Speaking before The Last Kingdom season 4 was released on Netflix this past Sunday, star Ian Hart (Beocca) gave his thoughts on the relationship between his character and leading man Uhtred, who have known each other since Uhtred was just a boy; life on set of the medieval drama; and much more.
First up, Hart talked about Beocca’s mindset at the start of season 4, “Beocca, by the end of last season, had lost his wife and lost Alfred – someone he was tremendously close with and had gone through a lot with,” Hart said. “He finds himself at a bit of a loss. He’s writing the life of Saint Cuthbert which is seen to be something he can pour himself into.”
Indeed, by the time season 3 ended, Beocca had been through the ringer, so it’s no surprise to find him a little lost, at least until Uhtred shows up early on in season 4. “You get the sense that there is a tremendous heart and love there,” Hart said. “Through Uhtred’s gang there’s a proxy family in many ways and they all occupy different roles, the four of them. Beocca has always had two jobs; to look after Uhtred and advise the king. Now that Alfred is dead, one job has been removed from him, so I suppose to a degree, all that energy can go in one direction, Uhtred is the number one concern.”
Keeping Uhtred out of trouble is a full-time job, so even with little other purpose, Beocca will have plenty to do.
The Last Kingdom isn’t an easy show to make. There are battle shoots, complicated costumes, a lot of shooting outdoors come rain or come shine…the works. But according to Hart, the rewards are well worth it. “The highlight of doing this job is the people,” he said. “The crew are delightful people. The cast are lovely. When you stand in the middle of a cold field, the only element that can keep you going are the people. The people on this job have become friends – they are endlessly kind and endlessly helpful. It would be so much less bearable without all the kindness that is ever present on this set.”
Working with friends can turn any situation from a slog into a good time, and it sounds like Hart has found his crew. Each season of the show has seen this group of friends surrounded by a progressively larger production, and season 4 is no exception. “It looks fabulous,” Hart said. “The people that do the sets do an incredible job. Whenever I bring friends or family, my wife and brother-in-law came, they are always so impressed. It’s grown over the years. The Wessex set itself – you get a sense of streets and the formation of what a town might have been as a post war village.”
Wessex isn’t the only set Hart is impressed with. He also touched on Uhtred’s return to Bebbanburg, his ancestral home stolen in the series premiere episode be his uncle Aelfric (Joseph Millson). “As the wealth of Wessex grows and recedes, you see the change of that whole thing,” Hart said. “And similarly, with Bebbanburg, this kind of fortress, you can’t praise highly enough. It’s incredible what they do. It must be a great job in a way, you get to envisage something and then draw it out and then a bunch of people make it for you!”
The Last Kingdom season 4 is available now on Netflix.
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