Vikings season 5 video: Jonathan Rhys Meyers on playing Bishop Heahmund

There are many familiar players coming back to Vikings season 5, but Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Bishop Heahmund is someone fairly new. You first met him at the end of season 4 (very briefly), but he will be around in season 5 in a far greater capacity. He’s got a major role to play in the upcoming story, and you’re going to get a chance to see some of that play out as the season 5 premiere kicks off next week.

The video below is a great introduction to the Heahmund character, whether it be his allegiance to Aethelwulf or his central goal: Trying to ensure that he can bring about the vikings in Wessex to his faith. Over the course of time he develops more of an understanding and even appreciation for some of their own religion, but he does nonetheless carry with him a powerful goal. He’s meant to be a source of hope in the midst of dark times, ones stuffed full of chaos and carnage.

One of the best ways to describe Heahmund is the following quote from Jonathan Rhys Meyers — it’s incredibly profound, and it may be applicable to some people even in the modern day:

“I think faith for Heahmund is 24 hours of doubt and one moment of hope in every day. He is constantly at conflict with the nature of what God is, what Christ is, and what his purpose is.”

This is a part of the beauty of Vikings. This is a series that constantly works to inject humanity, relatability, and internal struggle into each character. While there are obviously times in which we can’t quite feel the same as some of the heroes charging into battle, we want to understand their struggle. For Heahmund, that struggle is trying to understand his place in the world and also what it means to have faith within the midst of a world where faith is not manifested in everyone. Also, he is constantly at a crossroads between being a warrior, being a priest and being a man with earthly desires. We have seen this type of intense internal conflict through some of Meyers other characters – like Henry on the Tudors – so we know that Meyers is going to kill this role. There are very few actors that can take on tortured souls like Meyers, and the character of Heahmund already looks to be one of the more conflicted characters we’ve seen on this show.

Vikings season 5 premieres on Wednesday, November 29 on History.

Excited to see Jonathan Rhys Meyers on Vikings season 5? Be sure to share more of your thoughts in the comments!

Meanwhile, be sure to check out the link here in the event you want to get some more news regarding this show, including a new video that is focusing on Katheryn Winnick and her character of Lagertha! For some additional news regarding Vikings or some other series we cover, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook. (Photo: History.)