Okay, totally wrong kind of Vikings, but you get the idea
Season 5 is coming upon us, and as part of the wonderfulness Patricia and Katy got to talk with Alex Høgh Andersen, who plays Ragnar’s son, Ivar the Boneless. Here are some juicy insights into Ivar’s character and teasers about the coming season, straight from the ruthless Viking’s mouth:
Interview with Vikings’ Alex Hogh Andersen
Fatherly Advice
After last season’s carnage, many fans are still reeling from the death of the brutal but beloved Ragnar Lothbrok. The torch has now passed to the sons to carry on his legacy. What advice did Travis leave Alex when he left the show. “He said to keep it logical and relatable. And to observe and work. It was a privilege working with Travis. He is brilliant.”
True story: Travis is the awesomest
Ivar’s mission
At the end of season 4 the Norseman had succeeded in exacting revenge against Kings Aelle and Ecbert for Ragnar’s death, but that doesn’t seem to be enough for Ivar. Alex talked about how Ivar is driven by his ambition, and is motivated to achieve in culture not friendly to differently-abled people, and definitely has something to prove to his brothers. “He’s brilliant, so intelligent. When he shows up on the day of battle, he is the one organizing the whole thing. Ivar understands that he is the one that will lead the Norsemen to “winning the next battle or dying in a tremendous, beautiful Viking way,” and he “becomes more and more confident, which makes him very dangerous.”
Dangerous? But he seems like such a nice young man . . .
Making Ivar human
Like Ragnar, Ivar is not afraid to get his hands dirty (and by “dirty” I mean “bloody with chunks of Saxons stuck in his hair”) in pursuit of domination, but more ambitious, more manipulative than Ragnar. Alex recognizes that, in order to keep the character relatable, Ivar must also have human moments. According to Alex “Ragnar is more of hero than an anti-hero,” while Ivar “is an antihero with the emphasis on anti,” but he likes the fact that Ivar is challenging for the audience to root for. But he does enjoy portraying Ivar’s vulnerable moments, especially when his physical challenges are most apparent. “Every time we see him crawl, it’s a reminder of what he’s up against on a daily basis,” Alex said of Ivar, “there’s still some good in him . . . On the outside he’s a controlled maniac, but on the inside, he’s a poor boy,” and that, he feels, is the key to making him a sympathetic character.
Ivar all alone
It’s not a spoiler to say that Floki heads out on his own this season after losing his precious wife, Helga. His departure is a horrible loss for Ivar, as Floki was probably his only true friend. Just as Floki leaves, Ivar needs Floki’s guidance and support more now than every before which, according to Alex, pushes Ivar even more into survival mode.
Welcome to the one moment where Ivar isn’t completely terrifying
Pranks post-Travis Fimmel
We couldn’t resist asking Alex about the mood on the set now, after the loss of Vikings chief prankster, Travis Fimmel. “Every day shooting with Travis is a prank in itself,” according to Alex, and that spirit has continued in his absence. “Every single day at work is so much fun,” with regular shenanigans, including regular food fights. Alex calls is a “small family of 300 people,” and credits them for helping with everything he’s achieved. He emphasizes how important the lightness on set is in offsetting the dark show and long hours. The reason why the cast looks “wild in those scenes,” he said,”[is] because we feel like it. And especially those days you just need to throw food at each another!”
Love from the fans
Alex and Alexander Ludwig were completely adorable together during the San Diego Comic Con panel. Alex seemed so joyful to be there, and it turns out he was! Alex said that before SDCC, he had been holed-up in Ireland filming in the dark winter, and never had “a proper interaction with the audience.” His reaction to the fan love? “Extraordinary. Overwhelming to see how happy people were, and excited about the show. I was so appreciative of that day, and all the people who showed up. Makes all the hard work through the dark winter worth it!” Alex shared that he was just a shocked as we were that Travis made a surprise appearance dressed as a kangaroo before joining the panel. Spoiler alert: we love it too!!!
Is that a stuffed kid in your pouch, or are you just happy to see me?
Season 5: Conflict, conflict, conflict
Season 4 hinted at some of the battles looming, especially between Ivar and his (remaining) brothers. “Ivar is too driven by his emotions. It makes him lose control,” and leads to “accidentally” hucking an ax at brother Sigrid. While Alex said that Ivar felt “genuine remorse over killing his brother,” it definitely drove a wedge between them. Alex is excited about the coming fraternal conflicts, because the “brothers love to shoot the scenes together . . . There is a lot of love and a lot of hate.” Ivar hates that someone got to him and he lost control. His weakness is his anger and it was on full public display. Ivar is getting closer and closer to the edge.
Prediction: this gif will be relevant to every episode this season
And then there’s Lagertha. Ivar has not forgiven her for murdering his mother, and intends to follow through on his promise of revenge. “Lagertha is maybe the complete opposite of Ivar,” Alex reflected, “it’s good to see those two character clash: a wild and crazy guy who’s so determent, and probably only thinks of himself, against this power woman who’s all about the people.” Alex promises a massive power struggle, and intense civil war when the two face off!
Alex considers Ivar’s newest archenemy, Bishop Heahmund (played by Jonathan Rhys Myers) as his most formidable adversary. In many ways, Heahmund is Ivar’s equal and opposite: driven, faithful, ruthless. Alex feels that if Ivar did not has an extreme opposite, he would be unstoppable. Alex teased that, due to the similar nature of these characters, we will see that there is some mutual respect. I also anticipate that there will be a lot of mutual mayhem, which Alex confirmed by saying: “This season in particular is probably the biggest we’ve ever done!” Woohoo! Vikings happy dance!
Again, wrong kind of Vikings. We promise to get this sorted before the premiere.
Don’t know about you guys, but we are really looking forward to the premiere of Vikings season 5!! Catch it Wednesday, November 29th at 9/8c on The History Channel. Until then, whet your whistle with this trailer:
Have you recovered from Ragnar’s death? Who are you most hoping will get killed off this season? Who is your favorite Ragnar son? What are you most excited for in Season 5?
Catch all our Vikings coverage here!
All Vikings images courtesy of The History Channel
