INTERVIEW! VIKINGS Alex Høgh Andersen talks Ivar’s Remorse & Looming War

WARNING! Minor Spoiler Alerts to Vikings Season Five.

On History’s original series Vikings, Alex Høgh Andersen portrays Ivar, the truly twisted and astonishingly brutal son of Ragnar Lothbrok and Queen Aslaug. Despite his physical limitations, Ivar proves he is a true prodigy of the Viking King with his clever battle tactics and lust for conquest. He may have even surpassed Ragnar in cruelty when Ivar surprised fans last season by murdering his brother Sigurd in a fit of rage.

Alex jumps right in addressing the death of Sigurd and what we can expect from Ivar in the aftermath. Ivar had ‘lost control of himself’ and is initially very remorseful of his actions and fully realizes his temper is “a massive weakness.” He knows that the killing of his own brother “created a wound between him and his [other] brothers that I don’t think he will be able to ever heal,” Alex says. “[Ivar] realized he lost control, and he let everyone see it. You will see him try his very best to control his emotions throughout the season.”

The Brothers Divided

The rift between the brothers is something we will continue to see played out in the coming season. Even in his regret, Ivar can’t help but use the death to his advantage by trying to draw the remaining siblings to himself as a means of control. Ivar is “aware that he needs them to reach his goals,” Alex says. There will be a lot of drama with the brothers that will run the full spectrum of emotions, from love to hate.

Despite his circumstances, and even in the midst of failure, Ivar is a quick learner and determined to lead. After his victory against the Saxons, Ivar is “even more confident, and rightfully so. That makes him very, very dangerous. Ivar is ready and up for the challenge. He’s progressive and not afraid of using violence to get his way.”

Ivar’s quest for power and control is aided by others who have bought into the glory of victory, no matter the cost. Death was a very common part of life during the Viking age, and in some ways his brutality makes Ivar an even stronger leader to his people. “Vikings grew up only thinking about death and how to die so they could get into Valhalla,” Alex says. “People with no personal relation to [Ivar] only see him as this leader, and probably didn’t give a damn. Because all they care about at the end of the day is winning the next battle or dying in a tremendous beautiful Viking way.”

Conflict with Lagertha

This season, the series delves into new territory as the characters vie for position and struggle to fill the void left by Ragnar’s death. The trouble brewing between Ivar and Queen Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) will lead to a coming civil war. “Lagertha is maybe the complete opposite of Ivar. She is a humane character. It’s great to see those two clash. It’s going to be very intense. There’s going to be a massive power struggle,” Alex teases.
Alex is most excited to see how the audience reacts to the Vikings-on-Vikings clash, which will be a new experience for fans. “The stuff that we shot looks amazing. This season in particular is probably the biggest we’ve ever done.”

Vikings season five premieres Wednesday, November 29 only on History. Join with us ( @nicegirlstv & @PxlWvr) as we live tweet during season. Need more Vikings? Check out other articles featuring Alex Høgh Andersen. For all our Vikings coverage, click here!