Rory McCann, who played Sando Clegane, better known as The Hound, on Game of Thrones, made his first public appearance since the show ended earlier this year. The Scottish actor attended the U.K. premiere of Jumanji: The Next Level at the Odeon BFI IMAX Cinema in London on Dec. 5. McCann has a mysterious role in the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
While this was McCann’s first red carpet appearance since Game of Thrones ended, the actor did attend a Conan O’Brein-hosted Game of Thrones Reunion Special in November. While on the show, McCann admitted that he was homeless and living in Iceland when he was cast in the HBO series.
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“I was in a tent – literally in a tent – stealing food occasionally,” McCann told O’Brien, reports The Independent. “Eventually I got a job and sorted myself out, but then suddenly I’m getting driven around in a nice car in the biggest and best show in the world – just shows how your fortunes can change. Amazing.”
McCann later assured O’Brien that he did get back to Iceland to “pay my library fines.”
The actor previously told The Daily Record that he wound up in Iceland because he was making a Viking movie starring Gerard Butler. He stayed there 11 months and took other odd jobs while waiting for any acting opportunity from his agent. Ironically, McCann had to go back to Iceland during production on Game of Thrones.
“I pinch myself all the time – we were shooting in Iceland this year and thinking that it was only six years ago I was working as a carpenter in Iceland,” he said in 2014. “Now I’m back and swanning around in a chauffeur-driven car and part of one of the biggest TV shows in the world. I’m a very lucky boy.”
Before he appeared in Game of Thrones in 2011, McCann starred in Clash of the Titans (2010), Hot Fuzz, Alexander and Beowulf & Grendel. The Hound was his breakthrough role, and he appeared in 38 episodes of the series. He was one of the few actors to appear in at least one episode each season.
Game of Thrones‘ final season was controversial to say the least, even though it did win the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in September. Oddly, the show was almost completely shut out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, as Kit Harington earned Game of Thrones‘ only Golden Globe nomination. The series was not even nominated for the Best Drama Golden Globe.
Although HBO had big plans to make multiple Game of Thrones spinoff series, the only one moving forward is House of the Dragon.
Photo credit: HBO
