Game of Thrones' 'The Mountain' got the job by lifting a man over his head in his audition.

Nobody's a bigger Westeros fanatic than Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson. Literally.

You've probably had your fair share of odd job interviews – but none as crazy as Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson's bid to join Game of Thrones.


The Icelandic strongman actually got the job as the villainous Mountain by showing off his incredible physical power for Game of Thrones producers (via Men's Health).

"They asked me if I was strong enough to pick one of the guys up. I gave it a try and he felt very light," he revealed. "They were surprised at how easily I lifted him overhead."



Playing The Mountain is a dream come true for Björnsson, since he was a massive fan of the HBO fantasy drama even before joining the cast.

"When I saw the [audition] email, I thought it was a joke," he recalled. "I was already a big fan of the series; I'm an even bigger fan now, because I know how much work goes into it."



When he's not murdering foreign princes or crushing puny knights in his way on Game of Thrones, Björnsson spends his spare time in the Octagon with UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

"I was in Ireland shooting for Game of Thrones and my friend [Icelandic UFC fighter] Gunnar Nelson was training in Dublin with Conor. I asked if I could check out a session," he said.


"I knew he had a big fight coming up, so I was gentle with him!"

The full interview, plus Hafthór Björnsson's exclusive workouts, is available in the May issue of Men's Health, on sale Thursday, April 7.