As the most enduringly popular TV show of the decade enters its eighth and final season, the hype burns as brightly as ever. So it’s no surprise that the official premiere for this season would be as big a deal as the entertainment world will see this week.
The red carpet was rolled out on Wednesday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Almost the show’s whole cast attended, which naturally made it pretty difficult to get them all in one photo.
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That must be one massive stage.
The whole event went to the next level.
The red carpet included fake stone pillars and tons of fire, setting the scene for some pretty epic photo-ops.
I mean look at Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth)!
The only member of the cast missing was Lena Headley.
Though she’d planned to be there, when the day came, she was too sick to even make the flight to NYC.
She shared her disappointment on Instagram.
” Gutted. Heartbroken and f ed off, still doesn’t cover my disappointment at not being able to travel to NYC for our final prem tonight. I f ing hate being sick and the timing of this is a shit bag.”
But one cast member really stood out at the premiere: Hafthor Julius Bjornsson.
The Icelandic actor and powerlifter appeared with his wife, Kelsey Henson.
As The Daily Mail reported , he stands at 6 feet and 9 inches tall, which is close to two feet taller than Henson.
Bjornsson plays ‘The Mountain’ on the show, which is fitting.
He’s actually the third actor to take on the role. In season one, Gregor Clegane was played by Conan Stevens. Ian Whyte played him in season two, but was offered another role in the show, leaving the slot open for Bjornsson.
But Bjornsson was in for some fun when his former costar, Pedro Pascal showed up.
As the man who plays “The Mountain” stood unaware, Pascal rushed up to him with his hands outstretched. He was definitely up to something here.
Indeed, it seemed that Pascal, who played Oberyn ‘The Viper’ Martell on the show, was coming in for a surprise attack!
But after he reached up and pretended to choke Bjornsson, they two laughed about their little pantomime and shared a hug.
Of course, those who watched the show closely would know that this was all about.
The actors faced each other in a trial by combat in season four of the show, and things didn’t go well for Pascal.
His character got cocky and the fight quickly turned.
After a bloody end which saw “The Mountain” gouge out “The Viper’s” eyes, the giant killed Martell and Pascal’s run on the show ended.
It was a few years in the making, but it seems Pascal finally got his playful revenge.
That’s not to say that The Mountain fared much better after all was said and done.
He ended up getting poisoned and transformed, which means he now exists only as Cersei Lannister’s personal zombie-esque drone.
He even had a surprise role in a Superbowl ad.
In it, a Bud Light knight jousts with a mysterious opponent, who wins easily and is revealed to be The Mountain in all his huge, undead glory.
But Bjornsson definitely showed much more personality than his ill-fated character.
According to The Daily Mail , he’s proven himself as Europe’s strongest man four times and Iceland’s strongest man eight times.
It took seven years of competing, but in 2008, he achieved his biggest goal.
He was crowned the world’s strongest man, and even set a world record for deadlifting 1,045 pounds.
So yeah, I wouldn’t want to be stuck in a trial by combat against him either.
