harry Potter, etc) have used normal sized actors to play larger or smaller roles, that it is "easy to make people look bigger using camera tricks." But if anyone has ever watched the special features on LOTR, it took a WHOLE LOT of work to achieve that, and in some scenes its still very noticeable that the hobbits were green-screened or just slightly "off". To use these tricks for a long running series probably just isn't economically feasable, and if it was, I would much rather save that money and time to focus on other things that HAVE to be done with sfx – castles, direwolves, others, dragons, etc. Plus, it will just look so much better having a real 7ft + actor play Gregor, especially when it comes to the fight scenes and such.
That said, it is also so important that they find the right actor, so I hope that they don't end up "settling" for someone just for his size. But it looks like they are at least looking in the right places from what we have gathered.
ChrisQuote Reply
He also played a woman in HP.
In the youtube clip Paul put up, I find him to be a nicer kind of guy, not a huge hulk intimidating guy. Stevens is much scarier.
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Well said Chris. Urm, or well written? lol
@KelseyCMSchmitzQuote Reply
Yea, I would be OK with him as Gregor… but just going off his pictures and a couple interviews, it would be hard for me to imagine him as Rory McCann's mean, intimidating older brother. It may be a lot easier when he's in character and acting though, just sayin'.
ChrisQuote Reply
Damn all these super tall guys for being so nice!
ChrisQuote Reply
i agree completly
ogbebabaQuote Reply
@Chris
Yeah, lighting is a big concern when you start doing forced perspective. And if you've worked in or around production, you know that lighting is a LARGE part of a budget.
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
Well, I am not cool enough to have worked in or around a production unfortunately, but I can imagine. :)
It was really interesting seeing how they did a lot of that in LOTR without using special effects(they did a lot of that too.) They showed a wagon that Frodo and Gandalf were riding on, where it looked like they were sitting right next to each other, when in reality they were like 5 feet apart and sitting at a weird angle to each other. If you saw it from anything but the right angle with the right lighting it looked ridiculous.
I remember a whole lot of duplicate sets and props in both sizes, as well as a lot of filming a scene separately for each actor and then composing them together…. all in all it seemed like they have to really know what they are doing to pull it off right, and it just seemed like it was probably a huge, expensive, time-consuming pain in the ass. Though I'm sure that can probably be said for any production in general, heh.
ChrisQuote Reply
This is for Wincey the pooh bear….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…..where’s the rest of the casting news
Coltaine777Quote Reply
You really need to know what you're doing. Most of it happens in pre-production. Plan plan plan, and then go plan some more, and then don't forget to make a plan.
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
Well, good news is I'm sure they been working out these details for how to bring GoT to life for quite some time now. And looking at the quality of people involved in the visual department for at least the pilot, I'm sure they have at least a pretty good blueprint for how to handle things within the budget.
ChrisQuote Reply
Great find Paul!
The_Rabbit01Quote Reply
OT:
Quite bored today and doing some surfing around the web, and came across a new movie starring Joffrey's Jack Gleeson. It's called All Good Children and was part of the 2010 Cannes festival.
Clip starring Jack Gleeson – Gave me a much better idea of how he looks and will look in GoT.
Anyways, looks like a really good, well-filmed movie. And doing some googling, seems to have gotten a pretty good reception, as well as quite a bit of praise for Jack Gleeson.
ChrisQuote Reply
Too bad there was no dialogue in the clip, but he does have an interesting look. Certainly looks younger than he is, and i could see him both as a dreamy prince, and a little shit. Pretty cool.
sjweningsQuote Reply
Wow! Great find, Chris.
I remember that Jack Gleeson's current appearance was a big question, back in the day.
paulgudeQuote Reply
Yea, but after watching the video, it's hard to imagine a worse picture of him than the one going around here.
He's definitely got a really interesting look. In the clip he comes off as quite endearing, so it will be fun to see him play a little shit – to quote sjwenings.
ChrisQuote Reply
Oh, that's what I meant. It never really got answered, as almost everyone figured the picture of him was a bad one. It just sort of faded as new news came in.
paulgudeQuote Reply
Passing mention of GoT: http://io9.com/5547829/dont-hold-your-breath-for-…
NinepennyQuote Reply
Looks perfect for Joffrey. I still remember him from Batman Begins as well, which was much better than that infamous photo (although he was much younger).
LexQuote Reply
omg now i'm excited…
@JehphgQuote Reply
i don't remember exactly when but somewhere in wic someone posted a commercial staring him…his hair is longer actually he was so different then the little picture in teh cast list
@JehphgQuote Reply
This was a good find. I think I'm going to have to update the cast list with a photo of Gleeson pulled from that video. Will have to add Emilia Clarke to the list as well while I'm at it.
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
Oh my god, he's PERFECT for Hodor. Entirely wrong for Gregor, though.
George DWQuote Reply
I have no idea who Jimmy Nails is, but I like his look, and I like your passion… I'm with you! Jimmy Nails for Yoren!
LexQuote Reply
Liking the voice in that interview, but hoping he can do a British accent.
LexQuote Reply
Do the producers/HBO know how much support Stevens has over here?
LexQuote Reply
passing mention… as a possible replacement for Lost! Sounds good to me.
LexQuote Reply
Anything that adds to the buzz flame is good.
humusTasterQuote Reply
Updated the post with the Ian Whyte tweet. Hopefully this one doesn't get debunked in about 10 minutes like my last Twitter speculation. ;)
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
This is the best recap concerning GREGOR so far.
To be truly honest, Gregor is the character I am completely uninterested of.
If It would be CGI Gregor, I would not mind it. :D
The_Rabbit01Quote Reply
I think we should recap what is Gregor Clegane:
a) He's BIG. Like nobody else in the Seven Kingdoms. Don't have the books to check, but I think he was around 8' tall. But he also is broad, bulky and inmensely strong, with "arms like small trees". His nickname just says it all: he's a mountain of a man.
b) He's MEAN. Cruel, even sociopathic. One thing I love the most of ASoIaF is how each character has several layers, humanly flawed buy with certain virtues. This is no black or white world, it's a very subtle of gray hues one. But not for Gregor. He is maybe the only unreedeemable, outright "evil" character in the story. He's a real, true monster, a rapist, murderer, violent scum of a person capable of the terrible things he do to his brother or Rhaegar's family.
c) He's DANGEROUS. Perhaps as a result of the above, if you add that he is an anointed knight, bannerman of the most powerful and ruthless Lord of Westeros, then you have the killing combination right there. Gregor is a beast because he can get away with it. It's no chance that Tywin uses the word "Unleash" refering to him. He's a mad beast, somebody that can do harm, enjoy it and not have to face the consequences.
All that bring me to the point: What should we look for in Gregor Clegane's actor?… let's see.
a) He has to be BIG. Not just tall, but Imposing, Overwhelming. I much prefer a somewhat shorter guy, like Matthew Willig than someone just tall and ungaingly
b) He has to be INTIMIDATING. As many people has pointed out, Neil Fingleton seems "too nice". Nikolai Valuev looks like an ogre.
c) He has to SHOW IT. It's no good to be only a towering big man. He has to have the attitude. he has to be intimidating to the point we fear for Loras' life when he gets mad at the Tourney of the Hand. We have to hate this character for the monster he is, not cheer him up for being the greatest badass on Westeros.
And that's acting. I'm not talking about Shakespeare here, but we need an actor, no less.
So far, I think Conan Stevens is the best metch we I know. Plus, he's available, and a fan of the books too.
But if it is not Conan, I hope the one they chose met this requisites. I'd be happy then.
CaedesQuote Reply
I'm not sure if Conan Stevens is a fan of the books like so many here stated, according to his site he probably never read the books, he writes that Gregor is "a result of experiments by Qyburn".
it's not important, of the names thrown here he seems to me the best choice and if his audition is good he should be Gregor IMO.
humusTasterQuote Reply
Many readers seem to be of the opinion or belief that a showdown is coming between Gregor and Sandor, but what if George has something else in mind. This thought has gnawed at me since I finished reading all four books the first time, GRRM seems to enjoy throwing the readers for a loop in his story, and I can see a different outcome happening. There is only one individual in all Westeros that has the size, strength and stamina to overcome Gregor 2.0, HODOR. I can see Martin intensifying the story with the new improved Gregorstein, and I can see an eventual showdown in the last book between these two behemoths. We all know Gregor is evil and uncompassionate down to his soul, and the opposite is true for Hodor, he is good, kind and compassionate down to his soul, he just doesn't have the intellect to fight The Mountain, but a warged Hodor would, with Bran either directly controlling him or advising him through a mental link.
TysnowQuote Reply
Concerning the events that will lead to Gregorstein being the champion for Queen Cersei, to me it is obvious, in that events in the books do not always correspond concurrently with the preceeding or following chapter. Ser Balon will arrive at Sunspear and The Prince will inform him of Ser Arys demise, he thus sends a raven to Kingslanding with this news, the raven arrives the day before the match thus enabling Tommen being manipulated by Qyburn via Cersei to appoint Gregor 2.0 into the Kingsguard.
TysnowQuote Reply
Yes, if we have the scene with Gregor and Loras in the Hand's Tourney, Gregor needs to come across as described above, but do we even know if Loras will so much as appear in the first season yet? And if he does, will the audience even know who Loras is when he jousts with Gregor, other than as some random knightly opponent? Unless they build Loras up more than expected, I doubt that the audience will be much invested in his survival against Gregor, although this is the scene in which the audience could start to take an interest in both Loras as a hero and in Gregor as a villain.
The key scene for Gregor which is most certain to appear in the first season of the series is Tywin's Council of War, where Gregor argues, rationally and effectively, in favor of fear tactics. An entirely different side of Gregor, demonstrating that the man is more than a brute, but one which the actor needs to perform very well.
Maester_TcostQuote Reply
Why not let one of Dany's dragons bite his head of?
or let Melisandra cast a deadly spell on him?
he could be killed in a million ways, besides, who says George want him dead? maybe he will have him repent and join a monastery, tending to sick poor children.
humusTasterQuote Reply
If anyone is going to defeat Gregor in a final battle, I'd most like to see Bronn forced to do it, and outthink the Mountain.
Maester_TcostQuote Reply
Bronn would definitely have to be forced into such a match, as he always calculates his odds before he roles the dice, and if its 50/50 or worse he passes.
TysnowQuote Reply
Isn't that tender, brother and brother together at last, working in a monastery tending to the sick and needy. If that happened I would seriously consider giving the book to some charity, as they would love that outcome, of course that particular chapter would have an unusual odor, and they might notice that the pages had been torn out and reinserted.
TysnowQuote Reply
I didn't notice that Ian Whyte update. talk about throwing a wrench into this topic. I can see him as Hodor or Gregor, even Conan could be either, looks like D&D will have a tough decision ahead of them.
Hodor actually has more screen time but no dialogue, the actor has to be very talented, since everything is communicated through facial expressions. Gregor on the other hand though having less screen time, has more lines and would be considered a juicier role, of course he is wearing a helmet half the time.
So which actor gets which role will be interesting to see and us to ponder over and dissect.
TysnowQuote Reply
Bronn was already the black horse once, but if he'll be forced to face Gregor maybe Tirion will pay his debt(he's a Lanister after all) and take his place in battle against the giant.
humusTasterQuote Reply
You know, George turned the Kingslayer around and made him a protagonist. He's a good enough writer to turn Gregor around and make us root for him, if he really wanted to do that. Never in a million years would I expect George to do that — but he damn well could.
Maester_TcostQuote Reply
Not to mention the other dozen contenders we don't know about.
humusTasterQuote Reply
Book spoilers.
I wonder if Mag the Mighty and the other Giants will make it into the TV version. I have a feeling they won't but if they do it could be another part for any actors who went for Hodor or Gregor and were unsucessful.
I'm guessing they would use actual actors for the Giants (close ups certainly) rather than CGI.
MormegilQuote Reply
He could at that, just please no touchie feelie, brothers living together at a monestary singing kumbaya. I could though perhaps see Gregor joining some misfit group taking the fight to the Others, in one last desperate attempt to stem the tide.
TysnowQuote Reply
First there is the charm of FRANKENGREGOR= No more mr. Nice Guy!
Then, he might run into faceless man graduate Arya Stark, ready for post-graduate work. He is on her list you know, and that is not a good place to be.
PS Jimmy Nails for Yoren!
TPFKA Thoros of MyrQuote Reply
You really think there could be that many contenders for Gregor and Hodor.
TysnowQuote Reply
Nice find for a possible Yoren.
TysnowQuote Reply
No he couldn't unless it turned out Gregor actually didn't do all that stuff. Gregor is a monster, pure and simple. He rapes, murders, and kills as he pleases. Jaime really only was egotistical and to some degree he still is. I would still be wary of saying Jaime is a good guy, as he only really tuned around because of the loss of his hand.
JarmelQuote Reply
I almost forgot to mention that noone outside of Qyburn and Cersei will know that Frankengore is Gregorstein, reason one he admitted to murder and if he is unmasked not only would he be publicly damned and arrested, the news would also get back to Dorne and there would be war. If Pycelle, Kevan or any others find out they would keep silent for that reason alone, so Sandor will not know his bro is alive and for that matter neither will Arya, until maybe the last book.
TysnowQuote Reply
Jaime threw Bran out of the window and ordered the death of Jory Cassel to teach Ned an object lesson. There are few good guys in this story, but by now he's one of the closest things we have to a good guy.
The whole point of making Gregor Clegane, of all people, one of the heroes of this tale would be precisely because he was such a monster, and might still be. There would have to be a strong and credible reason for Gregor to take up the standard and fight the good fight, but it's still a story that could be written.
Maester_TcostQuote Reply
They're aware, but I suspect to them that factors like how good their auditions are and what their experience is will be more important.
Adam WhiteheadQuote Reply
Hmm. an 8 foot ruthless killing machine of an armored knight, whoever might that remind anyone in southern Westeros of? If one turns up and commit acts of unspeakable atrocity, even if no official notice is taken, might it not cause a bit of talk and gossip anyway?
TPFKA Thoros of MyrQuote Reply
Maester_Tcost had a very good point. I forgot about this:
——-
“And your outriders?” Ser Gregor Clegane’s face might have been hewn from rock. The fire in the hearth gave a somber orange cast to his skin and put deep shadows in the hollows of his eyes. “They saw nothing? They gave you no warning?”
The bloodstained messenger shook his head. “Our outriders had been vanishing. Marq Piper’s work, we thought. The ones who did come back had seen nothing.”
“A man who sees nothing has no use for his eyes,” the Mountain declared. “Cut them out and give them to your next outrider. Tell him you hope that four eyes might see better than two . . . and if not, the man after him will have six.”
————-
Granted, they could cut this out, but I still think Gregor's brutish ability combined with the knowledge that he's a thinking, articulate man is more chilling than if he were simply a scary guy who says nothing.
paulgudeQuote Reply
So let the commoners and nobles talk and gossip away, as long as there is no official confirmation, the truth will be long in forthcoming. They will keep Gregor on a strong lease, for a while, eventually though, Dorne will find out the truth or the gossip will reach their ears, but by then war will be coming and it will just add flames to the fire.
TysnowQuote Reply
Not to mention he kills babies. Can't get much more evil than that.
dizzy34Quote Reply
SPOILERS:
Am I missing something here? I thought they were both dead. Gregor from his dueling wounds (the poison that causes a slow painful death) and Sandor got left to die and I'm pretty sure there was a paragraph about his death, though it's not 100% certain.
Also, there are a lot of people who could've beat the mountain, Barristan being the obvious one.
Did they both survive? I need to reread :x
JohnQuote Reply
You should realize by now that in ASoIaF noone truely dies, I can see the epilogue now, one massive undead/wight Bollywood dance number, amidst the smoking ruins of Westeros.
TysnowQuote Reply
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/… – Another brief mention of GoT in a "what will replace Lost" blog.
NinepennyQuote Reply
It's pretty obvious from the books that Gregor is still being kept alive by Qyburn. If Sandore is still alive is pure fan-speculation.
KnurkQuote Reply
Not to offend any Lost fans, but all the television world seems to be worried about is what will replace Lost. I guess if these articles keep planting seeds in the minds of the Lost viewers looking for shows than that is great… but something about Game of Thrones being compared to Lost just irks me. There are vague similarities in that they have sprawling casts, but the similarities end there.
Coming from a non-Lost fan, I think that GoT will be so much better – much more deep and mature, and rely more on a good plot, writing and characters and less on "OH SHIT!" moments that when you look back on you end up realizing "That was actually pretty retarded in hindsight." /endrant
ChrisQuote Reply
It depends on the source, but some of the mentions have been specifically in the "what's a sci-fi/fantasy show that will 'trick' normal people into watching it," which I think may be apt.
paulgudeQuote Reply
So let the commoners and nobles talk and gossip away, as long as there is no official confirmation, the truth will be long in forthcoming. I am sure they will keep Gregor on a short lease, for a while at least. Eventually though Dorne will find out the truth or the gossip will reach their ears, but by then their invasion against KL will be gearing up and this new truth will just fuel the war machine.
I have been wondering though will GRRM just keep the madness going with these Houses while the North and Riverlands fall to The Others or will some sense be knocked into them by then.
TysnowQuote Reply
Sandor IS alive, there is a subtle (but clear) hint in AFFC. He's living as a monk in a monastery, although I missed this myself until someone pointed it out to me. Gregor is also alive, being turned into some kind of Frankenstein experiment by Maester Qyburn in AFFC.
LexQuote Reply
I agree that Sandor is alive & "repenting". I believe the monk said something to the effect of "that man is dead" – he has "left" his old life and begun anew. I'd like to see him beat his frankenstein'd brother down at some point :)
BeltaineCAQuote Reply
Katarina Gellin Tweets: Casting for Game of Thrones, HBO!!!! MEGA EXCITED”!!
http://www.uk.castingcallpro.com/view.php?uid=189984
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
Who's Katarina Gellin Tweets?
LexQuote Reply
Katarina Gellin is an actress/model from the London?
http://www.modelmayhem.com/675236
http://twitter.com/katgellin
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
http://www.modelmayhem.com/portfolio/675236/0
No clue who she looks best for. Obvious guess is Shae, but I doubt this girl will get cast. It doesn't look like she has any acting experience at all.
AshliQuote Reply
Yeah, she seems like a long shot.
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
I was making a bad joke.
LexQuote Reply
Plus, the language is a bit weird if she's up for something already. "Auditioning for Game of Thrones" would work, as would "Cast in Game of Thrones," if she's got a part, but "Casting for Game of Thrones" sounds a bit like she's learned that they're casting roles for it, and that's gotten her excited.
paulgudeQuote Reply
I figured that, but I couldn't think of a witty response.
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
Maybe she's a fan.
humusTasterQuote Reply
Yes, it's very unlikely there are only 3-4 contenders.
humusTaterQuote Reply
Definitely oddly phrased. But if she is that excited about them just casting for the show, you would think she would have already known something about it by now, being a fan and involved in the entertainment industry…. who knows.
I wouldn't write her off just because she doesn't have a lot of credits… shes got just about the same background as Emilia Clarke and as we know, they chose her for arguable the biggest role of the show… I could see this actress as Doreah or even Shae, or there are probably a number of small roles she could be auditioning for…. if she is even auditioning, heh. Why can't people be more clear in their tweets dammit! :)
ChrisQuote Reply
On second thought, she isn't anything like what I imagined Shae, but I could see her as Doreah I guess, has a similar look and coloring to the two audition tapes we saw for Doreah.
ChrisQuote Reply
It's really oddly worded, however nearly all of her other tweets are about auditions, so I assumed this one was too.
Phoenix_tornQuote Reply
I'm with Gude on this one. The thing about Game of Thrones is that it is going to flip the High Fantasy genre on its head as only HBO can.
Not to mention the buzz episode 1 should garner after people fall out of their chair proceding the "things I do for love," shove.
If we're talking ratings and viewers, however, GoT will have a hard time fully replacing Lost, due to it being on a premium network and not one of the major networks.
Example, the series finale of Sopranos brought in 11.9M viewers, which was a record for the show, and I believe HBO. Lost Season 2 was blowing the minds of fans and critics, and averaging 20 million viewers a week.
I think "Man of Science, Man of Faith," drew the most viewers to Lost of any single episode, with 23.47M tuning in to find out what the hell was in the hatch.
…ryan
Ryan DunnQuote Reply
Exactly. Her earlier tweets were about auditions, so I'm sure this one is as well. Just poor wording, IMO.
LexQuote Reply
Yeah, I guess I should have pointed out that I'm not doubting that it *could* be for an audition. It's even likely, as you said, based on her other tweets. I just thought the odd wording was worth noting. If I didn't know anything about her I would expect this text to accompany a link to WIC's "Cast and Crew Page," or *perhaps* that she was actually working for Nina Gold and/or D&D in the actual casting of the show.
Put it in context, though, and I agree it's most likely about an audition and/or her "casting."
paulgudeQuote Reply
I'm assuming she meant "casting CALL for game of thrones". Twitter is so stream-of-consciousness that I think it's just a missed word.
AshliQuote Reply
re: the clip with jack gleeson. wow, even though he didnt say anything, you can see he is an awesome little actor! so much emotion conveyed in a look. im very excited to see him as joff now.
i think ian whyte and neil fingleton both don't look menacing enough. gregor is someone who you truly have to be able to despise. i think so far definitely conan stevens, or that other guy someone posted (the troll looking one) look the best. we'll see who HBO chooses though! *excited*
Charis BennieQuote Reply
Let us not forget someone must play the Greatjon as well, when looking at the very tall actors. Whyte?
TPFKA Thoros of MyrQuote Reply
To be fair Bran was pretty mure pure survival and as heinous as it sounds, it was the right thing to do. Jory was Jaime's ego acting out. I do admit though that he is pretty close to a good guy though even though Martin had to essentially chop his hand off for it to happen. Jaime however didn't rape and pillage for pure kicks and was never really sadistic or a sociopath nor was never depicted of one.
Gregor has been describing of punching girls' faces in when they complained about rape, just plain old raping because it was fun, and burned his brother's face over a minute event. So no unless there is a whole lot of retcon is there anyway that Matin could really make Gregor out to be a good guy and it looks like Martin isn't going to bother.
JarmelQuote Reply
Yeah, I didn't catch it the first time I read it, but it's really clear on a readthrough. The head priest already describes his own history with a phrase like 'the man I was is dead.'. The priest says he found Sandor, she asks if he' s alive and he's once again like 'No, The Hound is dead.'
They also have Sandor's horse at the monastery, and she notices a new monk digging graves because he's unusually large and muscular, but movely sorely.
We still might never see Sandor again, though. It might have simply been GRRM's way of killing Sandor off plot-wise, while still saving him from a totally unhappy ending.
GabeQuote Reply
Oh, I'm sure Georgy Boy has something up his sleeve… :)
ChrisQuote Reply
I always thought till Lindemann http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Till_Lindemann looked like Gregor. He is very intimidating and has some acting experience.Not to mention the fact that his persona on stage resembles Gregor.
ThomasQuote Reply
The intense debate does not work in the latest blogpost, but it works here. Strange thing.
Katarina Gellin actually spoke to GRRM at his live journal .
She got the call for the audition for Doreah.
So, nobody has been cast as Doreah yet, and GRRM is back from the con, so we can start praying for some news or clues or whatever.
The_Rabbit01Quote Reply