What role did Hafthor Björnsson play in Game of Thrones? Character explored after Icelandic strongman reveals “unbearable loss”

Hafthor Björnsson, the actor who played "The Mountain" Ser Gregor Clegane in the HBO series Game of Thrones, shared the dreadful news with his wife Kelsey Henson that their daughter was stillborn.

Björnsson portrayed the giant warrior, who was a knight of House Clegane in service to House Lannister and was feared among soldiers due to his tendency toward extreme and excessive violence. Gregor Clegane was the older brother of The Hound, Sandor Clegane, according to the Wiki of Westeros.

On November 10, 2023, Hafthor and Kelsey both posted pictures of themselves with their three-year-old son, Stormur, as they held their daughter, Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir, in a hospital bed, as per People.

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Hafthor Björnsson and wife announce news of "great sorrow" about their daughter

Hafthor Björnsson is an Icelandic professional strongman and a former professional basketball player. He took over the portrayal of Gregor "The Mountain That Rides" Clegane for seasons four to eight, after Conan Stevens played the giant in season one and Ian Whyte in season two.

Björnsson was well suited for the role of the brutal warrior, as the man currently stands at 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighs more than 400 pounds. He had set a Guinness World Record for deadlifting 1,104 pounds in 2020. Two years before that, he had won the World’s Strongest Man competition.

Both the Clegane brothers, The Hound and The Mountain, perished in a fight to the death as the Red Keep collapsed around them in the fifth episode of the eighth season of Game of Thrones, according to Wiki of Westeros.

On November 10, Hafthor Björnsson posted pictures on Instagram, mourning the loss of his baby daughter along with his wife, Kelsey. They said,

"T.W stillbirth/delayed miscarriage. It is with great sorrow that we announce the birth of our daughter, Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir born Nov 8th at 21 1/2 weeks gestation. After a noticeable decrease in movement we found out her heart had stopped beating."

According to March of Dimes, stillbirth occurs when a baby dies in the womb after 20 weeks gestation. Stillbirth affects 23,600 babies and their families per year in the United States, as per USA Today.

The couple continued by saying that words could not describe the "pain of this loss or our happiness at being able to spend time with our daughter." Hafthor Björnsson's wife added a description of the child, saying,

"She is absolutely beautiful, with blonde lashes and brows and a little smile for mom and dad. The love we feel for her is overwhelming. The grief we feel will be with us forever but so will the love. All of our hopes and dreams for her have been taken away from us but I know I will be with her again."

They reassured themselves that Grace's spirit lived on through the couple and her siblings. Along with Strormur, Hafthor Björnsson also shares daughter Theresa Líf with ex-girlfriend Thelma Björk Steimann. The pair concluded,

"We ask that you respect our privacy at this time as we grieve this unbearable loss. Thank you all for any kind words and support."

In the Instagram post, Kelsey Henson and Hafthor Björnsson shared photos of the child in a blanket as they held her with tears in their eyes. Their son, Stormur, also touched the baby's forehead. They added photos of the moon, an ink print of Grace's feet, and a book titled "I Had A Dream Of Hope And Calm Now Within My Reach" by Lawrence, a mind volunteer, as per People.

Henson had studied occupational health and safety at the University of Alberta. After graduation, she started working as a waitress and in construction. In September 2017, the two met at the diner where Henson worked. They hit it off after she asked him for a selfie because she had recognized him from Game of Thrones. Hafthor Björnsson married Kelsey Henson on October 21, 2018.