Freydis, a submissive person, ended up becoming the wife of Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh Andersen). Freydis was a master manipulator and a confident woman; her determination to have a child and her fearlessness toward her husband made her a force in the Nordic world.
Playing Freydis in Vikings was exceptional for Alicia, as it was her first role on television. The death of Freydis in the 5th season marked the end of the season, which saw a shift in leadership from Ivar to Bjorn, specifically because Freydis betrayed her husband as revenge for killing her newborn son.
Alicia Agneson put her life at risk
Agneson was brought back in the sixth season of Vikings to play a different role, as Princess Katia, based on her exceptional commitment to her work as Freydis.
In the 5th season of Vikings, episode 20, "Ragnarok", Freydis confirms to herself that Ivar is responsible for Baldur's death. Ivar then strangles Freydis after she confesses to her husband that she betrayed him to Bjorn and Hvitserk. While filming the scene in real life, Agneson asked Andersen to actually strangle her to make the scene look as authentic as possible. This act was done against the advice of the crew's medical officer, but Agneson wanted a realistic look for her death scene at the end of the season.
Understand how Alicia Agneson stayed safe during the scene
Alicia Agneson's request to be strangled on screen shows how far some actors will go to deliver great performances on screen. Looking back on a scene like this only makes the work seem more dangerous and terrifying, especially for Alex Hogh Andersen, who certainly didn't want to hurt his co-star, even though she had asked to be strangled.
A paramedic was on set during the filming of the death of Vikings' main character, in case the scene got out of hand. This only adds to the suspense of the scene in retrospect, knowing that a doctor was watching off-camera, in case something went terribly wrong.
Things didn't go wrong for Agneson during filming of her death scene in Vikings, and the level of the actor's dedication to the role was incredible. During filming, sequences are usually not shot in one take, which increases the pressure on Agneson and Andersen to get the scene right. Alicia Agneson's commitment to Freydis's death scene in the 5th season of Vikings was horrifying and dangerous, but the realism she brought to the character proved the risk was worth it.
