We Chat with Kristian Nairn: One Part Hodor, One Part DJ

PUBLISHED September 2nd, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:29 pm

Kristian Nairn may be more recognisable as the loveable, “single-worded” Hodor in HBO’s award winning TV series Game of Thrones. But long before he was piggy-backing Bran Stark around Westeros and beyond the Wall (yes, we’re fans), the affable 39 year-old was ripping up the dance floor for the past eleven years at one of Ireland’s hottest clubs, Kremlin.

Headlining The Podium Lounge this year during F1 season, Kristian enthusiastically fills us in on what makes him tick, his cult icon status as Hodor, and which actor would be craziest in a GOT-themed party.

Hey Kristian, how’s it going? Is it your first time in Singapore?

It’s going great, thanks for asking! It’s my first time outside the airport at least. I’ve flown through before – can’t wait to see the city!

What inspired you to pick up DJ-ing?

I was always an enthusiastic club goer, and I had a huge music collection. I wanted to share how I felt about music with other people, and hopefully they would feel the same.

What’s the most fulfilling, and challenging thing about being a musician?

There are a LOT of challenges in the music industry. I won’t go into all of them here, but I think one is to make yourself stand out as an artist. DJ’s are two a penny these days, so it’s more important than ever to be true to your music and yourself. I don’t necessarily follow current music trends, but I do think it’s important to be aware of them and maybe give a nod towards them.

We hear that you’re a pretty good guitarist as well, could you name us your top 5 shred-able jams?

OK, let me see. Megadeth’s Hangar 18 is a shredfest; Highwire by Badlands; Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne. Joe Satriani’s Surfing with the Alien and Nuclear Assault’s Something Wicked.

Would you ever fuse the two musical components together? Like have a band back you up on your set or vice versa?

I don’t think so. I haven’t really loved the fusion of dance and rock. I think people who did it best were probably The Prodigy, but I have no plans to do it myself. I would love a live vocalist and some live percussion though.

How has being in Game Of Thrones changed your life, in terms of your career as a DJ and an actor?

Kristian on his role as HBO’s Hodor

In general, it has changed every single aspect of my life, top to bottom. I get to do stuff that I could only have dreamed of in years gone past. I was always working towards this point though; it’s not as if I was sitting around on my butt before Game of Thrones happened. But it just gave everything a super boost.

It must have been difficult portraying so many emotions with the use of a singular word, what were the steps you took to prep yourself for the gentle giant role of Hodor?

I mean, he is a very pure character, and that takes a little bit of subtlety. I really try to BE him and get inside his head. I try to understand how he would react to things differently than I would. It’s a lot of fun actually.

What was your favourite scene in Game Of Thrones that you were in?

I absolutely loved the scene where Hodor got to kill Locke. Not because of the violence, but I enjoyed portraying the personality shift during the warging.

Are there any jokers or pranksters on set? And if so, who’s the one that gets everyone laughing?

I think we all take turns. Some of the subject matter in the show is very heavy and dark, so its important to keep your spirits up sometimes when the camera stops rolling.

How did your family and friends react when they saw you on screen as Hodor?

Everyone has been super supportive actually and they are all big Game of Thrones fans at this point! I think some found it weird at first, seeing me there in the middle of this HUGE show.

Do you think you’ll ever bring Rave of Thrones to Singapore?

Kristian behind the decks for Rave of Thrones

I would gladly come back and do a full RoT show. Anytime!!

Who would be the craziest in a GOT cast party with you as the DJ?
We’re putting our money on either Peter Dinklage, Alfie Ellen, and Emilia Clarke.

I don’t know, but I’ve seen Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell) and Gwen Christie (Brienne of Tarth) work a dance floor before while I was DJ-ing at a club!

What can fans be expecting at the podium lounge this September?

They can expect some chunky, bass-ey, four to the floor house music and me dancing like a maniac behind the decks! I can’t wait!

Pssst, want to catch Kristian at The Podium Lounge? We’re giving away five pairs to tickets to the opening night so you can catch Hodor behind the DJ console, so sign up here to try your luck! 

Check out Kristian’s Facebook Page here.

Photo credits: Simon Crawford – Crawford Photography 2014 & Kristian Nairn Official Facebook Page