Former “Game of Thrones” star and world-renowned strongman Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson recently revealed the ongoing impact of a medical condition that has affected him for nearly a decade. The actor, known for playing “The Mountain” in the hit HBO series, continues to battle with Bell’s Palsy, a condition that has partially paralyzed the right side of his face since 2017.
In a candid social media post dated January 30, 2024, Björnsson shared his experience: “Three days before winning Europe’s Strongest Man 2017 I got diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. Still today 8 years later I’m still recovering from it and to be honest I’ll probably never fully have control again in my right side of my face.”
The diagnosis came at a crucial moment in his strongman career. Just days before competing in Europe’s Strongest Man, Björnsson woke up experiencing concerning symptoms. “During the day I felt that my face was getting paralyzed,” he recounted. Initial fears of a stroke prompted immediate medical attention, leading to the Bell’s Palsy diagnosis.
The condition affects the right side of his face and extends down to his neck, impacting his ability to smile or make facial expressions. Despite these challenges, Björnsson has maintained his professional career, including his transition from strongman competitions to boxing, and continues to work in entertainment. Recently, he was spotted filming a commercial for March of Empires, demonstrating his resilience in the face of this ongoing condition.
The former strongman champion has developed strategies to manage his condition’s impact on daily life. While it doesn’t affect his physical training capabilities, he has had to adjust simple tasks like eating. “I’ve had to be more dedicated with the timing and to stay on point with just eating my food,” Björnsson explained.
As part of his recovery journey, Björnsson has embraced both physical and mental strengthening techniques. He regularly undergoes hot and cold therapy, believing in its benefits for both recovery and mental fortitude. “I stay in there for 2-3 minutes… that’s gonna make me tougher and that’s gonna make me recover faster,” he shared in a recent interview.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding full recovery from Bell’s Palsy, Björnsson continues to maintain an active career in entertainment and sports while being open about his condition. His story serves as a testament to perseverance in the face of unexpected health challenges, even as he acknowledges that complete recovery may never be possible.
For Björnsson, this journey has become part of his legacy, demonstrating that even the strongest among us face personal battles that require different kinds of strength to overcome.
A former capoeira instructor turned biohacking enthusiast, Gio spent his early years bouncing between São Paulo and Miami before settling in Austin. With a master’s in sports physiology and a penchant for experimenting with traditional Brazilian herbs, he’s become Rude Vulture’s go-to expert on movement optimization and plant-based performance enhancement. When not writing about the intersection of martial arts and ancestral living, he runs an underground fight gym where participants are required to follow strict circadian rhythm protocols.