Hollywood’s leading lady Anya Taylor-Joy has opened up about her love for Ireland as she promotes her new film The Northman, which was filmed mainly in Donegal and Antrim.
The Northman isn’t the only one of Anya’s projects that was filmed over here, so was The Witch and Here are the Young Men. She also starred in Peaky Blinders which has a large Irish cast.
Speaking to RTÉ, the actress confessed just how much she adored our island. Saying; “I’m very connected to Ireland.”
“I’ve shot a couple of movies over there and a lot of my best friends are from over there.”
She has good reason to hold Ireland close to her heart, as filming for the intense Viking drama allowed Anya the opportunity to explore Irish nature, falling a little bit in love as she did.
The Argentinian actress explained; “I went swimming every two days and that was just the nicest thing, especially after being inside for such a long time. I think all of us just felt such a rush of freedom that our job was just getting to be outside every day, even if it was brutal. ”
However, her co-star True Bloods’ Alexander Skarsgard also enjoyed the experience but found it much tougher than Anya, thanks to director Robert Eggers insistence on an authentic Viking experience.
As he explained; “It was incredibly immersive and real. What do you expect from a Robert Eggers film? He’s all about authenticity so we were knee-deep in the Irish mud for seven months.”
While it was certainly a challenge for Alexander he did find some perks, particularly getting to see the Irish landscape. “The movie took us to the most amazing locations around Northern Ireland and into the Republic of Ireland, Donegal, the coastline, the ocean and up in the mountains.”
Calling the Irish filming locations “epic.”
The Northman follows 10th century Icelandic Viking prince Amleth, as he sets out for revenge against those who murdered his father. Starring along side Anya and Alex are Nicole Kidman, Bjork, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe.
