What made you want to be part of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves?
I was interested, of course, because, first of all, it’s Dungeons & Dragons, but apart from this incredible fantasy world, it’s a story with so much heart and humour. I just loved the script.
What can you tell us about your character?
I play a powerful and righteous knight named Xenk Yendar. He’s your typical sword-swinging, cape-wearing, dragon-slaying kind of good guy, but as the film progresses, he finds out that he may not
be as perfect and all-knowing as he thinks.
What kind of physical training did you undergo for the fight scenes?
There was quite a lot of learning on how to swing swords and axes. I worked with our incredible stunt team, which was intense but fun. Michelle (Rodriguez) and I had the majority of the training because of the type of characters we play, and all the bad guys we get to slay. We also bonded a lot over that.
What did you think about your costume, especially the long hair?
It was a fun look. I now feel like I can rock that hair in real life. Maybe, if we do another one of these films, I’ll grow it for real. The armour was pretty heavy, and it was hot under there. It took way too long to go to the bathroom.
Which of the many monsters that you face in the movie was your favourite?
The dragons were amazing. I mean, who didn’t grow up wanting to fight a dragon? But, I also like the big deep-sea fish. What is incredible about that is that it was actually there. It wasn’t all CGI. Like so many of the creatures in the film, it was built practically. I was told that I could actually lose an arm to that fish if I didn’t get the timing of that scene dead right. Thankfully, I did. There were times during scenes with these creatures that you really feel they are real. That’s a gift for an actor.
The movie looks spectacular. What was it like on set?
It was incredible, and we shot a lot of the exterior scenes in the most beautiful locations in Northern Ireland. It really seemed like a fantasy land.
Had you ever played Dungeons & Dragons before this role came to you?
Not really, but I was aware of the game. Although, I have always been a fan of fantasy and role-playing games. I did actually play a game of Dungeons & Dragons with the rest of the cast, which was
a lot of fun, but didn’t go too well for me. I thought I could just charge straight in, but turns out that wasn’t the best thing to do, and I was the first to die. But, I do love the game, particularly the community aspect to it.
Do you think it will help the audience to enjoy the movie more if they have some prior knowledge about the game?
I don’t think you need to know anything about Dungeons & Dragons at all. I’ve heard reactions from really hardcore fans, who love the movie, but I have also heard from people who have no idea about any of the creatures, like me (laughs), but they still had a great time watching the film. It’s simply a great adventure through a magical world.
Bridgerton fans are still hoping you might return to the show. Is that a possibility?
I take that as a compliment, but I don’t know if that will happen. I feel like Simon and Daphne got their happily-ever-after. But, I loved my time in Bridgerton, and am grateful for the opportunities it
opened up for me.
We have seen you play both heroes and villains. Do you prefer playing one over the other?
I honestly like both. Villains are always fun because you tend to have more freedom and fewer boundaries with what you can do. But, I love playing the hero too. I’ll take everything.
Will we be seeing more Dungeons & Dragons films?
I think so. It’s such a huge and varied world with so many possibilities for storytelling.
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