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David and Dan
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I'm not trying to typecast him; he played a suitably different sort of character in King Arthur, after all, and I know he was in an unaired zombie dramedy for one of the U.S. networks. But there's many actors who've played textured characters for a couple of seasons -- what puts him on the tip of so many tongues that no one else seems to? Besides the possibility that people just think, "Oh, Pullo, so like Sandor," which would be a very cockeyed way to look at things in my opinion, but all right..

Has anyone seen his work outside of Rome, King Arthur (where he was fine but unexceptional as a stalwart sort of fellow), and The Punisher? Lots of guest spots on various shows over the years ... his most extensive work being two seasons of At Home with the Braithwaites and a long run on City Central, which I'm not familiar with. Anyone able to convey some impressions of his experience in these sort of shows?

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what puts him on the tip of so many tongues that no one else seems to?

I suppose it is because he played a similar character on a series produced by the same network that is well-liked by fans of ASOIAF (including GRRM himself). The fact that both projects have the same casting director gives more hope to Stevenson fans.

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He dropped Mycah's body at Ned's feet. Ned wasn't the boy's father, of course.

I guess I was thinking of when Jeyne said his father thought it was a pig when they delivered the boy. or something to that effect.

I assumed the "they" was Sandor and company, but you're probably right. More likely, it was Ned and his men, or Robert's men.

I doubt Robert would have taken the time, he would have left it to someone else.

for some reason I was thinking Sandor did that dirty task too. He should have; if not that proves he's even that much more of a coward.

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You know, I admit, I don't quite understand why Stevenson is touted so much. I liked him very well as the happy-go-lucky killer Titus Pullo in Rome, but I never understood why this immediately suggested him as Sandor to so many people. Sandor is anything but happy-go-lucky, nor is he handsome. I suppose Stevenson suggests through his portrayal of Pullo that he can convey wanton brutality as well as some sort of .... soulfulness? Goodness? But I don't think that's what you want for the Hound. He needs to convey something much more cramped and damaged amidst his brutality. Maybe Stevenson circa The Punisher is closer to the mark? I don't know. Anyways, I liked Pullo, but there's nothing of Sandor Clegane in that character.

I won't complain if he's cast, since I think he can act well enough, but I'm just wondering why he leaps to mind for so many.

I think its the Kevin McKidd syndrome. Can't get Luscious Verenious, so let's pine for Titus Pullo. :cheers:

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I'd rather Sandor NOT be Ray Stevenson.

I don't want all the comparisons to be with Rome.

I think the series needs to stand on its own, and I think bringing in actors from Rome would hinder the series more then help it.

I don't want Sandor to make people think of Titus. He should be unique.

Think how much people are saying they won't be able to see Bean as Ned because of a part he played in Lord of the Rings.

He was on screen for maybe 1 hour in that movie.

Contrast that to the screen time Stevenson has had as Titus Pullo.

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Halfhand,

I guess it's the supposed similarity to Sandor. Besides killing lots of people (which could be said, in Rome, of Marc Antony and Vorenus too, for that matter), I don't really see it. It's all very odd.

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Halfhand,

I guess it's the supposed similarity to Sandor. Besides killing lots of people (which could be said, in Rome, of Marc Antony and Vorenus too, for that matter), I don't really see it. It's all very odd.

I think one aspect of the answer is that many people enjoyed watching Stevenson bring Titus Pullo to life and feel they would enjoy watching him do the same for Sandor. Yes, both are brutes, both are killers, both are big ferocious men, but each of them (Titus and Sandor) has his own kind of humanity, his own moments of regret and yearning to be something more and better than they've been in the past. Stevenson was able to show us that with Titus and audiences liked him for it. So it seems a natural progression that some ASOIAF fans would enjoy watching him do the same for Sandor.

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You know, I admit, I don't quite understand why Stevenson is touted so much. I liked him very well as the happy-go-lucky killer Titus Pullo in Rome, but I never understood why this immediately suggested him as Sandor to so many people. Sandor is anything but happy-go-lucky, nor is he handsome. I suppose Stevenson suggests through his portrayal of Pullo that he can convey wanton brutality as well as some sort of .... soulfulness? Goodness? But I don't think that's what you want for the Hound. He needs to convey something much more cramped and damaged amidst his brutality. Maybe Stevenson circa The Punisher is closer to the mark? I don't know. Anyways, I liked Pullo, but there's nothing of Sandor Clegane in that character.

As others have said, Pullo's darker side was very reminiscent of Sandor in many ways, although Sandor is probably less likely to bite someone's tongue out and spit it in their face ;) His odd-tender relationship with that slave girl across the two seasons also shows a more exposed side that would be useful in the scenes with Sansa. He is also an actor accomplished and experienced in combat, which is useful.

I agree he's not the only person who could do it, not by a long shot, but he's someone we know could do it very well. I've also seen him in a couple of other British productions and he does have a more impressive range than what you might expect from just seeing him in Rome.

For my part I was actually touting James Purefoy as Ned Stark for a while, based again on him being a very versatile actor (Ned has little in common with Mark Antony and less with Captain Blackbeard) and looking the part to a T (especially his bearded look in Season 2 just before Philippi).

However, it was indicated a while back that we shouldn't necessarily expect major roles for the Rome stars in GoT, if only because that show has put them up for other, higher-profile roles and they might not be up for only a few episodes' work a season as they would be in GoT (although I'm still saying Purefoy for the Oberyn Martell extended cameo in Season 3!). So even the presence of Nina Gold as casting director shouldn't mean that Rome actors will be considered for major roles. Supporting roles, I can imagine, if only because Rome used so many excellent British actors that it's unlikely there won't be any actors at all shared between the two series.

The presence of Nina Gold does make me hopeful she'll bring in some of the Devil's Whore actors like John Simm and the mighty Peter Capaldi, who for some reason has lodged in my mind as Aerys II in flashback scenes, although I'm sure there's a bigger role that could be found for him. Ten years ago he'd have been the perfect Littlefinger but is probably too old for it now.

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just to add one thing to this.

I hope Conan Stevens isn't just hoping for Benioff and Weiss to give him a call.

I hope he's actively pursuing it, and hope he's reading the books because from what I can tell from his website - he doesn't understand Gregor all that well.

yes he is actively pursuing it *here is how i know*

he isn't reading the books and probably wont (says he doesn't read fantasy any more)

Edited by ogbebaba
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You know, I admit, I don't quite understand why Stevenson is touted so much. I liked him very well as the happy-go-lucky killer Titus Pullo in Rome, but I never understood why this immediately suggested him as Sandor to so many people. Sandor is anything but happy-go-lucky, nor is he handsome. I suppose Stevenson suggests through his portrayal of Pullo that he can convey wanton brutality as well as some sort of .... soulfulness? Goodness? But I don't think that's what you want for the Hound. He needs to convey something much more cramped and damaged amidst his brutality. Maybe Stevenson circa The Punisher is closer to the mark? I don't know. Anyways, I liked Pullo, but there's nothing of Sandor Clegane in that character.

I won't complain if he's cast, since I think he can act well enough, but I'm just wondering why he leaps to mind for so many.

I would have killed for Stevenson on GoT. But not as Sandor. His Pullo immediately made me think of Robert Baratheon, especially the relationship between McKidd's Vorenus (my ideal Ned Stark). I thought it would have been great to see Vorenus and Pullo playing equals, or even Pullo outranking Vorenus.

I loved Rome, I am sure you can tell. :D

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Yeah, ok, I think this entire discussion might have killed even the slightest possibility of Ray Stevenson being cast as Sandor. Even if he had the time, and wanted it, if D+D read this discussion, I'm almost certain they'll be discouraged to hire him. For any role, for that matter.

Too bad, really.

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No need for histrionics. They don't care about a handful of random people just wondering why Stevenson should be the Hound, when they can see his audition and they have their own vision of how things should be.

For that matter, I never said Stevenson couldn't do the Hound very well. I just don't get why his role as Pullo recommended him to so many people as the Hound. I'm sure he's a good actor and could do a credible job, it's just that I couldn't say that based off of Pullo.

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So the hound is Rory Mccann.

Don't know much about him, but he looks like he fits the part.

Not 100% confirmed yet I believe, but it looks very likely.

I suspect they won't just announce him by himself, though, and will wait until they have at least Cersei, maybe Bran as well.

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So the hound is Rory Mccann.

Don't know much about him, but he looks like he fits the part.

Really? Is this for sure???

I don't know, can he handle the acting? I've seen him in movies, but his roles were never particularly a stretch of thespian gymnastics. He's the first casting choice I'd be dissapointed with, but so far they've had excellent choices so I wont cry...Too much.

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  • 1 month later...

This is just to say thank you, from both of us, for all the excellent casting suggestions posted on the board. We hope you like the group we've assembled. Seeing them together for the first time was surreal: watching the Stark children whispering in the corner; seeing Jaime and Tyrion gossiping at the bar; staring up at the Hound as he loomed over the crowd...

Gods be good, we'll get to do this again soon. Littlefinger, Renly, Varys, Ilyn Payne-- all great roles in need of great actors. But we've got a lot of work before we get there. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

And now to figure out George's Stan Lee moment...

Valar morghulis,

D&D

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David and Dan! :)

The cast is awesome. Cannot wait to see them on screen. I'm still slightly in shock at just what an amazing cast you've assembled. I didn't expect that we'd get so many fabulous actors.

I'll hopefully catch up with you in Belfast and get to say thanks in person. Buy you both a pint!

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A cameo for George? Hurrah! I'd suggest that he be one of the king's scribes, busily writing some official matter down while wine-sodden feast-goers keep harrassing him. ;)

And thank you, guys, for taking it this far. May it go further. Good luck with the shoot!

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