‘The Last Kingdom’: Alexander Dreymon Reveals How He Relates to Uhtred
In Netflix’s The Last Kingdom, Alexander Dreymon plays Uhtred, a man torn between the worlds of the Saxons and the Danes. His circumstances in life give him a different outlook on the world he finds himself in. Two opposing sides, the Saxons and the Danes are constantly at odds and Uhtred happens to have a foot in each world. It both helps and hinders him on a regular basis.
Uhtred was once a Saxon from Bebbanburg
Uhtred wasn’t always as fierce. He was once a child named Osbert. After his older brother’s death, he becomes the heir to Bebbanburg and his name is changed to Uhtred. He then becomes a Dane when he’s captured by the Danes and is taken as a slave. However, he finds common ground with the family who basically adopts him and he becomes a Dane in his heart.
When his Danish family is slaughtered, Uhtred goes on the run and eventually finds himself trying to be a peacemaker between the Saxons and the Danes. He starts helping Alfred (David Dawson) and things change drastically for Uhtred very quickly.
Alexander Dreymon reveals how he relates to Uhtred
In 2018, Alexander Dreymon spoke with TV Insider about the third season at the time and he details how he relates to his character. Dreymon reveals that he grew up in a lot of different places and he can relate to Uhtred having difficulty dealing with that. Of course, it was probably harder for Uhtred.
“The truth is that, whether it happens in 9th century AD or now, it’s still the same stories, and it’s still the same human needs that we’re catering to, you know? We have the same drives, the mind isn’t that different now,” Dreymon explained. “I think that one of the things I can identify with is not really being from a particular place; I’ve personally grown up in lots of different countries, and I don’t identify with one particular country.”
Uhtred is constantly judged for his religion since he finds himself working between the worlds of both the pagans and the Christians. “I think that, for Uhtred, it’s a little more difficult than it is for me, and it’s more heavily on his mind just because of the religious aspect,” Dreymon continued. “He’s always being faulted for being a pagan in a mainly Christian-dominated environment. So I don’t have to struggle with that, but I know exactly what it feels like to always be the outsider, and I think Uhtred makes the most of that.”
Uhtred is forced to play mediator between the Saxons and the Danes since he’s basically both. It’s a hard place to be when stuck in the middle of two opposing sides that are literally at war with each other. Uhtred makes the most of the situation though and tries to find common ground with both sides. He successfully prevents things from tipping over many times because he can relate to each side.
