Maintaining a titanic physique and embracing a newfound passion for acting is, unsurprisingly, quite a difficult balancing act. Couple that with instant fame and life on the road, and the challenges are monumental.

If anyone can handle such pressure, it’s 26-year-old Hafthór Júlíus "Thor" Björnsson – the world’s second strongest man - who now frequently jets from his Icelandic home to stunning film sets in Croatia and strongman competitions around the globe.

His given name, Hafthór, literally means “half Thor” in his native Icelandic tongue. That’s quite a name to live up to, but judging by Thor’s god-like physique, he’s doing a pretty good job. After a brief stint as a basketball player, the 6 ft 9 in (2.06 metre) athlete was forced to retire at just 20, following a serious knee injury. But that didn’t keep him out of the weight room.

After an inspirational meeting with veteran Icelandic strongman Magnús Ver Magnússon at his local gym, Hafthór quickly began scoring regional victories and by 2011 was Iceland’s strongest man – no mean feat in a nation that’s nicknamed “Nest of Giants”.

Finishing runner-up in 2014’s World's Strongest Man the young man feels he has much to prove, despite now being one of the stars of HBO’s smash hit TV show, Game of Thrones, starring as the fearsome Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane.

Iceland punches above its weight when it comes to both music and muscle. What’s so special about the country and its people?

I think it’s the sense of battle. We’re hard workers and we’re Vikings, so there’s something in our blood. Of course we’re also very strong people.

With your newfound fame you’re now travelling the world. You’ve been on location for Game of Thrones in Croatia and recently attended the IGN fan expo in Dubai. Are you enjoying the jet set lifestyle?

I’m very open-minded when it comes to travel. Of course Iceland will always be my home, but in the future I can see myself living somewhere else. I have my plans and my dreams – just a few years back I was thinking at least 10 years ahead but now I only think about the next year and take the opportunities as they come. I’m still young and I’m still learning.

Filming must have been hard work, especially as you had to keep training the whole time. Did you have time to be a tourist in Croatia?

It was mostly just hard work and a really busy schedule for me, so I had limited time to relax, but I did get a chance to look around. I think it’s only going to get more and more busy, but that’s how I like it.

Are you enjoying your newfound fame and recognition?

I enjoy it. It’s not annoying but it can be quite tiring. It’s part of my life now and my future is probably going to be even more like this - if I play things right then I’m only going to get more busy. I’m still young and I’m still learning and I’m still growing – and still acting.

Have you watched all your scenes in Game of Thrones?

It’s fun to tell; before I was part of the show, I was a big fan. It was never a plan to be an actor or be in such a big show, so it was an honour. The people at HBO and the whole team work so well and take such good care of everyone. 

When you’re visiting destinations like Dubai for fan expos, how do you plan your travel in advance, both in terms of lifting weights and finding time to consume all those calories?

It’s not really difficult for me because it’s my lifestyle. It’s something I do every day and I always travel with food with me. Taking care of your diet is harder when you travel, because I have to eat the right food, get the right amount of sleep and fit all the training in. It’s hard, but when you want to be successful, you have to stay focussed.

Can you share one of your top tips for staying in shape while travelling?

What I always do when I’m travelling is take the right food and supplements with me because it’s hard to get good food at airports. So that’s the first thing I do. Even at hotels it’s very hard to get a session at the gym, so the second thing I do is to look around for a local gym. If I can’t find one then I put in the hardest workout I can with the equipment available. You just have to put in the work.

Björnsson will be returning to the Middle East next month where he'll be a special guest at the next edition of the IGN Convention, held at the Qatar National Convention Centre.

Main picture courtesy of Iris Stefansdottir. All other pictures via @ThorBjornsson_