Maltese-born Andrei Claude will play Ganbaatar in the final sixth season of the popular TV series… and he’s doing all his own stunts.
As Maltese, we are always very proud when one of our own achieves something fantastic – and that’s especially true when they are able to fly the flag internationally.
And top local actor Andrei Claude (who has already featured in fantastic shows like Game of Thrones and The Dovekeepers) is making us proud once again with the announcement that he is playing the regular character of Ganbaatar on the new season of Vikings.
“Unfortunately, I can’t say very much about the role itself until at least the first episode of the series is aired,” he tells me. “But, since the creator and writer of the show Michael Hirst has already given some details to fans about the new season, I can say that Ganbaatar holds a commanding position in the world of the Rus Vikings.”
Thus, Andrei has been brushing up on his knowledge of the much-heard old eastern Slavic language, as part of the prep for the show. “Other than that – since the writing is so good – I simply needed to read a few scenes to understand Ganbaatar’s relationships with different characters and who he is as a person,” he says, adding that – as the show has no links to Malta – he was cast from among thousands of other actors who went up for the part.
“There’s a responsibility that comes with a role like this and, in my case, the expectation for certain skills was quite high, but that just motivated me even more. This is what I love doing, more than anything else. So the more challenging things are, the more exciting it is for me.”
Andrei also divulges that all the actors on the show do their own stunts – which is no mean feat when you consider what all the characters get up to in the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok. “Weeks of preparation go into each battle scene,” Andrei explains. “So our very talented stunt coordinator needs to make sure that we are well prepared on the day and that every single motion we go through looks as real as possible. The whole team is so dedicated to the work, and the energy surrounding this production is simply wonderful. It was such a pleasure and a privilege to work with these people.”
Now, Andrei explains that production on the show’s final season is complete, so it should be released some time soon. As for what’s next for him…
“I recently finished work on an interesting feature film in Italy, and, before that, I worked on Mariah Carey’s biopic, playing the role of her first husband, Tommy Mottola. There’s always discussion going on between my agent and I about possible upcoming projects for me, but there’s nothing that I can discuss for the time being. Every role I accept or decline is a very personal decision for me,” he adds.
Well, we certainly can’t wait to see what he’s been up to in Ragnar Lothbrok! Watch this space for the release date.