[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”21907″ img_size=”900×599″ alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]While the Hound and the Mountain had a small fight against each other in season one, fans had been waiting for a proper battle where the two brothers really went at it. For Sandor Clegane, the man known as Ser Gregor Clegane was not his older brother, but the man who had mistreated him so horribly as a child, and was the result of the lifelong scar he bore on his face. In season seven’s finale, the younger brother confronted the other man, and stated very directly that he “knew what was coming” for him.
SPOILERS
Cleganebowl happened and with that, ended the Hound’s story arc. What a way to go, wasn’t it? Not only did we have Sandor Clegane be the most authentic he ever had been when he expressed to Arya that she had a life to live and shouldn’t die with him in King’s Landing, but we had him going toe to toe with his zombified brother. While the battle really wasn’t all that fair, after all, Gregor should have died at least five times but didn’t due to being a zombie essentially; the Hound gave it his all, and went out in a literal blaze of glory.
EW recently sat down with the Hound actor Rory McCann to speak about his character and the wrap up of his character. In the books, the Hound is believed to be dead after his fight with Brienne of Tarth, but a “gravedigger” character is believed to be Sandor, by the fans. So, it was a real treat when the Hound showed back up in season six, after having been absent all of season five and most of season six; showing that his big showdown with the worthy opponent did not succeed in putting him in the grave.
For Cleganebowl, you had figured this fight would happen.
“I’m dead. It would have been nice to keep living and go on a road trip and do a spin-off. But I’m absolutely delighted. I’m blessed to be given this storyline. Blessed to be given storylines in the past seasons with all the [Westeros] politics going on — that we were able to have a Hound-Arya road trip. The Hound seems to get some great one liners. You could have a T-shirt factory with just the one-liners I’ve been given. I’ll be glad to be out of a job where I’m in hours of makeup. I’m always on set first. I’ve been trying to sleep on the floor [of the trailer which seems too small for him] for the past 6, 7 years. I’ll bring my own caravan next time. I’m due for an upgrade.”
What are your thoughts on how the fight goes down?
“I hope I have enough gas in the tank to do it right. It’s a massive fight. I think it’s going to take three days to film it. He’s going to be throwing me. I’m absolutely sure I’m going to be limping for months after it and that’s the reason my last filming days are the fight. It’s a glorious death. He’s laughing at it. The Hound can see that [The Mountain] can’t be killed by sticking a dagger in his eye. He has to be burnt. Of all the things Cleagane has to do, he has to go into the fire. That’s the sacrifice. But his pain is over.”
It’s so right for his storyline.
“Maybe he could have found peace and wandered off. But this is a fine way to go. It seems pretty beautiful to me. How lucky to be an actor who gets ends up on one of the biggest and best shows in the world. I see panic in some [fellow castmates] eyes: “What are we going to do now?” Relax. Don’t worry. We’re on the map now.”
Believe me, Rory, we would have loved for the Hound to have lived on and had his own little side adventure. For anyone out there, let’s do a “what if” show and we will all pretend that Sandor just simply pushed the Mountain off, but was able to run out of the building in time to be saved. I think that sounds fair, don’t you?
Rory also commented on his relationship with Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark – the two of them had their own adventures for season three and four, before being reunited in season eight, where we ultimately saw them riding off to King’s Landing, intent on killing who they needed to kill. It was in the end that Sandor convinces Arya to leave, breaking all of our hearts with it.
What’s the scene you’re most proud of?
“I loved doing the Brienne fight. That was great fun. But I loved some of the dialogue scenes with Maisie and myself. It came at the right time when I was just starting to relax. The first couple years on the show I was very nervous all the time. And then I found the character after a couple years. Sometimes I just look in the mirror and go, “F—, there’s no reason to play scary, no wonder that little girl is frightened of me. Less Is more.”
What was it like reuniting with [Arya Stark actress Maisie Williams]?
“She’s all grown up now and knows everything that’s going on. It’s been great seeing her again. The last parting shot with Arya and The Hound is lovely. She calls him “Sandor” for the first time in the whole 7, 8 years. It’s a lovely moment. And the parting moment with Sansa was lovely too.”
As if our hearts needed to break more, this was what Maisie Williams had to say about her relationship with Rory:
“Rory would always chat with me [when filming the earlier seasons] about adventures he’d have in his life — buying a piece of land and living in bunker — all these crazy things he’d do,” Williams said. “Before I was like, ‘Wow, that’s crazy.’ Now I’m like, ‘Oh, I just bought a piece of land next to the sea too.’ I realized he’s really shaped me quite a lot as a person. I’ve realized his way of life does seem really appealing and I’ve learned a lot from him. I respect his friendship and loved working with him this year.”
We should also really enjoy this comment Rory said about his Mountain co-star, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson:
The Mountain [actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson] is truly huge. He’s kind of staggering.
“I hope he knows his f—ing strength. I’m just going to have to go into Glasgow bar fight mode if it goes the wrong way because he’s a big big boy. One time he ordered chicken and they gave him two breasts of chicken and he just looked up and said, “No, a chicken. Not just chicken. A chicken.” Then he’d be eating again a couple hours later. He’s a beast.”
Make sure you check out the rest of the interview at EW and let us know what you thought of Cleganebowl as well as the fifth episode of Game of Thrones season 8. Be sure to like us on Twitter at Geek Vibes Nation and tell us your thoughts![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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