Vikings

Season 4 M-Net Edge (*102) 20:00 Drama

Katheryn Winnick is in her element as sword-swinging shield maiden Lagertha in drama series Vikings (2013-current). She’s a former stuntwoman, has been training in martial art forms tae kwon do and karate since she was eight and the 38-year-old is dead serious when she says that “I’m a licensed bodyguard – people don’t mess with me”.

What she will joke about is that 1

“dynamite comes in small packages – I’m proof”. The Canadian is 1.68m tall, which she says is “miles shorter than Clive [Standen]”, who plays Rolo. It’s only 20cm though – he’s 1.88m tall.

Her birthname is Katerena Anna 2

Vinitska and she’s of Ukrainian descent. Katheryn spoke only Ukrainian until she was eight, then she started to learn English and French.

While she says that “it’s sweet” 3

that some fans call her “sexy” and “pretty”, Katheryn says that she sees herself as her character. “I fell in love with Lagertha because she’s strong and I really identify with that fighting spirit.”

While Vikings was on production 4

break in May 2016, Katheryn was in Cape Town to film western sci-fi movie The Dark Tower, due for release in July 2017. It’s based on horror writer Stephen King’s Dark Tower novels (19982004) and stars Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey – Katheryn plays Laurie.

Knowing martial arts didn’t really 5

help her as Lagertha because “the Viking way is swinging a sword. That is very different to a roundhouse kick. But we have fun with the training”, she says.

As for her love life, she’s denied 6

dating banker Nick Loeb despite being seen with him in Los Angeles. He was engaged to Sofía Vergara (Gloria in sitcom Modern Family, 2009-current) until 2014.