Since then, the gory scene has lived on in infamy, spawning parodies andeven Bud Light commercials.
ALEX GRAVES (Director):There were two big things [going into the scene].
I apologize to the fans: That was not me.
But I did learn the fight, and when you see my face, it’s me!
GRAVES:The Viper was kind of like Frank Sinatra walking intoGame of Thrones.
He was like this slick guy, and he was known for being a very acrobatic, deft fighter.
And we really ran with that.
They were all knackered.
TOMMY DUNNE (Weapons master):That fight was so fierce.
The sun was heating up the ground, and they were hitting each other.
You had to ensure everyone was looking well, so we resprayed them halfway through with some blood.
PASCAL:The squish!
The squish that I will gladly take to my grave!
PASCAL:The funniest thing about it is that you never see yourself three-dimensionally that way.
I learned that from staring at the cast of my head, right before watching it repeatedly get squished.
BJORNSSON:It was a different experience [filming the squish].
It’s like, “Oh, that’s my face.
And there goes my face.
Goodbye, face.”
GRAVES:To be honest, you don’t really see the head get crushed on camera.
Everyone always gets on me about that, and I’m like, “It’s a sound effect!
It’s not on camera!”
And they’re like, “No, it is!”
They don’t care.
They felt it happen.
[But] I thought we showed some restraint there.
I had no desire to see more than we were already seeing.
[Laughs]
VARMA:I literally had one take for my reaction shot to the fight.
Only one go at this?!"
[Laughs]
PASCAL:The best part about it was post-death, because it was so hot.
It was all very cool to the touch, and it was relaxing.
So there I am, dead, and I fell dead asleep.
So the blood puddle’s spreading, and there’s meat all over his face.
It was pretty horrible.
So that was the coolest way to end that fight scene.
It was a very romantic escape.
