Tiger Tales

Conan Stevens

Call it a tall tale. Standing 216cm tall and weighing in at 145kg, Conan Stevens boasts a “back story” that’s about as far out as the plots of the films in which he appears. In 2000, the 40ish Newcastle native had his sights set on furthering his pro wrestling career in the US when he was struck down by a rare and painful medical condition: his immune system was attacking his nervous system. Conan spent a decade recovering but held fast to his childhood dream of becoming an action-movie hero. After a few false starts, he moved to Thailand and found work as a stuntman on movies like Bangkok Adrenaline. His career really took off when he was tapped to play a fierce knight nicknamed “The Mountain That Rides” on HBO’s medieval fantasy series Game of Thrones. Destiny fulfilled? Not according to Conan, who doesn’t believe in fate – only in “making his own luck through perseverance and preparation”.

COULD YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?
I studied economics at the University of Newcastle in Australia, spending more time at the beach, in the gym, drinking beer and training with the Australian Army Reserve than in class. I joined the Kingdom of Lochac, a branch of the Society for Creative Anachronisms (a group dedicated to recreating life in the Middle Ages), where I learned medieval tactics and sword fighting while wearing heavy armour and weighty helmets in the Aussie bush – as you do. I also studied wrestling under a gold medal-winning Russian coach along with karate and kick-boxing – all with the thought that I’d need those skills one day as an action star.

WHAT IS YOUR LATEST ACTING ROLE?
Ser Gregor Clegane, also known as “The Mountain That Rides”, a brutal knight in HBO’s new TV series Game of Thrones, based on George RR Martin’s bestselling “A Song of Ice and Fire” books. Currently showing in the US, UK and Canada, the series is due for release in Asia and Australia soon. Even though the show is fantasy-based like The Lord of the Rings, HBO is focusing on the drama and the story rather than the setting. I’ve also just learned I have been chosen to play the character of Azog the Orc in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, now filming in New Zealand.

WHICH BIG ACTION NAMES HAVE YOU WORKED WITH?
Master Yuen Woo-Ping (martial arts choreographer on Kill Bill: Volume 2 and The Matrix among many others) on the Chinese film True Legend. He is one of the world’s best action choreographers. On Game of Thrones, I worked with Buster Reeves (stunt performer on The Dark Knight and The Bourne Ultimatum among others) who seemed rather impressed with my athletic abilities. Actors I have worked with include Hong Kong star Gordon Liu and US legend David Carradine (both in Kill Bill: Volumes 1 & 2), Chinese star Vincent Zhao (Once Upon a Time in China), Mum Jok Mok (Ong-Bak) from Thailand and Indian superstar Akshay Kumar.

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR WACKIEST JOBS IN ENTERTAINMENT SO FAR?
In the US movie Man-Thing, filmed in Australia, I played a 10-foot-tall swamp monster while wearing 10-inch platform boots, covered in slime and live worms. It took two hours a day to get into costume. I also worked for six straight seasons on the Sydney Dance Company’s acclaimed Berlin at the Sydney Opera House. At the same time, I was the Australian professional wrestling champ.