Game Of Thrones: 'I thought it was a joke' Hafthór Björnsson on The Mountain job offer
HIS character has become a household name following the success of Game Of Thrones but when the offer to play The Mountain dropped in his inbox, Hafthór Björnsson didn't think it was real.
Hafthór Björnsson revealed he though the offer to play The Mountain was a joke
Hafthór revealed he thought the Game Of Thrones offer was a joke
The actor, who plays the iconic character, has revealed to Men's Health that he was very surprised when he was contacted to star in the HBO series.
He said: "When I saw the email, I thought it was a joke. I was already a big fan of the series; I'm an even bigger fan now, because I now how much work goes into it."
The Mountain, also known as Gregor Clegane, is best known his love of extreme violence and that fight scene with Oberyn Martell, in which he crushed his opponent's skull.
Speaking about the first time he met with the show's producers, he explained that they were shocked by his strength.
He is best known for playing The Mountain in the HBO series
He's best known for crushing Oberyn Martell's skull in season four
Hafthór commented: "They asked me if I was strong enough to pick one of the guys up. I gave it a try and he felt very light.
"They were surprised at how easily I lifted him overhead."
The 27-year-old didn't always set out to be an actor either. It was only when an ankle injury ended his pro basketball career that he began to lift weights and caught the eye of producers.
Discussing his journey to becoming The Mountain he continued: "It was very sad. I wasn't sure what the next step was. Then I started training more in the gym.
Hafthór was originally going to be a pro basketball career before his role in Game Of Thrones
Game of Thrones Season 6 Trailer
"I've always enjoyed lifting heavy; I saw extremely good results. I just got hooked, seeing how strong I got and how much my body changed."
As a result he landed the role as one of the most feared characters in the popular series.
Read the full interview with Hafthór Björnsson in this month's issue of Men's Health, on sale April 7.
Game of Thrones season 6 simulcasts on Sky Atlantic on Monday April 25 at 2am and will be repeated on the same day at 9pm.