Game of Thrones star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson hefts world’s most expensive deadlift

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As a seasoned movie critic who has witnessed the rise and fall of countless stars, I must say that Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson stands out as a unique case. The man may not have had much dialogue on Game of Thrones, but his towering presence and raw strength left an indelible mark on our collective consciousness.

Game of Thrones significantly boosted the fame of many actors, such as Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, and Pedro Pascal. Among them was Icelandic actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who portrayed the intimidating Gregor “the Mountain” Clegane. Given the attention that the show brought him, he maximized his newfound notoriety. Although his acting background was limited, being 6’9″ meant he stood out and he had an innate ability to draw interest, such as when he broke a 1,000-year-old Viking record by hauling a 1,433-pound log for five steps at the World’s Strongest Viking competition in Norway.

2019 marked the year Björnsson clinched the title of World’s Strongest Man, coincidentally also when Game of Thrones concluded. Fast-forward five years, and he’s still going strong, having recently teamed up with hard drive manufacturer Phison and data storage developer VDURA to lift a staggering 996 pounds of 128-terabyte solid-state drives (SSDs). Though not the heaviest deadlift on record, as reported by Dextero, it could potentially be the costliest. (For clarity, SSD is an acronym for a device that stores data.)

128-terabyte Solid State Drives (SSDs) haven’t been released yet, but it’s said they’ll be priced approximately $14,000 each upon release. Björnsson managed to lift 2,303 of these SSDs. A quick calculation reveals that he lifted a staggering $32,242,000 worth of computer equipment. Therefore, this lift holds the record for the most expensive deadlift ever performed, fortunately without any of them being dropped.

Björnsson has often come across as a professional athlete with acting being a pleasant sideline, but since the end of Game of Thrones, he’s taken on other roles, including the Viking champion Thorfinnr in Robert Eggers’ film The Northman. This role suits him perfectly. Moreover, his impressive SSD deadlift stunt demonstrates that he won’t have any difficulty holding viewers’ attention, whether he continues acting or not.

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2024-11-26 21:41