Only Hawk-eyed ‘Game of Thrones’ Fans Could Catch Show’s Repeated Recasting of 1 Heinous Villain

Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire, is considered one of the best TV series although it wrapped up almost 6 years ago. Considering how often there were battles and betrayals among the family members, it was a surprise that anyone made it alive out of the show although a lot of them did actually die.

The show boasted an ensemble cast from start to finish. Whether it is Peter Dinklage’s smart Tyrion Lannister or Emilia Clarke’s ambitious princess Daenerys Targaryen, fans can never imagine any other actor being able to embody their respective characters as they did. However, one key character in the show was recast twice, a detail many fans might not have noticed at first.

A villain in Game of Thrones was recast twice without anyone noticing at first

Game of Thrones has an abundance of characters whether its heroes or villains. To be fair, some characters often blurred the lines between heroism and tyranny. Even so, there were enough characters who could be labeled villains without any contest. One such character was The Mountain, originally known as Gregor Clegane.

For those in need of a quick refresh, The Mountain was a knight and bannerman to House Lannister. Often labeled Westeros’ most fearsome warrior, Gregor was one of the most dishonorable men despite his knighthood. His brutal nature and acting on anger were what made him infamous. It is safe to say that he was one of those characters who interestingly did not have any character growth.

Gregor’s first appearance in the show was in the premiere episode. He was portrayed by Conan Stevens at the time, but by the end of the show, he was recast twice. While some fans caught on to it early on, others did not realize until they were rewatching it. One such fan is this Redditor who realized that the character was recast while watching the show for the fifth time.

Recastings in shows are not all that rare, but recasting the same character twice for a show is not something that happens often. Not to mention that Ian Whyte who was cast in the role after Stevens’ departure did not seem like the best fit considering his appearance was nearly not as terrifying as The Mountain was supposed to be.

Why was The Mountain recast twice in Game of Thrones?

The Mountain’s physical appearance had to be at least somewhat similar to that of an actual mountain- imposing and menacing to terrify the living daylights of anyone who so much as even thought of picking a fight with him. It can be assumed that casting him must not have been an easy task considering there are not many actors who have that kind of stature and body structure.

Conan Stevens’ first impression as the character was great. However, he could not return for the second season due to scheduling conflicts between this show and Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in which he appeared as the Orc warrior, Bolg. The role of Gregor went to Ian Whyte then.

While Whyte’s height was similar to that of Stevens’, he was obviously not the best fit for the role. According to Digital Spy, he reportedly had a difficult time tackling Clegane’s motivations and “struggled to distance himself emotionally from the character’s horrific violence.” So, he exited as Gregor at the end of Season 3 but portrayed other characters like the Night King and Wun Wun the Wildling in the show.

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson was the actor who portrayed the character for the rest of the five seasons of the show. His performance as The Mountain is the most memorable because he became responsible for some of the most gruesome scenes including the fight with his brother The Hound and him crushing Oberyn Martell’s skull in combat.

Game of Thrones is available to stream on Max.