Mark Rowley Interview
Following on from our roundtable discussion and my chat with Arnas Federavicius we have some more The Last Kingdom content for you. Last Monday I had a chat with Mark Rowley who plays Uhtred’s right hand man Finan. Alas that original conversation failed to record, so we finally managed to free up some time to do it again yesterday. We talk about lots of major plot points from season 4, especially character deaths, so if you haven’t watched and don’t want to be spoiled, you probably don’t want to read this.
If you’d like to listen along, you can click the video at the bottom of the page for the audio of the interview.
Clare: Well thank you for agreeing to do this again. I somehow had some kind of technology fail last time and the recording didn’t work. But yeah, it seems to be working this time so we shall have a go again. So thinking back to filming for season four did you have any particular favourite moments?
Mark: Favourite moment (long pause) uh yeah we had some really cool fights and stuff, like, a lot of the rehearsals we have for the fights is epic. Like, Can you hear me?
Clare: Yeah!
Mark: So it’s more like some of the fights there I felt like I was in a Marvel movie.
Clare: Wow, awesome.
Mark: So I got, I got to throw a shield at someone and I was like wow, like I’m that guy – Captain America.
Clare: That’s it. New nickname for Finan – Captain Mercia or Captain Wessex!
Mark: Exactly
(pause)
favourite moments? It was really nice doing some scenes with Alex, kinda touching moments in (episodes) three and four. That was good.
It’s good to have a bit of banter and all that, but I think a lot of guys try hiding their emotions and mask them so it was nice to be vulnerable for change.
Clare: Yeah, I did really like the scene on the top of the hill. When Uhtred’s burying the cross and, yeah, that was, that was pretty amazing. I did love that interaction between Uhtred and Finan.
Mark: Yeah, I think they’re so similar in a way especially in the books. I think, because we talked about that last time. (the time that didn’t record).
C: Yeah.
Mark: Their characters are quite similar where Finan has lost…He’s lost, just as much as Uhtred in terms of land and status and power back in Ireland. And I think he knows all about suffering of when you went through pain with someone, there’s like a kind of understanding, which a lot of people don’t get so I’m glad they had a moment to kind of show that.
C: Yeah, yeah, it was really nice to see.
M: Yeah, totally. I guess just try to bring that idea of all those, I’ve got cousins in the military and stuff like that and there is a bond with people that you endure war and hardship with, you know, and other people can’t relate to that. That’s why there’s almost like a brotherly love, kind of like a brotherhood. Now I know with the special forces are definitely like that. You know. So.
C: Yeah, and I think the relationship that you guys have off screen as well kind of plays into that. And the bond that the characters have on screen you can see that there’s this closeness.
M: Yeah totally
C: Which is, which is really nice.
Yeah, okay. I know that the, the moment between Uhtred and.. a couple of moments actually between Uhtred and Finan have been very popular with, with the fans so far from what I’ve seen.
Mark: Oh that’s good.
I just, I just love his story in the book so I just hope that comes out because it’s such a beautiful story.
C: I’ve gotta read them. I’ve gotta go back and start from the beginning. I read the first couple years ago, and didn’t realise that the series had carried on. Somehow, I lost track of it, and now I’m sort of I’ve got what 13 books to read. So that should should keep me out of mischief until next season I think.
M: Oh yeah, well yeah I need to read the newest one as well so it’s all good. I’m definitely at the old stage now, I’m like “I don’t know what’s gonna happen there. Doubt they’re gonna do that. I don’t think that’s gonna happen”. Yeah, so it’s really cool when you get Finan’s storyline later on so…
C: You never know you might get back to filming and there’ll be like right okay so we’ve got this wig for you. This old grey wig.
M: Oh yeah I know. I would love that.
C: (laughing) Really?
M: Oh yeah 100% you don’t, you never get to that as an actor. So I’m desperate to get old and fat. And then not care about how sexy I look or all that stuff. I can go to Budapest and eat and drink what I want.
C: No more keeping in shape. All cheat meals.
M: Yeah no more keeping in shape. It’d be just be like “sack this man let’s go to war” and I’ll be like, (puts on Finan’s Irish accent) “No I’ll stay here on the horse Lord and that’s it. Let’s let the young ones do it”. Sack that. I think when you get older I think you get more, kind of… there is that kind of thing that you love fighting all the time but I think eventually would become tiring and sore. Yeah, so be nice to show some point.
C: Hmm, should look out for that, hopefully in future seasons.
There was some pretty big shocks this season though. What was, was there one that stood out to you or maybe more than one? Some surprising deaths perhaps?
M: Mmm, Beocca. It’s a shame Ian had to go
C: Yeah.
M: It was a shame. And Toby was really good. Yeah, that was quite a shocking death I think, probably for a lot of viewers. It’s a shame he had to go, cos he’s very very good.
C: Yeah.
M: And big Adrian got his head crushed.
C: Yeah, that one made me shout. Yeah, I didn’t see that one coming.
M: No, no, that was…
C: Yeah, cuz he’s, I mean, Steapa has always been such a, such a presence he’s always been there since the start. Same with Beocca, they’ve both been there since the beginning and they’ve kind of been this regular, they’re always there. You can you can always count on them and now they’re both gone it’s like, Oh, okay. Where’s this gonna go now? Without these kind of key, and obviously with Alfred going last season as well. We’re starting to things are coming adrift. It’s gonna be interesting to see where things go from here.
M: Yeah. Yeah, it’s an interesting one. We’ve got some new characters as well. Yes, it’ll be interesting to see how they kinda fit into it. Yeah, I guess Team Uhtred just sticks with Team Uhtred.
C: Now Team Uhtred’s got new members. I mean you’ve got Young Uhtred. You’ve got Eadith as who seems to have kind of joined the gang towards the end of last season. Not to mention you’re now parenting children.
M: Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. We’re turning into a creche
C: Yes.
M: With these kids all the time, it’s like “what the hell?”. Need a nursery, Finan opens up a nursery and that’s it. Based in Wessex for private school kids.
C: Yeah, Wessex Day Care.
Wessex Day Care
M: They’ll be in Alfred’s library
C: At least they’ve got plenty of books to read.
M: Yeah. It’ll be interesting to know what’s gonna happen next season.
C: Yeah, there was a, I mean of the new characters that that came in, in season four were there any that you particularly enjoyed working with or that you really want to get more time with next season, perhaps?
M: Yeah. Um, Uhtred’s kids, I think were great. So if all the characters get kinda mingled together, that’d be brilliant. Ruby was really, really nice too. It was really nice working with her. She’s, she’s very talented but she’s a good laugh as well. Yeah. And Finn’s cool. I think when he first came on he was such a young little lad. You know it’s there almost like hanging out with the cool kids at school. He was a bit nervous and then all of a sudden he was making fun of everyone. We’re like, yes! Finally!
C: He’s one of the team.
M: He’s one of the team, that’s it. He transitioned very fast to become a monk to a warrior. That was insane.
C: I did, I think that was one of my favourite things about his character this season. At the very start, he’s, he’s so kind of fixed in his ways “I’m a monk, I’m not a warrior I’m nothing like my dad.” and then he’s in the front line of every single battle from then on he’s like “come on, let’s let’s do this”. And for all his pretending that he’s not a warrior. I think he’s definitely got his father’s spirit, and it’ll be interesting to see how that develops with them spending more time together.
M: Yeah, I think, yeah. It’d be really cool if Elliot, if Finn ends up coming on next year and he’d beast up like big style. Got bigger than Arnas and me. That would be amazing. He’s in to rugby.
C: Is he?
M: Yeah. Hopefully he does that.
C: Yeah, that’d be cool to see.
M: Puts Alex in his place as well. He just needs to grow, because by next year, if he comes back next year and he’s shot up and he’s six foot four that’d be amazing!
C: That’s yeah that’s gonna unsettle things, I think.
M: Aww 100%, He’ll look like a monster compared to us.
C: I’m gonna have to look out for that now.
There’s been a lot of chatter online. I’ve seen on sort of fan groups and on social media, about certain decisions that some characters made during season four some good, some bad? Are there any that, you know what, what do you think were some of the worst decisions that that were made this season?
M: The sack grenades! We had like sack smoking grenades we were throwing them at the wall.
C: Yeah
M: Should have just got ladders! Keep it old school. That was totally a bad move.
C: How bad did that smoke smell? I’ve gotta ask.
M: Everyone was like, I think everyone was just worried like me. They were just like “look is this cancerous?” Just like so much of it.
C: Yeah
M: Just like surely this has to be bad for you. It smells awful. So like what the hell is it doing to like inside our bodies?
C: Oh dear, not good.
M: I know, I know. And then some people had masks on and then we didn’t so we were like “hey, if it’s not harmful, why have people got masks on?”
(silly voice) “Just get rid of the actors, we don’t need them! (unclear) kill them off!
I’m trying to think what else. Other crazy, stupid decisions.
Taking, taking the kids (Cnut’s)? Maybe well actually at some point it did, like, Uhtred taking the kids was a strategy which worked. Yeah. And then, not claiming it. I just got so annoyed. I didn’t, we didn’t get the last two episodes till maybe a week before filming them or whatever. Maybe. Yes. So we just done the scene where Uhtred became Lord of Mercia.
C: Yeah
M: And we’re like oh my god this is amazing. I was so excited. Like Mark was excited, Finan was excited and the same with Arnas. Like oh finally, like our characters can get paid and maybe we can get like new armour and wealth and all this. Like it’s a new chapter and then he gives it up straightaway. Just like what the fuck man? What the fuck? And then like, like she doesn’t really say anything, the Queen doesn’t really say anything. She’s just like yeah “give me it back” and we’re just like “what the fuck, come on. Come on.” Give them a big thank you or massive hug or a kiss or a thing of “I will never ever forget this. I will take Bebbanburg for you.” But no, nothing. So maybe that’s gonna happen next season. You think like “I’ll owe you one here’s like 300 soldiers go and go and take it.”
C: That would have been good. That would have been fair, I think, you know, Uhtred has just given up the throne. The least Aethelflaed could have done would be like “Here. Here’s half my army just go do what you got to do.”
M: Yeah totally. Yeah, he needed to haggle. She got a good deal. He got a terrible deal.
C: He did.
M: Probably, yeah.
C: And you guys got a pretty bad deal as well.
M: Yeah, now we’re poor again.
C: Okay, so flipside of that were there any good decisions that you think were made this season?
M: Good decisions. I feel like there wasn’t that many good decisions really. Apart from to go and get Uhtred’s kids.
C: I love that, that scene. When you guys were all in the house in Coccham and they came to get the kids and you guys were all hiding with Baby Monk in the, in the box.
M: That was amazing. That was really fun. And we got to do a scene. We’ve got to make our, like I love coming up with ideas. And the night before I contacted the director and I was like “Here, I’ve got an idea for a scene.” And he was like “What are you talking about?” And I was like, “Can I, I’ve seen a thing and you know in Westminster, you always get those people with the little balls underneath the cups?”
C: Yeah.
M: I was like can I do that in the scene? He was like “What?” And I was like, “Look, just trust me tomorrow right? If I do it and it looks really good then we’ll do it, and if it looks shite, then we’ll just, that’s it. And he was like “Okay let’s try it” and then we done it and being honest we’re like “Aww this’ll be really fun. Yeah.
C: That was one of my favourite moments of the entire series so far.
M (laughing): I’m gonna tell him. I’m gonna tell the director, that’s good.
C: I just thought that was cuz it was such a kind of peaceful, chilled out moment in amongst all of this other craziness that’s going on. Just to see a little bit of, you know, what’s happening when you guys aren’t charging into battle.
I really, yeah it was just because that was one of the things about this season was everything kind of slowed down and wasn’t as much. I mean there were still big battles, but it wasn’t constant fighting. There was more strategy and a bit more kind of cerebral stuff going on and yeah the diplomacy. So I really thought that was really nice to see that. Yeah, I liked that moment, and I did hear I’ve listened to the podcast and heard, Alex and Arnas, talking about your ideas, you’re the ideas man. Yeah.
M: I love an idea.
C: Is there plans to do any more of the podcast?
M: I’m not too sure. I think it went really well. You know I’ve not listened to it. My friend listened to it and was like actually it was really fun, but was like the audio was terrible apparently. You’d like he listened to it on his headphones is like sometimes it’s quiet sometimes too loud.
C: Yeah, it does kind of fluctuate a bit. I don’t know, I mean. I struggled actually with my chat that I had with Arnas, the other week. Cos he he’s, he can get quite quiet so I don’t know if it was just kind of trying to compensate between your natural volumes. Possibly. Yeah. But no, I loved the podcast. I was, it was, I was listening to it while I was in the kitchen, and I was just absolutely in hysterics, it was really good fun. So I definitely think you guys need to do more of that.
M: Well we’ll do that again then. For sure.
C: Yeah.
And then I have one final question.
M: Go for it.
C: The tagline for the show is “Destiny is All”. What do you think is Finan’s destiny?
M: Oh. Oh. Revenge.
C: Oooh, okay, interesting. Yeah.
M: Yeah. Well I think if anyone who’s read the books will understand. Like, I think it comes down to revenge. I think he’s a man who always hides, he hides out from his past and he came over to England to forget about his past and start anew. But his past haunts him and follows him there. And then he’s got to confront it.
C: I’m really gonna have to read the books.
M: Oh it’s really cool.
C: Yeah.
M: I really do hope they do it cos I’m so excited. I love his story, cos it’s such a great story.
C: Oh, I hope they do too.
M: Aye totally.
C: Thank you so much for going over this again and answering my questions. I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoy your afternoon.
Thank you so much for Mark Rowley for taking the time to chat to me. Roll on season 5 and more of Finan’s story. Now, I have some books to read!
