STACK August 2016 Issue 142

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J ust one of the many current
takes on brutal history, The
Last Kingdom was always
going to be a sure-fire hit in the eyes
of Alexander Dreymon. “The biggest
appeal for me was the vision that
Nick Murphy had,” notes the series'
star. “He was the first director, and
was very much involved in the style
of The Last Kingdom; he directed the
first two episodes of Season One. His
work was almost documentary-style;
he’d let us loose on the playground
of the set, which is incredibly real
and detailed, and we’d play and live
in the world. He’d follow us with
the cameras, see what he could
get, and if it didn’t work he’d
come in and adjust it.” Dreymon
notes the inclusion of what
Murphy called a 'Golden Take'
– one the director could use for
the entire scene if need be: “We
weren’t married too much to
continuity; it was great fun.”
Taking into account the
time period of the drama
– the 9th century – a lot
of work went into depicting
an authentic setting. “There’s a
whole orchestra of people around.
The really impressive part is how
much work goes into everything
before we even start filming; there’s
months and months of work and
people scouting locations and
building sets,” Dreymon says.
According to the actor, it takes
just under an hour for him
to prepare for shooting:
“In the morning it takes
about 45 minutes to an hour – it’s
not that bad. I usually have about
an hour in the car which I use just
going through the script; it’s an
hour of silence where I can work,
which is great. And then I get about
45 minutes to put all the scars
on and the dirt – I think the main
part is the dirt; it gets under your
nails.” Dreymon confesses that
occasionally his work gets in the way
of his personal life. “I don’t mind it
during the day at all, it’s just when
you go out at night and you haven’t
had time to take everything off, you
get crazy looks," he says. "I wasn’t let
back into my hotel room because of
the dirt and everything once.”
As for why shows like The Last
Kingdom, Game of Thrones and
Vikings are becoming so popular,
Dreymon believes it has much to do
with the relatability of the characters.
“The problems that people had
back then are very similar to the
problems we have now. People
are still people; there’s still love,
there’s still hate. I think there was
just more freedom to act on your
emotions back then, which isn’t
always the best thing. I hope,
anyway, the way we portray these
characters is in a very realistic way,
and very down to earth. Most of
the characters in The Last Kingdom
are historical figures. They just
don’t know they’re making history
as they’re doing it. It’s just another
day for them. As you may be able to
discuss divorce while you’re doing
the dishes, those guys were able to
create or diffuse kingdoms while
having breakfast.”
visit DVD&BD FEATURE
42 AUGUST 2016
DVD
&
BD
As you may be able to
discuss divorce while
you're doing the dishes,
those guys were able
to create or diffuse
kingdoms over breakfast
History
in the making
Alexander Dreymon is an up-and-coming actor you may recognise from
American Horror Story: Coven. His latest venture, The Last Kingdom, is
currently filming its second season in Budapest. Words: Alesha Kolbe
Love a bit of antiquity
in your TV shows?
Add these to your
must-see list of
historical dramas.
Wolf Hall
Based on the
excellent book
by Hilary
Mantel,
Mark
Rylance’s
superb depiction of Henry
the VIII’s wheeler and dealer,
Thomas Cromwell, makes for
compelling viewing.
Rome
Written by John Milius
and telling the story of two
ordinary soldiers during the
chaotic time of Caesar’s
civil war, Rome depicts all
the treachery, brutality, love
and lust associated with the
Roman Republic.
Vikings
Plundering the coasts of
England and France makes for
exciting television as Ragnar
Lothbrok and his band of
bearded warriors hack and
slash their way through the
8th century.
Black Sails
This is Assassin’s Creed:
Black Flag in a TV show, and a
great TV show it is. Featuring
all of the epic names in pirate
history, Black Sails is a prequel
to Robert Louis Stevenson’s
Treasure Island. Rated Arrr!
Let’s Get
Historical!
• The Last
Kingdom:
Season 1
is out August 4