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Rory McCann left his mark in people’s hearts with his dynamic performance in Game of Thrones. Adapted from George R.R. Martin’sA Song of Ice and Fireseries,Game of Thronesquickly became one of the biggest shows in TV history. Not only that, the show also gave the audiences some of the most iconic characters ever.
Fans have spent years hating or loving a character only for the story to switch the narrative entirely with delicate precision to not take away either their good or bad parts. Such a character was Rory McCann’s Sandor Clegane, aka The Hound.
Although initially introduced almost as a villain, he became a fan favorite as the story progressed over the years. However, he almost did not land the job until George R.R. Martin himself intervened for him.
Rory McCann almost lost The Hound’s roleGame of Thrones
The Hound has been one of the key parts ofGame of Thronessince the beginning. His less-than-savory introduction to the show where he ran down Arya’s friend Mycah set the tone for his character. However, it did not take long for fans to see him in a different light when he tried to helpSansa in the face of Joffrey’s abuse in King’s Landing.
From acting as a henchman to Joffrey Baratheon, played byJack Gleeson, to Sansa Stark’s, played bySophie Turner, secret helper, and Arya Stark’s, played byMaisie Williams, captor and disgruntled protector, The Hound has played many roles over the course of the series.
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And Rory McCann’s outstanding performance has been the reason so many layers of the character were peeled back so seamlessly without once being awkward. However, he almost did not land the role at all. As user@Thrones_Facts explained it on X, the creators of the showD.B Weiss, andDavid Benioffsomehow missed Rory McCann’s audition clip while trying to look for their perfect match.
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George R.R. Martin, who was pretty hands-on with the production at this time, sent them an email urging them to watch his audition tape because he seemed to think he was perfect for the role. Well, his prediction was accurate, and Rory McCann ended up bringing to life The Hound so passionately, that it is hard to imagine what the show would have been like without his presence.
Rory McCann claimed he is quite similar to The Hound in real life
Rory McCannonce appeared for an interview withEntertainment Weeklyon the sets ofGame of Throneswhile shooting for the final season. In it, he broke down the Clegane brothers’ final brawl and also admitted that there are uncanny similarities between his and his character’s personalities.
I’m very close to being The Hound. I’m not used to human touch. I’m a bit of a recluse.
He further claimed that before the shooting ofGame of Thronesstarted for each season, he would go completely off the radar from everyone. Far more used to life as a solitary outdoorsman than the glitzy world of a renowned actor, his innate nature seemingly helped him connect to his character on a deeper level.
Praising Rory McCann’s ability to embody The Hound so magnificently from the get-go, George R.R. Martin once stated in his blog,Not a Blog, that even he was scared watchinghis audition tape.
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However, more than anything else, the author claimed that McCann’s intimidating appearance and table reading cemented him as the perfect Hound in Martin’s eyes. Although theseries ended long before George R.R. Martin would have liked, its prequelHouse of the Dragonkeeps the fans busy by delving deeper into the history of Westeros.
Game of Thronesis available for streaming on MAX.
Anushree Banerjee
Articles Published :595
Anushree Banerjee is an Anime Writer at FandomWire with over 550 published articles. She has a post-grad in English and years of experience working with some of the biggest companies on the pop culture, and anime scene, such as, Sportskeeda, Pinkvilla, and MovieWeb. Staying on top of everything anime consumes her days, while bingeing on everything horror, and thriller keeps her up at night. Be it superhero flicks from Marvel and DC, or Shonen, and Seinen, like Bleach, The Apothecary Diaries, and Attack on Titan, she can probably state facts about them faster than she can recite her home address.
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D.B WeissDavid BenioffGame of Thronesgeorge rr martinJack GleesonMaisie WilliamsRory McCannsophie turner
