Aussie actor and Vikings star Travis Fimmel takes on role in Ridley Scott’s Raised by Wolves

Travis Fimmel is the first to admit that he’s no sci-fi fan. But the Australian model turned actor says nothing could deter him from working with one of the biggest names in the business, Ridley Scott, who directed iconic sci-fi films Blade Runner and Alien. “I’ve never been a sci-fi guy, ever,” Fimmel, who stars in Scott’s new series Raised By Wolves, says. “I always prefer stuff based in reality. But Ridley changes your mind because he makes it about relationships, and although we have a different backdrop, it’s still all about love and all that goes with it.” Scott returns to the director’s chair and takes us on a philosophical journey in Raised by Wolves. Created by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners, The Red Road), the series was shot just outside Capetown and follows two androids, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), who raise human children on an unidentified virgin planet. As the population on the colony expands, the zealously atheistic androids grapple with control issues over the humans when they dictate that they rid themselves of their religious beliefs. The series manages to find humanity in the most inhumane of circumstances. Fellow Aussie Winta McGrath (Doctor, Doctor) plays the soulful child, Campion, who has been raised by Mother and Father since birth. At first he aligns himself with one parent over the other, only to eventually rebel. Raised by Wolves explores the dynamics of familial hierarchy, and the idea that regardless of who or what is doing the parenting, the struggles and the issues that surround those relationships are universal. “Initially, we described the premise as ‘Little House on the Prairie but on another planet’ because it speaks to the complexity of parenting and the struggles that parents go through,” producer David W. Zucker jokes. Enter Fimmel, who plays Marcus, a morally ambiguous rogue soldier who has escaped Earth and must forge his way through this strange new world. He questions the parental ability of Mother, who teaches the children ideologies that don’t sync up with his own, but whether his heart’s in the right place remains to be seen. “It’s complicated,” Fimmel, who is best known for playing Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings, says, chuckling. “It’s something for the audience to figure out on their own.” As for his compatriot, Melbourne-born, 14-year old McGrath, Fimmel says, “He’s a great little fellow and a great little actor. South Africa was a long way from home and he missed his buddies. “Actually, we pushed for this to be shot in Australia. Ridley had worked there before and loved it, but it was just too expensive.” Fimmel, 41, was born near Echuca, Victoria. His mother worked as a recreation officer for the disabled, and his father, a cattle farmer, raised Fimmel and his two older brothers on a 2200ha dairy farm in Lockington. At age 18, he left to travel the world. “A friend said to me, ‘I’m going overseas’ and I said, ‘I’ll come with you’.” He laughs. “That was as much of a plan that I had. “So, I lived and worked in a pub in London for two years and travelled around. It was a great experience exploring places without any of the technology that we have now. “I was very lucky to get out there when I was young.” Fimmel is wistful about a world that predates technology, and confesses earlier on in the call that he had problems navigating Zoom. “I like things simple,” he says. “I wish I lived 200 years ago. I was much closer to my Vikings character in that way because I always wanted to be a farmer since I was a little kid. Then I went travelling and for some reason ended up doing this, and have no idea why I’m doing it still. “I’ve been very lucky. It’s certainly been an adventure and an interesting way to live.” It was during his stint as a bartender in London, where he had no particular aspirations, that he met his future manager, David Seltzer, who convinced him to move to the U.S. to become an actor. At age 21 he relocated to LA and immediately signed a modeling contract with Calvin Klein, the results of which were on display on billboards around the world, causing traffic accidents in New York’s Times Square, as well as in central London. For a farm boy with a love for Aussie Rules football, modeling in his underwear was probably not something he envisioned for himself. Even now, he plays it down. “I just did one modeling job, mate,” he assures. “That was it. I don’t think about it.” Following his Calvin Klein campaign, unsurprisingly, he quickly landed a slew of roles including the lead in the 2003 TV series, Tarzan, followed by movies including Surfer Dude (2008), Ivory (2010), The Baytown Outlaws (2013), Maggie’s Plan (2015), and more recently, Warcraft (2016), Lean on Pete (2017), and Dreamland (2019). On the small screen, he performed in: Rocky Point (2005), The Beast (2009), Chase (2010), Vikings (2013 to 2017), and 50 States of Fright (2020). Fimmel currently has numerous projects on the boil including: Zone 414, in which he stars with Guy Pearce, and Die in a Gunfight, both due for release next year. His international fame notwithstanding, Fimmel says he’d really love to go back and work in Australia. “I don’t want to be over here [in L.A.] at all. I’d much rather be at home. I love my heritage, I love where I grew up, and all my main buddies are there.” Although Fimmel comes across at times as ambivalent about his career choice, he is cognisant of his good fortune. Raised by Wolves airs today at 6.30pm on FOX Showcase.