'My thighs were absolutely killing me': Red Dead Redemption 2's Roger Clark discusses the perils of crouch running

Arthur Morgan's actor, Roger Clark, sat down and reacted to some of the best (and worst) moments in Red Dead Redemption 2. The interview with Gamology (via GamesRadar) gave us a glimpse into what it was like on set and also the thought process behind some of the most gut-wrenching scenes (spoilers ahead for those who still don't know).

«People often ask me what was the hardest thing about Red Dead Redemption 2, and I'll tell them it was crouch running,» Clark says. «We crouch-ran for, I think, a couple of days. Because you gotta crouch run, walk, stealth, run with one gun, run with two guns, then you gotta crouch-run with a rifle. Like, three days later, my thighs were absolutely killing me.»

But as the old adage goes, no pain, no gain. Clark accepts that the only reason he was forced to do these grueling tasks was that Rockstar was so set on paying attention to details and finding ways for Arthur to really come to life. 

«Not a lot of studios do it that way, but I was very, very grateful that Rockstar Games gave me so much ownership over Arthur,» Clark says. «Arthur walks like me, he rubs his nose like me. The immersion is so important. I feel really blessed.»

But that amount of creative ownership also comes with some drawbacks, as Clark reflects on how much pressure he placed on himself during Red Dead Redemption 2: «As an actor, so often, we second-guess ourselves. And very often, I'll dwell on something a week or two afterward, thinking, 'Gosh, you know, maybe I should have done it that way.' And I remember thinking that with Arthur's death.» 

If you do end up watching the entire reaction video with Clark (which you defintely should), towards the end of the video rewatches Arthur's death scene and reflects on what he was feeling in that very moment and what he tried to do (somehow watching this scene never gets any easier). 

«Oh no, oh, the shit really hits the fan,» Clark says. «Everyone's button mashing so hard right now. I know I was, and I knew what was