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30 NOVEMBER 2016
DVD&BD
INTERVIEW
Kristian Nairn, the 6’ 10” Northern
Ireland DJ turned actor, has been a
part of Game of Thrones since the
very first episode. The hulking stable boy
known only by his repetitious use of the
word ‘Hodor’ became the bodyguard – and
the mode of transport – to the crippled Bran
Stark, and a cult figure to the show’s legion
of fans.
While uttering the same word of dialogue
meant there were less lines to learn, Nairn
notes that the challenge
for an actor was in
articulating the character’s
emotions. “Having one
word was sometimes quite
restrictive, so it depended
on the subject matter
and the complexity of the
scene,” he tells STACK.
Nairn had studied acting
at college and performed in
live theatre and musicals,
before an (unsuccessful)
audition for the film Hot
Fuzz led to him being cast
as one of the most endearing characters in
Game of Thrones . “It was the same casting
director and she remembered me for the part
of Hodor,” he explains.
Being surrounded by veteran actors proved
invaluable to his first onscreen acting gig,
he notes. “I’ve learned so much from them.
They’re just incredible professionals – it’s like
watching a masterclass.”
After Sean Bean lost his head, Nairn was
all too aware of the occupational hazard that
comes with starring in Game of Thrones. Even
the most beloved of characters can be killed
off without warning, and in season six it’s
Hodor’s turn to make the ultimate sacrifice.
“Everyone’s card is marked,” he says,
and proceeds to explain how he learned of
Hodor’s fate. “You don’t find out until you get
As gentle giant Hodor in Game of Thrones, Kristian Nairn only said one
word, but he managed to get six seasons out of it. Words Scott Hocking
the scripts, which are sent out in a staggered
way depending on which episode is your first.
One of my fellow cast mates and I always
joke, ‘Are we going to get killed this season?’
as we thumb through the scripts. I made a
joking comment to my friend – ‘So, do I make
it through to the end of the season?’ There
was an awkward silence and that’s how I
found out, and about a week after that I got
the ‘black call’ from David [Benioff] confirming
my demise.”
We’ll leave the nature
of Hodor’s death for the
internet to spoil, but Nairn
agrees that it was a stroke
of genius on the part of
George R.R. Martin.
“When I found out about
the death, my friend’s
reaction was ‘wait until you
see how it happens, you’re
going to love it’. And I did.
I just thought the scene
was put together so well –
only Game of Thrones can
pull something like that
off. For George Martin to have foreshadowed
that… how many years has he known that
‘Hodor’ was ‘Hold the door’? And not just my
character, there’s so much foreshadowing in
the stories and books.”
Life for Nairn hasn’t
slowed down since
departing the show. He
continues to travel the world
as an in-demand DJ and has
a movie lined up in the new
year.
“I think the death scene
has created a hunger,”
he laughs.
“Obviously it’s a
bit daunting as
to what’s going
If you could have played
any character in Game of
Thrones, who would you
have chosen and why?
“Obviously Hodor’s words weren’t
important, it was all about the body
language and stuff, so I would have liked to
play someone whose words were incredibly
important. I think I would have liked to play
Varys – the dialogue between him and
Littlefinger and the way they play off each
other is incredible. I couldn’t have done a
better job than Conleth [Hill], but it would
have been a very fun part to play and very
different from Hodor."
to happen now, but it’s been a very busy time
and I’m very grateful for it.”
Aside from the overall experience of being
a part of Game of Thrones , he says it’s the
cast and crew and the lifelong friendships he’s
forged that he’ll miss the most. “I’m based
in Belfast, so I’ll probably get to see them
come in and out. Hopefully we’ll all keep in
touch.”
Having one word
was sometimes
quite restrictive...
it depended on the
subject matter and the
complexity of the scene
• Game of
Thrones:
Season 6
is out on
Nov 16.