The Star Behind Andor's Vetch Also Made Several Important Contributions To Game Of Thrones
Contains spoilers for "Andor" Episode 1
When future Alliance Intelligence Captain Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) enters the scene in "Andor," he's as shady as he's ever been, but he still has a long, hard road of turmoil and character development ahead of him.As befits a show that intends to clarify key details about Andor's past, the man we see here is hardly the dashing black ops spy with a heart that fans know from "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
Episode 1 of the Disney+ "Star Wars" show offers an excellent look at Cassian's life at this point of his story. By the time the events of "Rogue One" take place, he might be a known and somewhat feared operator, but here, Imperial goons and small-time money lenders have no problem picking a fight with him.
Don't think that Cassian can't hold his own in such situations, though. A key moment in the episode features a money-related face-off between him and a man called Nurchi (Raymond Anum), who attempts to collect a debt and brings a hulking Urodel called Vetch as backup. This doesn't exactly go the way Nurchi thinks, though. Instead of being intimidated, Cassian strikes up a conversation with Vetch, who turns out to be a pretty chill person with no intention of roughing up anyone.
The actor portraying Vetch is obviously buried under a massive costume, but as it turns out, the gentle Urodel is far from the only gigantic character he's played. In fact, you might know him as one of the most powerful characters in "Game of Thrones."
Ian Whyte plays Game of Thrones giant Wun Wun
Ian Whyte is one of Hollywood's go-to giants, and as such, he's an intimidating presence in "Game of Thrones." When thinking of great warriors in the show, people might mention characters like Arthur Dayne (Luke Roberts), The Hound (Rory McCann), Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), or Jon Snow (Kit Harington). However, arguably the finest fighter "Game of Thrones" throws in the mix is Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun, or Wun Wun for short.
Much of Wun Wun's hard-hitting prowess comes from the fact that he's one of the extremely rare giants of Westeros. A staunch ally of Jon Snow and the rather ironically named Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju), Wun Wun fights alongside them in the show's seasons 5 and 6 until Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) and his forces take the giant down during the Battle of the Bastards.
Wun Wun is a truly massive presence, and as Esquire notes, the 7'1" Ian Whyte is a fittingly massive actor to fill the giant's sizable shoes. Interestingly, while Wun Wun might be his most long-standing "Game of Thrones" role, it's far from the only one. Over the course of the show, Whyte also portrays the very first White Walker we see in the series, as well as a massive wight and another giant known as Dongo the Doomed. He was also the second actor to portray Gregor "The Mountain" Glegane in the show.
Fans are loving Whyte's Vetch
Many of Ian Whyte's roles have been quite intimidating, from his various "Game of Thrones" characters to scary alien creatures like the Engineer in "Prometheus" and a Predator in "Alien vs. Predator." As such, the considerably more laid-back Vetch is a cool departure from his usual fare, and fans have already showed their appreaciation for the character.
"I love all these characters so much but Vetch has my heart," @dualoffates tweeted their appreciation. "Vetch is a big ol teddy bear lmao," @djarinspena enthused. Many others, like @DashieJinxx, @kenobi_addict1, and @akamarvros have also pointed out how delightful the character is.
Because "Andor" is only at the beginning, it remains to be seen how big or small Vetch's part will be in the grand scheme of things. Regardless of the size of his role in the series, however, it's clear that the towering character has made an impression.