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The Last Kingdom is on Netflix now and fans have been revisiting some previous characters from the series. Fans were briefly introduced to Uhtred’s (played by Alexander Dreymon) father, who was also called Uhtred, in season one. Express.co.uk has everything you need to know about Matthew Macfadyen, who played Uhtred’s father.
Why did Matthew Macfadyen leave the series?
The English actor starred in one episode in the first season of The Last Kingdom.
He played Uhtred’s father, Lord Uhtred, in the series and he spoke about how he would have liked to have starred more in the show.
He said: “I wish that I’d had longer with Lord Uhtred. We had a huge battle sequence, which on paper was always going to be an incredibly complicated sequence between the Vikings and the Saxons.
“Nick Murphy (director) had planned it all out beautifully and with military precision.
“Nick’s style is extremely freeing and he likes the filming to be handheld. There’s not a great amount of lighting time on Nick’s sets, and he tends to try and get it all in one big magic take.
“It feels very exciting to do that as an actor, and oddly you don’t feel like there is a terrible pressure to get it right. I love that about working with Nick.”
His character features in The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell, on which the series is based.
In The Last Kingdom, Viking ships were spotted approaching Bebbanburg and they killed one of Lord Uhtred’s sons.
Ealdorman Uhtred declared war on the Danes but he ended up being killed in battle.
His son Uhtred was then taken as a slave, along with Brida (Emily Cox) who grew up to become his best friend.
Macfadyen’s character was written out of the series when he was stabbed in the throat by a Dane.
The star has been nominated for five awards during his career, and he won a British Academy Television Award in 2010.
The award was for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Criminal Justice.
He was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award earlier in 2020 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, for his role in Succession.
Macfadyen played the Saxon ruler in The Last Kingdom and he spoke about his role in the show.
He said: “Lord Uhtred is a very hard man and not in the least bit sophisticated. He is, however, a leader, a father, and a toughened warrior.
“Like a lot of lives lived in that time, his was short, brutish, and hard.”
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Matthew Macfadyen is known for his roles in Pride and Prejudice and Quiz.
The 45-year-old actor is married to actress Keeley Hawes, and he has two children.
He started off in British theatre, starring in the play Much Ado About Nothing, and his TV debut was in Wuthering Heights.
His film credits include The Assistant, Robin Hood and Death at a Funeral.
Following his role in The Last Kingdom, he starred in Churchill’s Secret and HBO’s Succession.
Fans have been remembering the huge battle scene between the Saxons and the Danes in season one.
Speaking about the concept of the shield wall, Macfadyen said: “We had this big battle sequence where we had like 100 extras, a lot of them stuntmen.
“It was an incredibly complex thing made simple and great fun, you are not having to imagine this world – you are sort of in it.”
In season four of The Last Kingdom Uhtred’s son, Uhtred, returned to Bebbanburg in an attempt to claim back his homeland.
His loyalty has always been torn between the Saxons and Danes, as he was raised by Danes after becoming a slave.
The Last Kingdom is on Netflix now.
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