Rory McCann

Rory McCann (born 24 April 1969) is a Scottish actor, best known for portraying Sandor "The Hound" Clegane on the HBO series Game of Thrones and Michael "Lurch" Armstrong in Edgar Wright's crime-comedy Hot Fuzz. He also had a role as Jurgen the Brutal, the main villain in the adventure comedy Jumanji: The Next Level.

For the Irish cricketer, see Rory McCann (cricketer).

Rory McCann
McCann in 2014
Born (1969-04-24) 24 April 1969
Glasgow, Scotland
NationalityScottish
OccupationActor
Years active1999–present
Height6 ft 6 in (198 cm)[1]

Early life

McCann was born in Glasgow, Scotland.[2] He has a sister, Sally-Gay McCann, born in 1972.[3]

Before becoming an actor, McCann was a painter who studied at the Scottish School of Forestry near Inverness. He also worked as a bridge painter (on the Forth Road Bridge), landscape gardener and carpenter.[4] Rory McCann was first trained as an actor by writer-artist Robert Parsifal Finch in The Actor's Workshop, Glasgow in 1998.

Career

McCann's first acting job was as an extra on the film Willow (1988). He was fired because he laughed during the takes.[5] He appeared in an advertisement for Scott's Porage Oats, dressed in a vest and kilt.[5] As his first major acting role, McCann played a disabled personal trainer in the 2002 television comedy drama The Book Group, winning the Scottish BAFTA for the best television performance of 2002.[6]

Since then, he has taken television roles as Detective Inspector Stuart Brown in State of Play, Peter the Great in Peter in Paradise, and a priest in the award-winning British comedy-drama series Shameless.

He made his Hollywood debut in the 2004 film Alexander, which required the actors to go through training in the African desert, and included shooting in Thailand, Morocco, and a London studio.[7] In 2007, he appeared as Michael "Lurch" Armstrong in Hot Fuzz. In 2008, he played Moby in The Crew and Attila the Hun in the BBC docudrama Heroes and Villains.

McCann portrayed Sandor "The Hound" Clegane in the HBO series Game of Thrones.[8][9][10]

Other projects include a BBC TV series by writer Jimmy McGovern called Banished, set in Australia in the 18th century.[11] McCann plays a blacksmith named Marston.

Personal life

McCann's younger sister, Sally-Gay McCann, works on costumes for film and television; he worked alongside her on Alexander and Game of Thrones.[3] McCann is a supporter of the Scottish Green Party, and appeared in its 2007 Scottish Parliament general election broadcast.[12]

In 1990, McCann broke multiple bones in a near-fatal rock climbing accident in Yorkshire.[13]

McCann is the former frontman of a defunct band called Thundersoup.[7] He plays the piano, guitar, banjo and mandolin.[14]

McCann is known for living a solitary, transient lifestyle.[5] He often lives on his boat or in places without modern conveniences.[15][16] In 2006, he went to Iceland with Gerard Butler to attend the premiere of Beowulf & Grendel. He ended up living in Iceland for a year, part of the time in a tent after losing his apartment, and working as a carpenter.[17][18]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2000Pasty FacesGoon
2003The Devil's TattooEric
Young AdamSam
2004AlexanderCraterus
2005Beowulf & GrendelBreca
2006Sixty SixPoliceman
2007Hot FuzzMichael "Lurch" Armstrong
2008The CrewMoby
2009Solomon KaneMcNess
2010Clash of the TitansBelo
2011Season of the WitchSoldier CommanderCredited as Rory MacCann
2015Slow WestJohn Ross
2017XXX: Return of Xander CageTennyson "The Torch"
2019Jumanji: The Next Level Jurgen The Brutal

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1999Coming SoonFergusTelevision film
2000Randall & HopkirkBouncerEpisode: "Mental Apparition Disorder"
Monarch of the GlenRogerEpisode No. 1.6
2002London's BurningKeithEpisode No. 14.7
2002–2003The Book GroupKenny McLeodMain role; 12 episodes
2003State of PlayStuart BrownEpisode No. 1.1
RockfaceAdamRecurring role; 6 episodes
Peter in ParadisePeter the GreatTelevision film
2006ShamelessFather Critchon2 episodes
2008Heroes and VillainsAttila the HunEpisode: "Attila the Hun"
2011The JuryDerek HatchMain role (season 2); 5 episodes
2011–2014;
2016–2019		Game of ThronesSandor "The Hound" CleganeMain role; 38 episodes (seasons 1–4, 6–8)
2015BanishedMarstonMain role; 4 episodes

References
  1. Collins, Sean (7 April 2014). "'Game of Thrones' Q&A: Rory McCann on 'The Hound' and Season Four". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  2. Rosenberg, Scott (15 September 2006). "Exclusive Interview: Rory McCann ('Shameless', Beowulf & Grendel', "Alexander')". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  3. "Rory McCann – What I know about women". The Scotsman. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  4. McIver, Brian (31 March 2014). "Games of Thrones star Rory McCann on his meteoric rise from carpenter to fantasy TV star". Daily Record. Glasgow: Trinity Mirror. ISSN 0956-8069. OCLC 500344244. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. Boyer, Jen (25 April 2013). "'Game of Thrones': Meet the Hound, Scottish actor Rory McCann". LA Times. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  6. MacLaren, Lorna (29 January 2003). "Why he's always up for it: From dubious tree surgeon and Forth bridge painter to giant of porridge commercials, Book Group star Rory McCann tells Lorna MacLaren of his next move". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  7. English, Paul (1 January 2005). "Hulk Rory Leaves No Stone Unturned; Scott's Porage Oats Star Rory McCann Spills the Beans on how he won a part in Oliver Stone's movie Alexander by Telling the Great Man to take a Hike". Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  8. "Game of Thrones: Cast". HBO. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  9. Towers, Andrea (4 April 2014). "'Game of Thrones': Rory McCann teases road trip of 'death and destruction' in season 4". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  10. "Rory McCann Joue Les Petits Rigolos à L'avant-Première de "Game of Thrones" à New York, le Mardi 18 ..." Pure/Trend. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  11. Davey, Cathie (18 March 2014). "Cast announced for Jimmy McGovern's epic new series, Banished, for BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  12. Scottish Green Party (11 April 2007). "First Vote Green on the 3rd of May 2007". YouTube. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  13. Fulton, Rick (28 March 2002). "I fell into acting says Oats hunk; Scots actor and climber Rory McCann on the mountain plunge that changed his life". Daily Record (Scotland). Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  14. Flett, Michael (19 March 2012). "Rory McCann - Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, Game of Thrones". Geek Chocolate. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  15. Virtue, Graeme (19 March 2013). "Game Of Thrones' Hound on bumfluff, hugs and the magic of Wilko Johnson". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  16. Lash, Jolie (23 February 2013). "Access Countdown To 'Game Of Thrones' Season 2: Q&A Rory McCann Talks Sandor Clegane (The Hound)". Access Hollywood. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  17. Kristinn Haukur Guðnason (29 November 2019). "Heimsfrægur leikari bjó í tjaldi á Íslandi og stal sér til matar" (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 November 2019.
  18. Ellie Harrison (29 November 2019). "Game of Thrones star Rory McCann says he was living in a tent and 'stealing food' before he landed The Hound role". The Independent. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
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