Author: Katheryn Winnick

How did this relationship with Astrid come about? Lagertha didn’t just wake up one day and decide to be a lesbian, did she?

Lagertha has been betrayed by so many men throughout her life. Obviously, Ragnar cheated on her and asked her to be a second wife. Her second husband was abusive. Then Kalf, who she groomed to be a leader, tried to usurp her own rule. She had to kill him on their wedding day. So her relationship with men [wasn’t great]. I’m not sure she will ever trust a man again.

So it did make sense that she would find comfort in another human being and that that human being happened to be a woman. I don’t feel that Lagertha necessarily is a lesbian; I never played it that way. But she did find a love with Astrid that men have never been able to give her.

The time jump at the end of the first part of Season 4 was about 10 years. How long have they been together when we return for the new episodes?

Their relationship has been more than six or seven years. Astrid is considerably different and brings a breath of fresh air to Lagertha’s life. Josefin has a lot of humor and wit and that’s evident in [the way she plays] her character. Her sense of style and…the way she deals with Lagertha is unique, and that was really a lot of fun to play [opposite Josefin]. I think you’re going to like that relationship.

Lagertha definitely grooms her to be the warrior that she is. It was nice to see that it’s not, ‘Oh, here are two women who are in bed together.’ Their strong bond is not necessarily the sexual part of a relationship, but more of an emotional bond. It’s really beautiful to see.