Occasionally, actors depart from a just-finished film with more than just memories—they might acquire a fresh hairstyle or even snag a coveted prop. Viggo Mortensen, however, takes it a step further, sometimes departing with a four-legged companion, and he’s not alone in this practice. From Sophie Turner’s direwolf to Audrey Hepburn’s deer, here are instances of actors taking home their fortunate animal co-stars.
In Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner’s fondness for Sansa Stark’s direwolf extended beyond the screen. “Growing up, I always wanted a dog, but my parents never wanted one,” she shared with CoventryLive in 2013. “We kind of fell in love with my character’s direwolf, Lady, on set.” When Lady’s time on the show concluded and Zunni, the Northern Inuit dog portraying her, required a permanent home, Turner’s family eagerly offered theirs.
Among the array of horses featured in History Channel’s 2015 miniseries Texas Rising, Brendan Fraser developed a special bond with Pecas, a gray Percheron. Despite facing teasing from the more flashy mustangs, Pecas became Fraser’s cherished acting companion. “He was my acting partner,” Fraser shared with the Toronto Star. “It wasn’t destined for any unfortunate fate, but I felt, ‘I want to do right by him, too.'” Consequently, he brought Pecas—aptly named “freckles” in Spanish—home to a barn in Bedford, New York, where the horse quickly formed a close bond with Fraser’s teenage son, Griffin.
The titular catnapped feline in Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s film Keanu (2016) was portrayed by several kittens sourced from various animal shelters. Following the conclusion of filming, co-star Tiffany Haddish was fortunate enough to adopt one of them, renaming it from Clementine to Catonic. However, Catonic’s diminutive size didn’t last for long.
Similar to Keanu, the enchanting feline in the 1958 film Bell, Book and Candle was portrayed by multiple Siamese cats. When Kim Novak, who starred alongside Jimmy Stewart, decided to adopt one, she simply referred to the cat by its character name: Pyewacket. However, Pyewacket’s mischievous antics extended beyond the screen. In 1960, he managed to escape from Novak’s New York City garden, prompting her to place an ad in The New York Times to aid in his recovery. During his escapade, Pyewacket found himself at the home of two female Siamese cats, where he ended up biting their owner’s secretary and subsequently being taken to a shelter. Fortunately, the secretary spotted Novak’s ad and reached out, leading to Pyewacket’s safe return. Novak jokingly remarked in a newspaper interview that while she intended to scold him, her joy at having him back outweighed any reprimand.
In Disney’s 2019 live-action remake of Lady and the Tramp, filmmakers made a concerted effort to cast rescue dogs, with one of them finding a forever home with Yvette Nicole Brown, who portrayed Aunt Sarah. Following the conclusion of filming, it was the trainer who identified the perfect dog for Brown to adopt. “At the end she goes, ‘I think I have your dog.’ I said, ‘Oh! Who is it?’ And she says, ‘Harley is your dog,'” Brown recounted to People. “She was 100 percent right. Harley is my dog. I love him.” Harley, a cocker spaniel, even boasts his own Instagram account.
Viggo Mortensen developed deep connections with the two primary horses that portrayed Aragorn’s mounts in The Lord of the Rings trilogy: Eurayus, the bay horse known as Brego, and the chestnut-colored Kenny, who played Hasufel. He chose to bring them home with him after filming. Additionally, Mortensen acquired the white horse used by Arwen during the scene where she flees the Nazgûl in The Fellowship of the Ring. Regarding this purchase, Mortensen explained to NME in 2020 that he was motivated by his friendship with the stuntwoman who rode the horse, knowing her attachment to it.
This instance wasn’t the only time Mortensen found a new companion on set. While filming 2004’s Hidalgo, he unexpectedly formed a strong bond with T.J., the horse he rode. Mortensen initially hadn’t planned to purchase the horse, but he couldn’t bear to part with him. Speaking to IGN, Mortensen expressed admiration for T.J.’s distinct personality and consistent reactions, which ranged from jealousy and possessiveness to serving as a guiding conscience or simply displaying annoyance.
During the filming of 1959’s Green Mansions, Audrey Hepburn assumed the role of surrogate mother to Pippin, a weeks-old fawn—affectionately dubbed Ip by Hepburn—that featured in the movie. Hepburn expressed her adoration for the fawn in a newspaper interview, stating, “I’ve fallen in love with her.” Ip was granted free rein of the house and garden, where Hepburn fed her with a baby bottle. Despite Ip’s lack of teeth, she delighted in nibbling on everything within reach. Even Hepburn’s then-husband, Mel Ferrer, who directed the film, grew fond of the pet, although their Yorkshire terrier, Mr. Famous, was less enthused. Hepburn reluctantly parted ways with Ip after the film’s completion. However, Ferrer later brought Ip back to help his wife cope with a miscarriage she suffered in May 1959.
For the 1938 film Under Western Stars, Roy Rogers had the opportunity to select his equine co-star, and he opted for Golden Cloud, a palomino stallion recently featured in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Rogers rechristened him “Trigger” to reflect his swiftness, and their compatibility led to Rogers purchasing him and featuring him in numerous other movies. Reflecting on their bond, Rogers reminisced, “He was 4 when I made my first picture and I was 26, so we kind of grew up together. He never did anything wrong.” Trigger passed away on Rogers’s California ranch in 1965, but his taxidermied remains remain preserved.
In 1944’s National Velvet, Elizabeth Taylor was given the opportunity to select her horse for the film. As recounted by Horse & Hound, she chose a spirited thoroughbred named King Charles, whom she frequently rode at her country club. Upon the completion of filming, the studio presented King Charles to Taylor, who was just a teenager at the time, as a generous gift.
Upon arriving at a dog pound to film a scene for 2017’s Gifted, Chris Evans, known for his love of dogs, immediately inquired, “Are these actor dogs, or are these real, up-for-adoption dogs?” Learning that they were all available for adoption, Evans took a stroll and came across one particular dog who, in his words to People, “didn’t belong there.” That fortunate pup, named Dodger, quickly became a part of Evans’s life. According to Evans, Dodger is a wonderful companion who adores children and shares his bed, lying on his pillow, resulting in face-to-face mornings.
Livestock supervisor Kenny Lee dedicated six months to finding the ideal rising star to portray Rising Star, the horse of Robert Redford’s character, Sonny Steele, in The Electric Horseman (1979). Ultimately, a 5-year-old Thoroughbred named Let’s Merge landed the role, and Redford took his commitment seriously. Not only did he handle his own riding in the film, but he also made the decision to purchase the horse once filming concluded.
The actress adopted the cat that played Carrie’s feline friend, Shoe, on “And Just Like That…”. The cat’s off-camera name is Lotus.
The singer/songwriter adopted the kitten featured in the “Me!” music video, naming him Benjamin Button.
Stallone adopted two turtles from the set of “Rocky” named Cuff and Link, who are now over 40 years old and even made a cameo in 2018’s “Creed II”.
Dastmalchian met an adorable cat while filming “The Suicide Squad” in Panama and adopted her, naming her Bubblegum — short for Abner Bubblegum Polka Dot Cat.
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Occasionally, actors depart from a just-finished film with more than just memories—they might acquire a fresh hairstyle or even snag a coveted prop. Viggo Mortensen, however, takes it a step further, sometimes departing with a four-legged companion, and he’s not alone in this practice. From Sophie Turner’s direwolf to Audrey Hepburn’s deer, here are instances of actors taking home their fortunate animal co-stars.
In Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner’s fondness for Sansa Stark’s direwolf extended beyond the screen. “Growing up, I always wanted a dog, but my parents never wanted one,” she shared with CoventryLive in 2013. “We kind of fell in love with my character’s direwolf, Lady, on set.” When Lady’s time on the show concluded and Zunni, the Northern Inuit dog portraying her, required a permanent home, Turner’s family eagerly offered theirs.
