It’s been some time since legendary warrior Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel) was on screen, but the Vikings star nevertheless made a huge impact on the series. As the historical saga winds down on History and Amazon Prime Video, take a look back at one of Katheryn Winnick’s most memorable moments from behind-the-scenes.
An unearthed interview with Vikings co-star Katheryn Winnick has revealed a hilarious Travis Fimmel story from the popular series’ first season.
Fimmel originally led the series as the iconic warrior Ragnar Lothbrok, a fearless viking leader who eventually became the King of Kattegat.
Sadly, his time on the series came to a brutal end when he was killed at the end of season four.
Even so, Fimmel certainly left his mark on the series, as the subsequent instalments traced the rise and fall of his equally ruthless sons, such as Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen).
READ MORE: Vikings: Did Ragnar Lothbrok really die in the series? Will he return?
Despite the series’ demanding filming conditions and serious tone, Fimmel and the cast still managed to have a lot of fun during production.
Known for portraying the fierce shieldmaiden Lagertha, Katheryn Winnick sat down with Collider to talk through the highlights of Vikings’ first season.
When she came to what it was like working with Travis Fimmel, Winnick outlined some of his best qualities, including a wicked sense of humour.
She recalled: “Travis is such an amazing actor, and he’s a prankster, that’s for sure. He would always test the other cast members.”
She said: “There was one time when, all of a sudden, there was screaming. I was like, ‘What’s going on?’
“He ended up putting a rooster in this guy’s car, surrounded by hay, and this poor guy had to clean it all up.”
Clearly, this wasn’t the only extreme on-set prank, as Winnick added: “He definitely kept everybody on their toes and kept it a lot of fun.”
Thankfully, the star remained just as dedicated to his performance as Ragnar as he did to tormenting the Vikings team.
Winnick confirmed: “How hard he worked and prepared really inspired everybody else to work hard, as well. It wasn’t very hard to fall in love with him.
“He’s such an amazing person, and also very good looking. I think it’s important to have that chemistry between Lagertha and Ragnar, so hopefully you’ll see how evident it is.”
Fimmel’s talent and commitment clearly shone through, as the Australian star has continued to land a number of high profile roles, most recently in HBO Max’s new sci-fi series, Raised By Wolves.
Vikings Season 6, Part 2 is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.