Gabriel Byrne on Playing a 10th-Century Viking Warlord
WALTER SCOTT ASKS ... Gabriel Byrne
The actor, 62, stars in the History channel drama series Vikings (premieres March 3, 10 p.m. ET).
Did you know much about Viking history before taking this role?
I’m from Dublin, and I grew up with a knowledge of their contribution to Irish culture. They are stereotyped as invaders and pillagers, but they were much more sophisticated and complex.
How did you get into character?
I grew my hair very long and the costumes were pretty spectacular, so it was hard not to feel like a 10th-century Viking warlord!
You live in New York City now. Do you go back to Ireland much?
It’s my roots, so I come back at least two or three times a year. It’s tremendously important to me.
Before becoming an actor, you studied archaeology. Did you make any discoveries?
I actually worked on the excavation of Viking ruins in Ireland and was lucky to find a perfectly preserved child’s leather shoe with ornamental stitching. I don’t think there’s anything more exciting than knowing the last time a human had seen that shoe was over 1,000 years ago.
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