Katheryn Winnick is interviewed about her role as the fierce warrior queen Lagertha on the hit show Vikings. Winnick discusses how she researched the time period and trained physically and with weapons to portray the demanding role without a stunt double. She also talks about developing her character and being inspired by the strong women of that era. Winnick shares that her background in martial arts helped her learn fight sequences quickly and stay fit for the role.

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Real StyleSpring 2014
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3. 37
Katheryn Winnick| Interview
Qby Sarah harris Photography by don miller
ueen
of the
As the fierce warrior queen Lagertha on the hit show Vikings,
Toronto’s Katheryn Winnick takes no prisoners. On screen and behind
the scenes, the Canadian beauty has proven to be a daring actress
who can captivate audiences in any role. Once a martial arts trainer,
Winnick now uses her considerable skills to bring her legendary Viking
character life--a bold, athletic performance that has earned her a
nomination for the 2014 Canadian Screen Actor Awards. Winnick spoke
with Real Style about her nomination, stunt acting and what it’s like to
work with Al Pacino.
castle

4. 38 Real Style Spring 2014
Interview | Katheryn Winnick
Real Style: Did you research Vikings and the time period in
preparation for the show?
K
atheryn: As much as I possibly could. I got
cast less than a week before I had to go to
Ireland to start shooting. There are a lot of
stereotypes and myths, and Michael Hirst
gave us a bunch of books of that time pe-
riod, but it was a big learning curve on set
working with the different departments,
the set coordinators, the props people, and
learning how Vikings lived, the kind of the houses they lived
in, the materials they used and what they wore.
When you come to the Vikings set, you see how detailed and
amazing it really is. We take over an entire studio–Ashford
Studios–we raid four different sound stages and we built an
outdoor studio at the Guinness estate. They have an exterior
on this gorgeous lake and you can’t help but feel that you’re in
a different time period when you’re working and everybody
walks around in their cloaks, even the extras. It’s an amazing
environment and just being a part of that is really magical.
Real Style: What was it like training for the show?
Katheryn: It’s a very physically
demanding the show–I don’t
use a stunt double, so if you’re
not working on set doing your
scenes, you’re preparing for it.
And that could go anywhere
from learning how to ride a horse
to learning how to use a shield
and a sword and coordinating
your next battle, to working
with a dialect coach or going in
for a wardrobe fitting to get your
armor fitting perfectly because
everything is done by hand. It’s
a very intense production and I
think that’s the reason why it’s
so special.
Real Style: You have a martial arts background.
Katheryn: I do; I started training in martial arts at age 7. I have
a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a second-degree
black belt in karate. I had a chain of martial arts schools, and
taught actors and actresses martial arts on movie sets, so it’s
nice to find a role where I can incorporate some of that fight-
ing style or spirit in an acting piece.
Real Style: How long does it take you to prepare for your more
physical scenes and stunts?
Katheryn: If you’re lucky, you can get a good hour of rehearsal
beforehand. Sometimes you’re learning it in between scenes,
depending on how demanding your week is. The thing with
Ireland is that the weather is so unpredictable, you don’t
necessarily know if you’re shooting a scene. If it’s on the
schedule but it’s pouring rain, they might switch the order
so you might have to do one of your battle sequences or your
fights indoors, so you always have to be ready. But the martial
arts background that I have definitely gave me an upper hand
in learning sequences a lot quicker. And there’s an incredible
stunt department that helps coordinate the sequences just to
make it look as raw and real as possible.
Real Style: How do you stay fit for your role in Vikings?
Katheryn: I’ve actually just started working with a trainer
in martial arts and learning more stick fighting–that’s really
interesting to me. I’m completely gluten free and have been
for years–I [have] celiac so it’s just better. I try to stick with
vegetables and protein. I’m more conscious of physical activ-
ity; I just love martial arts and training, doing different cross
training and working out. I don’t train every day, but tomor-
row I’m going hiking. They
say it takes 21 days to create a
habit, and if you force your-
self through, your body will
be addicted to that energy
and you’ll need it–so you just
need to get through that time
period, and you’re in the safe
zone.
Real Style: How did you
develop your character in
Vikings?
Katheryn: Whenever I ap-
proach a piece, it’s really an
extension of myself. If I’m playing a different character, I try
to find the similarities and put myself into imaginary situ-
ations. That’s how I approach Lagertha. I’ve learned a lot
from her as well, how to overcome certain struggles and how
women were in that time period, so I definitely can relate with
her and also admire her as well.
Real Style: What was the most surprising thing you learned
about women and their role back then?
Katheryn: Women were very strong and empowered. It was so
great to see that many women could be mothers and wives but
“When you come to the
Vikings set, you see how
detailed and amazing it
really is. It’s an amazing
environment and just being
a part of that is really
magical.”

5. 39
katheryn winnick | Interview
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6. 40 Real Style Spring 2014
Interview | katheryn winnick
also field maidens and fight alongside their husbands and sons
and also be able to own their land and divorce their husbands
and eventually rule. It was definitely a very empowering so-
ciety during that time period. It’s interesting–a lot of peo-
ple think it’s the opposite, and maybe in history we’ve gone
backwards after that, but in [Scandinavia] in the Dark Ages,
you had to make the family work and do whatever it took to
make sure you survived on a day-to-day basis. The weather
was extremely harsh, so every member of the family played
a role, and if one link were missing, it would affect the entire
family, if not the community–and they did work together as a
community to help each other.
Real Style: Do you have the opportunity to travel while you’re
shooting?
K
atheryn: That’s one of my favourite parts
about working in Europe–because every-
thing is so close by. We shoot just outside
Dublin, in Wicklow–Wicklow Mountains–
and it’s absolutely stunning there. Within
an hour
and
a half
you can go to Barcelona
and have the most beautiful
sunshine or you go to Paris
or Rome or Italy, all within
a 3-hour time period. You
can travel around Europe a
lot quicker, even if you only
have one or two days off.
Real Style: What do you
do when you come back to
Toronto?
Katheryn: I usually go straight to my parents’ house because I
just love spending time with them. I have my key places: Rod-
ney’s is one of them–I just have to have oysters–I think I have
a shell over there with my name on it. I also love the Danforth
and Greek Town; it’s just great. Bloor West Village–I come
from a Ukrainian background, so it’s nice to be in the Ukrain-
ian village. You can catch up with all your friends that are all
around Toronto now and see their growing families.
Real Style: How did you get into acting?
Katheryn: I started off in martial arts. It was my first career,
my first passion and first love. I was teaching actors on film
sets and that’s how I was introduced into the business–I was
hanging out on set and I realized that this was the coolest job
in the world. Every day is different, and they get to test their
boundaries personally and physically, and I found it fascinat-
ing. I had the great fortune of being on David Cronenberg’s
set for “Existenz” in Toronto. Seeing how it all works made
me want to try it. I thought acting lessons would be a great
therapy and a way of really peeling off the layers and discover-
ing what makes me tick.
Real Style: Who was the most inspiring actor you’ve worked
with?
Katheryn: I could say I learned from every actor I’ve worked
with, but it’s always interesting working with the actors
who are more seasoned and seeing how they approach it and
master their craft. Al Pacino was so amazing to work with–
and he tries to get it right every time. You would think that
he would be unstoppable with his experience, but you can see
how much he cares and how he wants to get his performance
done right, and that was inspiring. Hugh Laurie was fantas-
tic to work with–I did an episode on House and it was such a
great role. I ended up getting a Fox holding deal from it, which
was definitely a turning point in
my career. And my cast mates on
Vikings are amazing people–some of
them are in town so we’re trying to
organize a little Viking dinner.
Real Style: What was it like to star
alongside Kurt Russell in The Art of
the Steal?
Katheryn: I loved working with
Kurt, and Jay Baruchel was in the
movie as well–we have such a great
cast. Jonathan Sobol wrote and di-
rected it and he just got nominated
for a CSA. It’s nice to see Canadian
filmmakers achieve.
Real Style: How did you get involved with the CSAs?
Katheryn: They asked me to host it, which was such an hon-
our. I ended up finding out about ten minutes earlier that I got
nominated for best performance, which I was really grateful
for and surprised. I felt honored to be in that category and for
the fact that your hard work is being recognized. It means a lot
to me. It was great. I look forward to coming back to Toronto
and celebrating with the other actors who got nominated and
celebrating Canadian talent.
“I was teaching actors on
film sets and that’s how
I was introduced into the
business–I was hanging out
on set and I realized that
this was the coolest job in
the world.”

7. 41
katheryn winnick | Interview
Photography, Don Miller;
Digital Imaging, Patrick Lavoie;
Hair, Jeremiah Luke;
Makeup, David Allan Jones;
Stylist, Afiya Francisco;
Special Thanks, University of Toronto,
Hart House
Banana Republic shirt and blazer,
Marc Jacobs skirt,
Katherine's own boots.
For Details see shop list page 94.