Sutherland talks to EW about dying well.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: When did you know that Aslaug would be dying this season?
ALYSSA SUTHERLAND:The whole time I was onVikings, I was waiting for this to happen.
Credit: Bernard Walsh
I actually thought that it would happen earlier, to be honest!
I think it was about six weeks heads up I was given.
We were filming episode 9 and 10 when I was told.
One of the producers came up to me on set.
The cameras were being set up to start filming a scene I was in.
I had hair and makeup around me doing touch-ups.
The producer came up to me and said, Alyssa, Id love a quick chat with you.
When youre done here, well go for a walk.
I just went, Oh,what?
Am I getting killed?
I was totally joking.
I wasnt fearful, thinking thats what was happening.
He just looked at me, and I went, Oh, I am!
And now Ive basically gone and told everyone!
The characters on this show are so extreme, and Aslaugs journey took her to some dark places.
Were there any moments that really defined her for you?
In season 3, a Christian came wandering through town.
Aslaug decided that he had to be gotten rid of.
Her history and her parents, she was so proud of that, proud of her Viking nature.
The final scene between Aslaug and Lagertha is a showdown thatVikingshas been building towards for years now.
What was it like filming that moment?
I was really grateful for what Michael had written in that scene.
It felt like things that maybe hadnt been said of her were said in that scene.
It justified that presence, in a way.
I loved how the Queen was so so smart about the way she handled that death.
She got the last word.
She said in front of all these people: Fine!
You have the town.
Im not gonna fight you.
All I ask is that I have safe passage.
I think Aslaug knows shes not gonna walk out of town.
So you think Aslaug is purposefully instigating Lagertha, trying to get her enemy to kill her?
I think she does.
I think thats her Viking way of being killed.
Theres a lot of layers to it.
If she just went walking off somewhere else, what was she going to do?
Die of old age?
Thats not a very dramatic death for her.
The Vikings believed in dying in battle, being famous.
Its sort of art imitating life.
All you do is hope for it to be really dramatic.
I think Aslaug wanted the same thing.
