Beards, braids, and blood – transforming into a viking isn't easy. Except for one
actress who was pretty much born for the part. Find out who, and so much more right here!
Australian actor Sam Corlett portrays the legendary explorer Leif Erikson,
the Norseman who is thought to have been the first European to have set foot in North America,
centuries before Christopher Columbus. In a promotional packet provided to the press,
Netflix describes the Erikson of "Vikings: Valhalla," saying,
"[He’s] a Greenlander raised on the outer fringes of the known world, [who] comes from
a tightly-knit family steeped in pagan beliefs." It goes on to say that although Leif is an
intrepid sailor and physically tough, he is also thoughtful and often quiet, and apparently
relatively new to the Viking world — which is in the, quote, “throes of violent change.”
When Corlett was a teenager, he actually watched the original "Vikings" with his father,
so it's fitting that he would go on to star in its spinoff. The real-life Corlett still has the long
hair and facial hair of his Viking counterpart, but keeps it much more neatly trimmed and styled
than Erikson. On set, Corlett -- who is vegan -- was costumed in vegan leather armor to honor his
personal convictions. This is another distinct difference between the actor and the character
he'll be portraying. [Yelling]
One of the most beloved characters on "Vikings" was the shieldmaiden Lagertha,
played by Katheryn Winnick. So viewers are likely eager to see another female Viking warrior rise up
in the "Valhalla" character Freydis Eriksdotter. Netflix's description for Frida reads,
"Fiery and headstrong, Freydis is a staunch believer in the old gods
and a fierce pagan. Like her brother Leif, she reaches Kattegat as an outsider but becomes
an inspiration to those of the old ways." Freydis will be portrayed by Swedish model
Frida Gustavsson, who has had an impressive career walking in shows for some of the world's
most celebrated designers. As one might expect of someone with Gustavsson's professional background,
her real-life look is much more polished than the armored and intricately braided Freydis.
In what feels like a cosmic coincidence, Gustavsson's real-life nickname is also
"Freydis," and her actual father and brother are also named Erik and Leif,
just like those of her character in the show.
"Vikings" viewers will remember King Harald, played by Peter Franzén, who appeared in seasons
four through six of the series as a leader determined to be crowned king of all Norway.
"Vikings: Valhalla" will follow one of his descendants, Harald Sigurdsson,
who carries the same ambition as his ancestor. His Netflix bio reads,
"Born into Viking nobility, Harald is one of the last Viking berserkers and a Prince of Norway
intent on becoming King of Norway. Charismatic, ambitious, and handsome, he is able to unite both
Christian and pagan Vikings." “Keep an eye on him.”
Harald will be portrayed by English actor Leo Suter, who bears very little resemblance
to his Viking character. While Harald sports the typical Viking look of a full beard and long hair,
Suter typically tends to prefer going clean-shaven and keeping his hair cropped fairly short.
Some actors need to undergo greater transformations than others for their
roles in "Vikings: Valhalla," and actor Bradley Freegard may be one of the least altered for
his role as King Canute, the King of Denmark. The Netflix press materials describe Canute, saying,
"A wise, savvy, and ruthless Viking leader. He keeps his friends close and his enemies
closer. Canute's ambitions will mold the course of history in the 11th century and
make him a defining figure of the Viking Age." In real life, Welsh actor Freegard doesn't look
too remarkably different from his character. Both have dark hair and full beards, although Canute
keeps his black hair long and tightly pulled back, while Freegard wears his cut short and allows some
of the natural gray to peek through. Freegard also keeps his beard trimmed to a much shorter length
than Canute's. Canute's family play a central role in "Vikings: Valhalla," with his wife and father
also vying for power as Canute works to make sure Denmark remains on top of the political hierarchy.
It wouldn't be a "Vikings" story without feuding siblings, and "Valhalla" promises
that in spades. Icelandic actor Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson portrays Olaf Haraldsson,
Sigurdsson's older half-brother and Prince of Norway. Olaf is first in line for the
Norwegian throne, which we imagine will be a point of contention between him and Harald.
Olaf's Netflix bio reads, "Ambitious, unforgiving,
and a physical force to be reckoned with, Olaf is also an extremely devout Christian Viking."
"Vikings" viewers will remember that the former priest Athelstan was the first practicing
Christian to live among the Vikings, although the conflict between his beliefs and those of
his Viking neighbors ultimately led to his death. It will be interesting to see how
those dynamics have shifted over a century later. In real life, Jóhannesson has kept the long, full
beard of his character, but not his long hair, preferring instead a style that is cut close on
the sides and slightly longer on top. In addition to being one of the main cast members of "Vikings:
Valhalla," Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson is also an accomplished chef. The Netflix press kit mentions
that he was frequently known to bring in homemade baked goods for the stunt crew during rehearsals.
Of the Viking leader Jarl Haakon, Netflix's press packet reads,
"A great warrior and tolerant leader, Haakon rules Kattegat with a steady hand.
Though pagan, she has managed to keep Kattegat a city open to all faiths in a challenging time.
She will become a powerful mentor to Freydis, who is drawn to her wisdom."
Of course, we know from watching Ragnar's struggles in "Vikings" just how difficult
it can be to maintain peace between people of different faiths in Kattegat. So it will be
interesting to see how Jarl Haakon manages to pull that off -- if such a thing is even possible.
“I want to be reunited with my Christian friend.” Jarl Haakon will be played by Danish-Swedish
singer Caroline Henderson, who is known primarily for her more recent jazz albums after previously
singing mostly pop. Jarl Haakon is one of very few Viking women we've seen in promotional materials
who seems to wear her hair loose more often than not. So, her normal appearance is not
quite as drastic of a shift from her Viking look as some of her castmates.
"Valhalla" will feature the family of one of Alfred, King of Wessex’s descendants:
King Aethelred II, and Aethelred's wife,
Emma of Normandy. This is what the Netflix press packet has to say of Emma:
"The young, ambitious Emma of Normandy is from the Norman court in France, and of Viking blood.
She is now married to King Aethelred II, the current King of England. Politically astute
and one of the wealthiest women in Europe, Queen Emma is a sharp and capable leader."
Emma seems to follow in a long tradition of shrewd queens on "Vikings," and is portrayed
by German actor and model Laura Berlin. On "Valhalla," Emma's hair is a dark brown,
but in real life, Berlin's hair color has run the full spectrum of colors, from dark to light,
and even a vibrant purple at one point. Berlin has worked as a model since she was a teenager,
making her no stranger to the intricate costumes she needs to wear as Emma.
Described in Netflix's press materials for "Vikings: Valhalla" as,
quote, "the ultimate survivor," David Oakes' character, the Earl of Godwin,
serves as chief counselor to the King of England, Aethelred II.
Of Godwin's character, the description reads: "Godwin was born on the political fringes and
is haunted by his late father's mistakes. Cunning and savvy, he knows how to make powerful allies."
Godwin's portrayer is English actor David Oakes, who is no stranger to historical dramas
thanks to his work on shows such as "The Borgias," "The White Queen," and "Victoria."
"Vikings" introduced us to the complicated world of English royal succession,
and "Vikings: Valhalla" continues that theme with Prince Edmund, played by English actor
Louis Davison. His official Netflix bio reads, "King Aethelred II's son with his first deceased
wife and now Emma of Normandy's stepson, Edmund is first in line to inherit the English throne.
Edmund is nervous to lead, but will play a vital role in deciding England's future."
Davison is still a relative newcomer to the world of television,
only appearing in a few roles before landing his part on "Vikings: Valhalla."
In real life, Davison's hair is much lighter than Edmund's dark color, and although it is
still not long, he tends to wear it much more loosely than Edmund's severe style.
Season 4 of "Vikings" introduced us to Aethelred, the legitimate son of King Aethelwulf and his wife
Judith. Unfortunately for Aethelred, Judith liked her younger son more,
and poisoned Aethelred rather than allowing him to assume the throne. "Vikings: Valhalla" picks
up a few generations down this dysfunctional family lineage, with Alfred's descendant
Aethelred II now on the English throne. Portraying Aethelred II on "Vikings:
Valhalla" is veteran Irish actor Bosco Hogan. He previously appeared in Season 5 of the
original "Vikings" series as the Lord Abbot at the Lindisfarne monastery in the episode "Full Moon."
Hogan's look for "Valhalla" won't be tremendously different from his real-life appearance,
with the addition only of a trim gray beard — and, of course, a royal wardrobe.
It wouldn't be a "Vikings" show without some religious extremism,
and in "Valhalla," it seems that box will be checked by Jarl Kåre, played by Danish
actor Asbjørn Nissen. His Netflix bio reads, "A mysterious and chilling figure, Jarl Kåre
is a murderous Christian zealot who presents a very real threat to the old pagan ways."
This sounds almost as though Jarl Kåre will act as a kind of reverse spiritual successor to Floki,
played by Gustaf Skarsgård. After all, he was the devout "Vikings" character
whose spiritual convictions led him to eventually murder Athelstan.
In real life, Nissen still has the bald head and long, thick beard
that Jarl Kåre sports in "Valhalla," although it
looks like he takes much better care of his beard than his Viking counterpart.
Concerning Queen Aelfgifu, played by Pollyanna McIntosh, Netflix's press packet reads,
"She uses her charm and guile to great effect as she promotes the interests of her Mercian homeland
and tries to assert herself in her husband King Canute's growing power structure."
The Scottish actress takes on the role of the formidable Queen Aelfgifu with a look on the
show seeing her donning elaborate blonde tresses. This is a big step away from McIntosh's look in
real life. Although the actor has indeed been blonde before, she is currently a brunette and
has recently been keeping her hair cut extremely short for her role as Jadis in "The Walking Dead"
and "The Walking Dead: World Beyond." “You’ll be answering to me.”
The final member of the main "Vikings: Valhalla" cast is Danish actor
Søren Pilmark. He plays King Sweyn Forkbeard, who Netflix describes in their press materials as,
"King Canute's father, who is far less diplomatic than his son.
He will do whatever it takes to protect his family's place of power,
and has no tolerance for traitors or those who question his authority."
Of course, when it comes to "Vikings," we have a feeling that "less diplomatic" tends to mean
"ruthless and violent." So it will be interesting to see how far the Danish king is willing to
go in his quest to hold onto his power. In "Vikings: Valhalla," Pilmark is nearly
unrecognizable as King Sweyn Forkbeard, whose graying hair is long and wild,
looking as though he's forgotten to comb it since, well, ever. Contrasted to Pilmark's real-life
appearance, in which the actor is typically clean-shaven and short-haired, Pilmark's role
may be one of the most dramatic transformations among the cast of "Vikings: Valhalla.”
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