You probably don’t want to get into a fight with Hafthor Julius Bjornsson, the actor who plays Sir Gregor Clegane, a k a the Mountain, on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” At 6-foot-9 and 419 pounds, he’s more than imposing. He’s a tower of muscle. He can bench press 500 pounds, squat 770 pounds and dead lift 925 pounds. He consumes 10,000 calories a day. And his physical prowess was on full display in Sunday’s episode, where he finished off Prince Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal). The Icelandic hulk, 25, answered questions from The Post about his surprising career through a translator.
When HBO called you in to audition, what did they ask you to do?
We had to go through some scenes, reading the lines from the scripts. They also asked me to show if I could do fast movements for the fight scenes, and they were actually quite surprised as to how fast I was. I am really fast, not boasting; it is a fact. Then they asked me to lift a man, grabbing under his armpits and lifting him over my head. They said he looked like a baby in my hands. Well, at least I got the part. I mean, who would not love to be in “Game of Thrones” as the Mountain?
When you were doing your fight scenes with Pedro Pascal, did you have to limit yourself so as not to defeat him too quickly?
Naturally, this is acting, but yes, I had to limit my strength somewhat.
How did you learn to use a sword for the series?
I had intense training with the [show’s] sword master, C.C. Smiff, who is also a fantastic dancer, by the way. That was very difficult. We were working from early morning until evening for several weeks, but as you can see, like in the fight scene, all that hard work really paid off.
Your exercise regimen is very strenuous and you do a lot of competitions. What is your diet?
Very simple, really. I eat a lot and often, mostly very healthy food. My diet is rather high in carbohydrates, but I try staying away from junk-carbs and try eating more of sweet potatoes, brown rice and lots of healthier protein sources. If I get a craving for hamburgers or something like that, I will have it. The diet is not as much a hassle for strongmen as in some other sports, but I like to stay in good overall shape, and as far as acting goes, I believe that has to be a good thing. At least I have been offered good parts.
Is your native language Icelandic?
Yes, and by the way, it is the closest to the language that the Vikings spoke of all the Nordic languages.
Are you married? Do you have children?
I have a beautiful princess, a 5-year-old daughter, but I am single.
At what age did you reach 6 feet 9 inches?
At around 15 to 16 years of age.
When people see how strong you are, are they afraid of you?
Not that I am aware of, but then again, I try to be courteous to people, and I believe what goes around, comes around. But I have noticed, when I scream and go a little crazy during a competition, some people are hesitant. But when the competition is over and I cool down, as I like to talk to my fans, people see I am no monster, just a nice guy.
Will you return to “Game of Thrones” next season?
You will have to ask [show creators] Dave [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss], they are very unpredictable and keep everyone, and I mean everyone, on their toes.