Month: April 2019

SOURCE: Glasgow Live
AUTHOR: Isaac Callan
DATE: 25 April 2019
ORIGINAL: Click here
ARCHIVE: Click here
NOTE: There isn’t really anything new here. I’m mostly sharing it because if you go look at the original, you get an approximate time frame for when Rory started working as the Scott’s Porage Oats Man. Also, a couple of adorable photos.

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Before playing his unsmiling character in Westeros, he was the face of some rather cheeky Scottish adverts

Cast your mind back, if you will, to a time before Westeros and White Walkers – to a time before Game of Thrones.

Things were different then: people said that winter was coming without a slightly smug smile, tourism to Northern Ireland was much lower and the various actors – now superstars – were barely known.

Some of the stars of the show were, admittedly, just in school, while others were working on projects very different to their current shows.

One actor otherwise engaged was Glasgow’s own Rory McCann – or The Hound, as he is known to fans of Game of Thrones.

McCann, whose character is also known as Sandor Clegane, occupied an iconic position at the heart of Scottish pop culture. He was the Scott’s Porage Oats boy.

The actor, who celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday, was the face of the brand. He played an uncharacteristically smiling, classically strong and very regularly semi-naked man who just loved his oats. Featuring in a series of TV and cinema ads, McCann starred in some rather cheeky shorts promoting the breakfast food.

Even before his role as the face of Scott’s Porage Oats, McCann took some time to come to acting. He studied at the Scottish School of Forestry, painted the Forth Road Bridge and worked as a landscape gardener. He also fronted a band and plays several musical instruments.

The Glaswegian actor, though, is the classic choice for both his role as The Hound and as the muscular face of Scott’s Porage Oats. Despite reaching his half-century, McCann lives a rugged and transient lifestyle, enjoying rock climbing and various outdoor activities.

In fact, when I got in touch with his agent about an interview before the release of Game of Thrones, I was told “he is now away sailing so not taking part in any more press for the moment.”

Looking back at his starring role in the Scott’s Porage Oats adverts, Game of Thrones fans have been delighted with what they saw.

Commenting on an old Youtube clip of McCann coming out of icy highland water wearing nothing but a sporran, one user said: “I always knew there was something sexy about Rory McCann.”

Others, however, think that the young and cheery McCann could throw them next time they tune into Westeros, with one saying “I can never take him seriously in Game of Thrones now.”

Either way, it’s nice to remember that Rory McCann was an icon for healthy Scottish breakfasts before the world knew him as The Hound. The adverts were iconic in their time and remain recognisable to many different people today.

Happy belated birthday, Rory, and hopefully we’ll see The Hound smile or wear a kilt before the end of this final season of Game of Thrones.

SOURCE: Buro. Singapore
AUTHOR: Aravin Sandran
DATE: 14 April 2019
ORIGINAL: Click here
ARCHIVE: Click here
NOTE: I am only reproducing the interview here. For anything else included with the interview, go to the original website article or the Internet Archive link.

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How does the final season of Game of Thrones begin for your character?
He’s part of the crew. He’s not the loner any more. He’s found some direction and meaning in his life. He still hates his brother but overriding it all, he’s part of a mission.

What was the final all-cast table read like?
We made a big effort. When it’s being read out and narrated, there’s a lot of energy and people were going for it. There were a few actors that really — and I thought they were kidding on — that they hadn’t read the script. They were waiting until that day. Kit (Harington) was one of them. He wasn’t just pretending. He was sight-reading it and then you could probably see his face going, “Noooooo.” It’s emotional.

I remember we were stood up for the 10 minutes just clapping and we’re looking at David (Benioff) and Dan (DB Weiss) was going, “Wow.” My hair was on end just thinking about it.

So the millions of people out there looking forward to the final series…
Will not be disappointed. No, because they’ve got it in their own heads, those theories and stuff. It might not suit their version.

Looking back over the series, when was the moment you realised that everything had gone to another level?
A couple of seasons in really. I’ve been in denial for a long time — I haven’t really watched much of it, so I’m going ‘la, la, la…’ I had a year off and even then you’re still in the middle of nowhere and you suddenly pass a stranger in a really remote place and suddenly you hear, “Are you alive or are you dead?”

There’s plenty that you’ll miss of course from making Game of Thrones. Is there one thing that you won’t miss?
Well, for me, it will be the costumes. I was always the first in just with this prosthetic on my face. The one for the burn. Every day. I will not miss that. Then when I was working around it, I usually had to have half a beard. This side all had to be shaved off. And then you go back home and people go, ‘Listen, you need to sort that out.’ I go, ‘I’m working, I’ve told you this time and time again. When I have no beard on this side of my face, it means that I’m working.’ ‘Well, it looks ridiculous big man.’