Hafþór Björnsson now holds the world deadlift record.
On Saturday, the Game of Thrones actor lifted 505 kilograms (1,113 pounds) at the Eisenhart Black Competition in Germany, according to Bleacher Report. He celebrated online with a clip of the moment.
“505kg WORLD RECORD! History made again,” Björnsson tweeted.
That means the 36-year-old beat the previous competition record, which was held by Eddie Hall, who lifted 500 kilograms at the World Deadlift Championships in 2016. Hall saluted Björnsson on Instagram.
“That’s one hell of a pull,” Hall wrote. “Records are made to be broken.”
In 2020, Björnsson lifted 501 kilograms (1,105 pounds) in his native Iceland, but it seems the moment wasn’t documented. That means Hall’s record remained.
Björnsson is a decorated powerlifter, previously winning the 2018 World's Strongest Man and finishing as the runner-up in 2014, 2016, and 2017. He also won the Arnold Strongman Classic from 2018 to 2020.
He’s now gearing up for the 2025 World Strongman Championships in September. He’s also set to appear in the upcoming Masters of the Universe reboot as the villainous Goat-Man.
His first acting role was Ser Gregor Clegane, a.k.a. "The Mountain," in Game of Thrones for five seasons. Producers for the HBO show found him while looking for powerlifters in Iceland. When they reached out to him via Facebook Messenger, he thought it wasn’t real.
“When I got it, I read it [and] I didn’t even respond, because, you know, I just thought it was someone joking around,” Björnsson previously told CNBC. “I just I didn’t take it seriously...A few days later, I got a phone call... I guess it was serious and they really wanted me in the show.”
Masters of the Universe is set to arrive on June 5, 2026.