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Vikings: Why Freydis' Death Was Dangerous For The Real Life Actor
Vikings Freydis' death scene was very dangerous in real life for actor Alicia Agneson as she asked to be choked by costar Alex Hogh Andersen.

Vikings: Why Freydis' Death Was Dangerous For The Real Life Actor

The History Channel’s Vikings was a saga full of drama, including in season 5, where Freydis’ death scene proved a bit too dangerous in real life for Swedish actor Alicia Agneson. Once an enslaved person who eventually became the wife of Ivar the Boneless, played by Alex Hogh Andersen, Freydis was a master manipulator and confident woman. Her determination to have a son and lack of fear toward her husband made Freydis a force within the Norse world.

Playing the part of Freydis on Vikings was an exceptional part for Alicia Agneson as it was her first credited television role. Freydis’ death in season 5 marked the season finale, which saw a change in leadership from Ivar to Bjorn, specifically because Freydis double-crossed her husband as revenge for killing her infant son. Agneson was brought back in Vikings season 6 to play a different role as Princess Katia, based on her exceptional commitment to her work as Freydis.

In Vikings season 5, episode 20, “Ragnarok,” Freydis confirms for herself that Ivar is responsible for Baldur’s death. Ivar then strangles Freydis after she confesses to her husband that she had betrayed him to Bjorn and Hvitserk. While shooting the scene in real life, Agneson had asked that Andersen actually strangle her to make the scene look as authentic as possible. This act was done against the advice of the staff doctor, but Agneson wanted a realistic look for her season finale death scene.

How Vikings Kept Alicia Agneson Safe During Freydis’ Strangling Death Scene

Alicia Agneson’s request to be choked onscreen for real shows the lengths some actors will go to to get the shot. Looking back on a scene like this only makes the work seem more dangerous and terrifying, especially for Alex Hogh Andersen, who certainly didn’t want to hurt his costar, even though she had asked to be choked. A paramedic was on the set during the shooting of the Vikings’ main character’s death in case the scene got out of hand. It only adds to the suspense of the scene in hindsight, knowing a medic was watching just off-screen in case something went horribly wrong.

Things did not go sideways for Agneson while filming her death scene in Vikings, and the actor’s level of dedication to the role was unbelievable. While filming, sequences are often not shot in one take, which increases the pressure on Agneson and Andersen to get the scene just right. Alicia Agneson’s commitment to Freydis’ death scene in Vikings season 5 was horrifying and dangerous, but the realism she brought to the character proved worth the risk.