THE LAST KINGDOM has proved to be a shortcut to global attention for Alexander Dreymon.
And the lead in the hit BBC2 series, set in the 9th Century, says a short cut is just what he cherishes when filming ends – his hair.
“I have extensions put in but I need to keep it long,” Alexander, who plays leader Uhtred, told iN10.
“So it’s good to get it trimmed when we finish shooting before I need to start growing it again.
“I need to keep the hair and the beard right through filming.
“That doesn’t always make me a favourite with the girls, but when we’re making this there isn’t much time for anything else, to be honest, so that doesn’t really matter.
“It is always funny if I do go out with the other Vikings at night and you can see people looking because we have far too much hair and dirt under our fingernails.
“My daily make-up and costume sessions can take anything from 90 minutes to four hours depending on how much Uhtred’s been in the wars.
“If he’s beaten and bruised it can be a long process.”
The series, based on books by Sharpe creator Bernard Cornwell, has been compared to Game Of Thrones because of its bloody battles.
But unlike the fantasy background of the medieval epic, it is set in Northumbria at the time when attacks were common and much of the Anglo-Saxon lands were ruled by Danes.
What it does have in common with HBO-made Game Of Thrones, though, is that it now has real global clout.
The first series was purely financed by the BBC and its American counterpart.
But giant Netflix, behind epic series The Crown with Claire Foy and Matt Smith as the Queen and Prince Phillip, has now come on board.
“It’s gone on to Netflix in America simultaneously with the BBC screening,” confirmed German-born Alexander, 34.
“It now has worldwide exposure and we’re hopeful of several more series.”
Alexander says the budget boost has given this second run more of an epic look and feel.
He recalls filming a seaborne scene in the studios used for Hollywood movie The Martian, with a ship on hydraulics and rain and wind machines whipping up a storm.
“You have a camera in your face and are trying to do a scene but you can barely keep your eyes open because you’re getting splashed with so much water.
“It’s only afterwards when the effects people have worked their magic and you see the finished thing that you really appreciate it.
“We shoot for seven months so by the time I see it, it’s with fresh eyes.
“You are always a bit of a critic of your own work, which is healthy, but a lot of the scenes are new to you so you do watch those as a viewer.”
Although it’s set on these shores, The Last Kingdom is filmed around Budapest where the landscape looks right and the producers get more bang for their buck.
“The sets we have really are something else,” says Alexander. “We have villages built in the countryside that stay there between series.
“It’s not just a set wall with nothing behind it, they are usable buildings.”
Prior to The Last Kingdom, Alexander was best-known for US series American Horror Story, which featured everyone from Jessica Lange and Zachary Quinto to Cuba Gooding Jr. and Lady Gaga.
He knows the epic, swashbuckling role of Uhtred is bringing him to much wider attention, but he says it’s the part that’s the real joy.
“I enjoy this character immensely because so much happens with him,” he adds.
“It’s a gift for any actor to play somebody that goes from a snotty young boy to leader of armies in the course of one series.
“It’s a very important part and it does open doors for me as it ups your credibility.
“I don’t know about Hollywood coming knocking, but if the right thing came up, I’d be delighted to be a part of it.”
The Last Kingdom, BBC2, Thur, 9pm.
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