Interview: Iain De Caestecker on playing Arhur in The Winter King

Adapted from Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling The Warlord Chronicles trilogy of novels, The Winter King is a bold and revisionist take on the well-loved Arthurian legends. In fifth-century Britain, having been banished by his father High King Uther, Arthur Pendragon returns to his homeland of Dumnonia to keep the peace until his infant brother is old enough to take the throne. He is reunited with Nimue, a powerful druidess, druid leader Merlin who looked over him growing up as a bastard son, and Derfel, a young man who Arthur rescued as a child from a Saxon death pit.

As he steps into his role as reluctant leader, Arthur discovers that there is doubt over his intentions, and that maintaining peace amongst the warring British tribes with the Saxons encroaching ever further is a gargantuan task. As he tries to forge allegiances in order to hold back the Saxon incursion, he is beset by unexpected challenges from within, some from those he believed closest to him.

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Can you describe The Winter King?

The Winter King is a new fresh gritty take on the famous Arthurian legend. It's about the quest for peace in a very fractionated and disjointed Dark Ages-era Britain.

What will excite audiences about the show?

It's got all the characters you’re familiar with in that myth, but they are new, more human versions. There are sword fights, horses, big set piece landscapes and romance. Themes and emotions in this story are timeless. It’s in the Dark Ages era - a barbaric and difficult time to live in - yet there are these very human emotions in the story that will resonate with people from all walks of life.

How would you describe your character?

Arthur’s quite a forward-thinking and natural born leader but I think some of his methods, especially for the time, are seen as unorthodox. But he’s very ambitious about getting his plans across and about making real change. He’s all about getting rid of old traditions that don't serve the country anymore and trying to find new ways of doing things.

What’s his backstory?

As the bastard son of High King Uther, Arthur has not always had the easiest of upbringings. He’s grown up under the shadow of his father's reign. King Uther has a reputation for not being the most compassionate of kings. He’s powerful but ruthless and, as a result, Arthur has not felt love or acceptance from his father. On the flip side, he has a surrogate father in Merlin who's taken him under his wing and been the father figure he needed. Merlin has shown him leadership and guidance, and given him knowledge, support, love and care.

Can you tell us about the scale of the set design?

The set design is incredible. They're just not built like a typical set. I don't think I’ve ever been on a studio set that goes from outside to inside in this way. This huge courtyard that you can go through in one shot to the interior of the Caer Cadarn set. I talked to Otto about it and he said one of the aims was to build it as if you were on location, and it does feel like that when you’re inside there, you get transported. Usually with a lot of sets you’ll have one room here, and another set there, but ours is totally contained, it really picks you up and puts you in that world. All the sets have been like that, incredible.

What attracted you to the show?

The first thing that attracted me to the show was Otto Bathurst. I had seen a TV series that he’d done years ago called Criminal Justice. I just loved it when it came out, and have seen it a couple of times since. I was a real fan of his and that first attracted me to the show. Also, playing such an iconic character. I don’t know if I’d ever have another chance to do it. If I got to tell my younger self I’d be playing someone like this, I’d be jumping for joy. He’s such an interesting character. The more I got into it, what really interested me was the idea of what it means to be a leader and the mental and physical toll that has on someone. I think with Arthur that's what really gets explored through this series and I find that really interesting.

Can you describe the world in which The Winter King is set?

It’s set in Dark Ages-era Britain, at a time where there is not only the threat of Saxons knocking on the door, but also a lot of civil unrest brewing in the country. There’s different territories and they’re all vying for power. There’s a lot of political dynamics in this story. So, when we first start the story, it feels like there’s trouble brewing ahead.

Is the action something you’re used to?

I enjoy doing the action side of it, although I don’t know how good I am naturally at it. We tried not to make the sword fighting feel like an action movie, it's not meant to be overly fancy, it's meant to feel real and brutal, that’s the kind of look we’re going for with it. The other side of it is horse riding, which I’d never really done before I tried this. I was saying to my friend the other day that riding a horse is kind of like driving the best sports car you can think of, but it’s alive. It’s a mad feeling when you really get to the stage of cantering and galloping; it's like flying. I’ve got a lovely horse who’s called Shovel who's massive, but he’s just a proper gentle giant and he loves his grass.