Game of Thrones star Rory McCann breaks down epic Cleganebowl fight between The Hound and The Mountain
SPOILERS: There will be SPOILERS for Sunday night's episode of Game of Thrones and all of Season 8 below, so read on at your own risk.
For as divisive as Sunday night's penultimate Game of Thrones episode, The Bells, was, most fans were quite pleased that a long-awaited fight dubbed 'Cleganebowl' finally happened.
Fans have been waiting for practically the entire series for the one-on-one fight to the death between brothers Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane (Rory McCann) and Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane (Hafthor Júlíus Björnsson).
McCann, 50, spoke with Entertainment Weekly on the set last spring, where he revealed his thoughts about the epic fight, his overall arc on the show and more.
Cleganebowl: Rory McCann sheds new light on the epic Cleganebowl battle in Sunday's penultimate episode of Game of Thrones
Mountain: Fans have been waiting for practically the entire series for the one-on-one fight to the death between brothers Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane (Rory McCann) and Gregor 'The Mountain' Clegane (Hafthor Júlíus Björnsson)
Cleganebowl, as fans have called it, has been in the works through practically the entire length of the show.
McCann's character The Hound has always had a scarred and disfigured face, which came courtesy of his older brother Gregor, who pushed young Sandor's face into a brazier of fire as a child, leading to his hatred of Gregor and his fear of fire.
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Gregor was 'killed' at the end of Season 5, thanks to the poison administered by Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), but brought back by Qyburn (Anton Lesser) to serve as the mindless muscle for Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey).
Brother battle: Cleganebowl, as fans have called it, has been in the works through practically the entire length of the show
Gregor: Gregor was 'killed' at the end of Season 5, thanks to the poison administered by Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), but brought back by Qyburn (Anton Lesser) to serve as the mindless muscle for Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey)
In last week's episode, The Last of the Starks, Sandor and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) were seen riding south to King's Landing together, leading fans to speculate that Cleganebowl was finally happening, which it did.
During his interview on the set with EW last spring, McCann harbored no illusions of surviving this battle.
'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.'
The Hound: In last week's episode, The Last of the Starks, Sandor and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) were seen riding south to King's Landing together, leading fans to speculate that Cleganebowl was finally happening, which it did
No survivors: During his interview on the set with EW last spring, McCann harbored no illusions of surviving this battle
The epic battle took place on a staircase in the Red Keep, which was crumbling around them as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) laid the city to waste with her one dragon, Drogon.
The battle was indeed epic, but the monstrous Mountain always had the upper hand, with both his size and the fact that he isn't actually alive, even surviving a dagger through the eye.
The destruction of the castle gave Sandor an out, though, as he tackled his brother Gregor off the side of the building, as they both plummeted hundreds of feet to the fiery ground below, killing them both in the fire that linked their hatred for years.
Epic battle: The epic battle took place on a staircase in the Red Keep, which was crumbling around them as Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) laid the city to waste with her one dragon, Drogon
Eye dagger: The battle was indeed epic, but the monstrous Mountain always had the upper hand, with both his size and the fact that he isn't actually alive, even surviving a dagger through the eye
Death of the Clegane brothers: The destruction of the castle gave Sandor an out, though, as he tackled his brother Gregor off the side of the building, as they both plummeted hundreds of feet to the fiery ground below, killing them both in the fire that linked their hatred for years
'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,' McCann said about the epic fight.
'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 added.
'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,' McCann stated.
Massive fight: '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,' McCann said about the epic fight
Fitting death: He added that this fitting death was just perfect for his character's story line, which has spanned all eight seasons of the show
He added that this fitting death was just perfect for his character's story line, which has spanned all eight seasons of the show.
'Maybe he could have found peace and wandered off. But this is a fine way to go. It seems pretty beautiful to me,' he said.
'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,' he said.
No future roles: McCann doesn't have any future roles lined up, but he spoke about getting away from everything for a few years in a massive boat he's been building
McCann doesn't have any future roles lined up, but he spoke about getting away from everything for a few years in a massive boat he's been building.
'I’d like to go away for a couple years. Maybe I’m meant to take a nice job after this. We’ll just see,' he said.
'I’m a sailor and spent all my years trying to do up boats. Now I’m thinking of finishing my last few scenes sand sailing off into the sunset. That’s my dream,' McCann added.
When asked where he was going, McCann repeated a line from his character Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane in The Last of the Starks: 'That's my f***ing business.'
Game of Thrones concludes with the 80-minutes series finale on Sunday, May 19 at 9 PM ET on HBO.
His business: When asked where he was going, McCann repeated a line from his character Sandor 'The Hound' Clegane in The Last of the Starks: 'That's my f***ing business'
