Sam Corlett on Netflix series Vikings Valhalla, and hanging out with the Happy Pear twins

The drama series about Leif Erikson and co was largely filmed in Ireland

Wed, 23 Feb, 2022 - 21:00

Esther N McCarthy

Australian actor Sam Corlett has picked up a cúpla focal while filming in Ireland. "Conás atá tú?" he says at the sound of an Irish accent, before speaking of his affection for the place he’s called home for much of the last year.

The lead star of forthcoming historical epic Vikings: Valhalla has thoroughly enjoyed living and filming in Co Wicklow and formed some friendships along the way, ever since he came here for the first time to meet series producers.

“There's a certain rascality that the Irish have that I think we share. There’s a twinkle in the eye. There's also that underdog nature - we've both kind of had our runnings in with England and have that underdog mentality, which is kind of nice,” says the actor from the Central Coast area of New South Wales.

He also believes the Irish and Australians have a lot in common personality-wise - not least because their heritage and histories are intertwined.

“I think being Australian is a lot about ancestries. I know, by doing those DNA tests, that a lot of my heritage is Irish and so being there, there was a certain Celtic mysticism that is so wonderfully integrated in the nature of the Irish people.

“Also, you all have such a poetic nature, which is so lovely to be around. Being on set with a crew who can chat like they're in the pub, but then when it comes to an emotional scene, can create a sacred space for us to dive into some emotional depths or some violent depths.”

If Corlett has any trepidation about leading a major new Netflix series he’s wearing it lightly. The actor is about to see his profile greatly raised as Leif Erikson, one of the best-known Norse warriors of them all.

Shot at Ashford Studios and at such iconic locations as Lough Tay and Powerscourt Waterfall, Valhalla is set one hundred years following the events of the original Vikings series.

It chronicles the adventures of some of the most famous Vikings who ever lived — the explorer Eriksson (Corlett), his fiery sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson), and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). As tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach breaking point and the Vikings themselves clash over their own conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs, they fight for survival and glory. The showrunner is Jeb Stuart, whose credits include The Fugitive and Die Hard.

Schoolboy Sam Corlett still can’t quite believe it. “I actually remember where I was sitting in Mr Gill's history class when I first learned about Laif Erickson and Eric the Red and was reading about the Berserkers,” he says. “I took my Viking exam in year ten and I think it was one of the only A's that I got!

“I was always drawn to the mythology of the Viking culture, the way they lived and the way that they praised many gods. I always found that very interesting.”

Already knowledgeable about the period, he was keen to find out more in preparation for the role. “My first step was diving into the mythology, diving into the time and getting context of what it was like to live in that world. I'd watched the original series with my father growing up and so it was nice to receive the audition originally, and then receive the role.

“Then I dived into the Sagas, the Greenland Sagas and the Sagas of Eric the Red, that showed elements of Leif's life and trying to piece them together, and certainly he reached great heights in navigating an exploratory world. But for me, what I was struck by and what myself and Jeb Stuart, the showrunner, spoke a lot about was the human nature of this man.

“In my observation of great people in the world, it's often those that remain the most grounded that reached the highest heights. And so it was about grounding him in real circumstances. At the core of it, he was just doing what he thought was right, for the people he loved the most.”

Frida Gustavsson as Freydis, and Sam Corlett as Leif in Vikings: Valhalla.

Being the lead on such a big series brought a sense of responsibility, the young actor agrees. “Being granted this opportunity, and being the lead and number one on the call sheet, it was like, ‘I kind of have to pull my socks up’ because the directors change each episode, but you're the only constant. We have incredible actors across the board here. There is a certain leadership quality that I welcomed and that kind of helped me with the role as well.”

This is the 26-year-old’s third big project, having worked with Eric Bana on his movie The Dry straight out of drama school, then getting a role on supernatural horror series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. For the actor who had travelled extensively with his family before deciding to give drama school a try, the breaks have come at the right time.

“I remember I did the year six play where I play Captain Hook in Peter Pan, but it wasn't necessarily something that I aspired to. I'm grateful that it came to me late because I kind of lived my life. I think it's great that a lot of kids go to drama classes and such. But for me, it was nice to live the reality of the things that I was playing.

“I traveled a lot as a child, and we went throughout Southeast Asia. I think storytelling and films and TV, we're able to share a perspective of the world we're able to share an experience of the world with a holistic view, using every medium from picture to video to music, to embodying a person.

“Eventually, I dipped my toe in after high school. That interest became a passion and then an obsession and then I went to drama school and did a full three years of theatre training, which I adored. It was like a playground for the soul and for the spirit. I came out the other side and was grateful to work straight with Eric Bana. That was my first gig. On to Vancouver and did The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and just as I was wrapping that I got granted this beautiful opportunity.”

Sam Corlett as Leif Erikson in Vikings: Valhalla.

Late last year production wrapped on series two of Vikings: Valhalla, giving Corlett another lengthy period of time in Ireland. He lived in Greystones and his plant-based diet meant he got to return to popular vegan café and shop The Happy Pear, a regular haunt during his stays here.

“I became really good mates with the Happy Pear guys. Often, after I'd wrap on set, I'd get dropped off at one of their houses and have their kids jump all over me, which is a perfect balance from swinging an axe.”