THE FIRST SEASON OF THE HISTORY CHANNELS ORIGINAL SERIES VIKINGS
WAS A HUGE HIT, AND FANS LISTEN UP BECAUSE SEASON 2 IS A GO.
VIKINGS FOLLOWS THE EXTRAORDINARY TALES AND EPIC
ADVENTURES OF THESE DARK AGE RAIDERS, TRADERS, EXPLORERS
AND WARRIORS.
FILLED WITH CONFLICT, WARFARE AND BLOODSHED.
AFTER ALL, THESE WERE EXTREME TIMES.
BUT IT IS AT HEART A FAMILY SAGA.
RECENTLY I MET THE FOLKS BEHIND THE DRAMA TO GET SOME INSIGHT
INTO THEIR WORLD.
(MUSIC).
FANS AND INDUSTRY INSIDERS GATHERED FOR A PANEL DISCUSSION
WITH THE STARS AND WRITER OF CABLES NUMBER ONE HIT SERIES.
WELL, IT MUST FEEL GOOD TO HAVE YOUR VISION ON THE SCREEN AND
COME OUT THIS WAY, RIGHT?
WHEN I MENTIONED THAT I WAS WRITING THE VIKINGS
PEOPLE WERE SUDDENLY AND INSTANTLY INTERESTED IN THAT, SO
I OBVIOUSLY SECRETLY HOPED THAT IT WOULD CONNECT WITH PEOLE AND
IT HAS DONE.
(MUSIC).
THE TELEVISION ACADEMY OPENED IT'S DOORS TONIGHT IN
CELEBRATION OF THE SERIES THE VIKINGS.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE VIKINGS SERIES HAS CONNECTED
WITH THE AUDIENCE?
THE VIKINGS, HEY THEY WERE HUMAN BEINGS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THESE WERE REAL PEOPLE WITH FEELINGS, NOT UNLIKE
OUR OWN, THEY MIGHT HAVE BELIEVED DIFFERENT THINGS.
MY PARTICULAR CRUSADE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO CONNECT THE PAST
TO THE PRESENT.
AND MICHAEL HAS THIS AMAZING ABILITY, UH, TO TAKE ALL THESE
HISTORICAL FACTS AND TO TAKE THIS PERIOD IN TIME AND BE VERY
SPECIFIC AND ACCURATE ABOUT IT AND THEN TO CREATE THESE HUMAN
BEINGS WHO REALLY HAVE ALL THE EMOTIONS THAT WE CAN RELATE TO.
THEY HAVE LOVE, LOSS, JEALOUSLY, LUST, HOPE, YOU KNOW,EVERYTHING
THAT WE HAVE IN CONTEMPORARY CULTURE THAT WE CAN RELATE TO.
IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE TOLD THOUGH THIS PARTICULAR PERIOD IN
HISTORY.
"WHAT IS THAT THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?"
" A...BOOK, THE GOSPEL OF SAINT JOHN...I WANTED TO SAVE IT."
(BOOK PAGES TURNNG).
"OF ALL THE TREASURES I SEE IN THIS PLACE, YOU CHOSE TO SAVE
THIS?"
"YES."
"WHY?"
"BECAUSE WITH OUT THE WORD OF GOD,THERE IS ONLY DARKNESS."
I WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR MICHAEL SAY YOU WERE THE FIRST CAST
MEMBER, YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON HE CASTS.
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
DID YOU REALIZE THAT?
YEAH, I DID REALIZE THAT.
I, UM, I WAS CAST ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF BEFORE WE STARTED
AND FOR ABOUTY EIGHT-NINE WEEKS, I KEPT ON LOOKING ON IMDB AND IT
SAID VIKINGS, GEORGE BLAGDEN.
I KEPT THINKING "OH MY GOD, IT'S JUST ME ON MY OWN IN THIS SHOW".
AND THE WAY MICHAEL HAS WRITTEN THE SHOW IS, IT MAKES IT VERY
VERY ENSEMBLE, THEY WAY WE INTERACT AND IT'S ALL ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIPS, THE, ALL OF THESE FASCINATING CHARACTERS, HES
CREATED INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER AND IT'S GREAT FUN TO BE
PART OF A TIGHT NIT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IMPRESSED ME SO MUCH ABOUT YOU TONIGHT IS
YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW STRONG THE VIKING WOMEN WERE.
YES.
AND I REALLY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT.
THE FACT THAT MAGATHA AND RAGNER LOCKBOORK WERE BASED ON REAL
VIKINGS AND WOMEN, DOING MY RESEARCH ON IT, WOMEN WERE VERY
EMPOWERED IN THAT TIME PERIOD AND VERY POWERFUL AND IT WAS SO
REFRESHING WHEN YOU READ SOMETHING THAT NOT ONLY DID THEY
HAVE A STRONG VOICE IN THE COMMUNITY THEY WERE ALSO HAD
DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THEIR PERSONALITY WERE SHOWN, THEY
WERE ALSO VUNERABLE AND FLAWED AND VERY
HUMAN.
BRILLIANT SCRIPTS AND UM, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE IT UH, MAKE
THE CHARACTERS, UH, MAKE THE AUDIENCE FOLLOW OUR CHARACTERS
JOURNEY, YA KNOW?
WE DO A LOT OF BAD STUFF, SO UM, MOST OF OUR EFFORT IS TRYING
TO MAKE US LIKABLE.
"WHY DID YOU GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY SO EASILY?"
"WE WASTED OUR TIME."
"I NEVER SHOULD OF BELIEVED IN YOU."
"HE WAS LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO KILL US."
"WHY WOULD WE GO TO VALHALLA?
AFTER SUCH MISERABLE AND POINTLESS DEATH?"
"BROTHER, BELIEVE ME...THIS IS NOT THE END...IT'S JUST THE
BEGINNING."
A SCREEN PLAY IS ALWAYS A BLUE PRINT, YA KNOW IT'S AND
UNFINISHED PRODUCT AND AS AN ACTOR YOU HAVE TO BRING YOUR
LIFE TO IT.
YOUR FLESH AND YOUR ENERGY TO THE PART AND THATS WHEN, YOU
KNOW THE MEETING BETWEEN THE TWO, THATS WHERE THE PERSON
COMES TO LIFE.
AND I HAD NO IDEA THE SAME CREW THAT SHOT BRAVEHEART,
SHOOTS YOUR SERIES.
THEY KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO FILM IN THOSE TERRAINS AND YOU GOT UP
TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, AND THERE ARE HAIL STORMS AND
MICROCLIMATES AND THEY, JUST IT DOESN'T FAZE THEM AT ALL, AND
THEY ARE CARRYING ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT UP THE HILLS AND BACK
DOWN AGAIN AND YOU NEVER EVER HEAR A IRISH CREW MEMBER
COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYTHING.
THE CAST AND CREW ARE NOW BACK IN IRELAND, WORKING ON SEASON 2
AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT SURPRISES MICHAEL HURST HAS IN
STORE FOR US, BUT WE'VE ALL GOT TO WAIT UNTIL 2014 WHEN THE
SERIES RETURNS TO THE HISTORY CHANNEL AND I'LL SEE YOU NEXT
TIME WITH MORE INSIGHTS FROM THE RED CARPET AND BEYOND ON
HOLLYWOOD WATCH.