Always...Can we just take a moment in silence to appreciate how insanely handsome Rory was in this episode. Heavy breathing is allowed.
Very nice interview, rather long, so follow the link to enjoy. Here are a few highlights from our favorite giant sexy lumberjack musician actor guy.
“GC – …the Hound is one of the characters who stands up to do the right thing… Can we expect more of that?
RM – You certainly can. It’s going to be double trouble with the Hound standing no nonsense, no bullying, in the thick of it. There’s going to be battles this time. There’s been a real call for proper battles and he’s going to be drenched in blood for most of the time, so it’s a very exciting time for the Hound’s story.
^^^ HEY GUYS- GUYS - this is interesting. He only stands up for her barely a few times, are they going to exaggerate it?!
RM: …Shakespeare said “Do not sully too much the night,”
That story about reading the book in the wild… dear lord.
“His eyes opened. “You remember where the heart is?” he asked in a hoarse whisper.
As still as stone she stood. “I … I was only…”
“Don’t lie,” he growled. “I hate liars. I hate gutless frauds even worse. Go on, do it.” When Arya did not move, he said, “I killed your butcher’s boy. I cut him near in half, and laughed about it after.” He made a queer sound, and it took her a moment to realize he was sobbing.”
— Sandor Clegane
You know where the heart is?“And the little bird, your pretty sister, I stood there in my white cloak and let them beat her. I took the bloody song, she never gave it. I meant to take her too. I should have. I should have fucked her bloody and ripped her heart out before leaving her for that dwarf.” A spasm of pain twisted his face. “Do you mean to make me beg, bitch? Do it! The gift of mercy … avenge your little Michael…”
‘Ripping her heart out…’
That’s Sandor’s most notorious sentence, extremely ambiguous and powerful. Another reference to the heart in Sandor’s nightmarish journey to the deepest pits of hell. I’m not sure, but probably that’s how he feels himself, as if his own chest had been ripped open and his heart was in her hands. In this scene the man wants to die because he can’t take any more suffering,neither physical nor mental, but probably his inner suffering is the one that’s more cruel.
He’s a fighter and never gives up but when he heard of Sansa’s marriage he surrendered. The more I think of it, the more convinced I am that crude and raw sentence: I should have fucked her bloody and ripped her heart out before leaving her for that dwarf is more about self hatred, pain and hopeless yearning than about violence. Sandor has known nothing but violence and he expresses in violent terms how frustrated, how jealous and forlorn he feels now that he’s lost his little bird for ever.
I’m sure he doesn’t regret he didn’t rape her and killed her, he’s just expressing a pain so strong it feels nearly physical, I think it’s his own heart the one which feels as if it was being ripped out of his chest, that’s why he wants to give up and die by Arya’s hand and mercy. He refers to his torn heart and his own death rather than hers.Sandor’s speech here is on so many levels that it’s no wonder people get confused by it or take it at solely face value. While I generally agree with your points, I wanted to bring up one other thing:
“I hate liars. I hate gutless frauds even worse.”
He follows that up with his memories of standing by doing nothing while Sansa was beaten — a nominal knight of the Kingsguard and he let them beat an innocent girl. He is the gutless fraud that he hates.
He tore off that white cloak and left it with her the night he deserted… for fear of fire, he lost all, all that he thought he was. For fear of… what… the prayer that Sansa sang to him? the forgiveness she showed in that moment that he knows he doesn’t deserve? he lost her too.
I’d also like to point out what follows the statement: ‘“I should have fucked her bloody and ripped her heart out before leaving her for that dwarf.” A spasm of pain twisted his face.’ He can hardly even deal with saying the words himself.
I seriously doubt that he is simply in pain from physical wounds. It hurts him to say those words but he wants to be done with that pain and that guilt so badly he makes himself do it.
I think Gregor would have hurt the kennel puppies too. (EDIT: canon puppy beatings thanks to nobodysuspectsthebutterfly)
EDIT AGAIN: Sandor is playing with the puppy… not luring it into evil… incase that wasn’t clear.
Holy crap guys! Rory McCann w/ Access Hollywood on The Hound in Season 2:
“I was feeding birds outside and I was wearing inappropriate footwear, shall we say,It was pouring down with rain and I ended up slipping and falling down a hill. I should have gone with it instead of fighting, and now I’m limping.”
“The power, as you can imagine, will be going to [Joffrey’s] head and the real bully will be coming out and it will be raising all sorts of memories for The Hound — the way that he was bullied”
“Rory, who calls the role “the greatest part I’ve ever been given,” knows for his character, actions speak louder than words.”
“Very itchy! But, you know, it makes me angry and I just use it.”
“I get on great with all the kids.”
“Because [of] the way I look — and I do know the way I look — I surprise people sometimes. So when I come ‘round a corner and they don’t notice… I give people a scare, just being my size and stuff. But I’ll go up to people behind and bark like a dog, and nip the back of their leg and watch them jump.” DYING!
“The weather was brutal and so anything to cheer up anyone. But it’s was usually just telling stories… I have a guitar on set, as well. I play little ditties and stuff.” IS HE REAL?!
“I’m just about to move to a place that you can only get there by rowing a boat across a loch, which I’m thoroughly looking forward to it. It’s not got electricity or anything.” ….!
“The thing that I just discovered, which fascinates me really – my name, McCann, the translation isn’t ‘Son of Ann.’ … It comes from ‘‘Canis’ – as in ‘canine’ – as in ‘dog’! My name — Rory McCann — means Rory Hound, Rory Wolfhound. Can you believe that?”
“She could feel the fury in him; she could see it on his face, the way his mouth would tighten and twist, the looks he gave her. Whenever he took his axe to chop some wood for a fire, he would slide into a cold rage, hacking savagely at the tree or the deadfall or the broken limb, until they had twenty times as much kindling and firewood as they’d needed.” -Storm of Swords
I may have read this passage more than a few times…
EDIT: Wasn’t totally happy. Fixed some stuff.
