Sam Corlett Wept Tears Of Relief When Vikings: Valhalla Season 3 Wrapped
Set more than a century after the events of the original "Vikings," the Netflix series "Vikings: Valhalla" follows the story of three legendary figures from Norse history as they contend with the chaotic end of the Viking Age. Specifically, these three figures are Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), each of whom is based on actual historical figures.
Although these characters are inspired by real-life people, at its core, the series is a blend of true events and fiction. Like the original series, "Valhalla" sees the titular Vikings squaring off against other power players in Europe, as well as themselves as the Norse are divided across Pagan and Christian lines.
It was confirmed after Season 1 premiered that "Vikings: Valhalla" would run for at least three seasons. And in a January 2023 interview with Esquire, Sam Corlett spoke about the immense relief he felt when he finished the marathon project of filming all three of those seasons.
Corlett was relieved to get a break from the character himself
Since 2022, Sam Corlett has played the legendary Norse explorer and warrior Leif Erikson on "Vikings: Valhalla" — capturing all of his brutality and courage as he and his friends fight for survival. During a recent interview with Esquire, Corlett admitted that the character itself is so emotionally draining that he felt immense relief after the conclusion of Season 3, as it meant he would finally be getting a break from the character after two years.
"Knowing now that if Season Four gets greenlit, [we won't film] until 2024? I feel so open," Corlett explained. "In-between Seasons One and Two, and Seasons Two and Three, I only had a few months between filming, so there was always a part of me that was still in it." Corlett revealed that some of Erikson's "hardened energy" began to rub off into his daily life during this time, and that to finally get a break was incredible. "When Season Three wrapped, I literally wept. It was relief. I just cried," he said.
Indeed, it's worth noting that the team behind "Vikings: Valhalla" has been working almost nonstop since the beginning of Season 1 — filming three seasons essentially back-to-back at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the harrowing nature of Leif Erikson's character alongside the overwhelming work schedule inherent to "Vikings: Valhalla," it's no wonder that Sam Corlett cried in relief when he finally got some much-deserved time off.