Adapted from Saxon Stories, a series of historical adventure novels by legendary English author Bernhard Cornwell, The Last Kingdom was originally produced by the BBC. After co-producing The Last Kingdom after the BBC’s departure, Netflix became the sole producer of the series from season 3 onwards, stepping up to foot the show’s substantial bill and ordering a fourth season of medieval action.
Both the TV show and the Bernhard Cornwell book series follow the exploits of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, the dispossessed scion of a noble house in the old English kingdom of Northumbria. Once again appearing in the lead role of Uhtred is actor Alexander Dreymon, and there’s a very good reason why his handsome face looks so familiar.
Alexander Dreymon was born in Germany, although he lived for a time in France and moved to England to study at the prestigious Drama Center London. He earned his acting stripes performing on stage in both Paris and London before making the leap to television and film. The actor’s first major role on American television was as a recurring character on the third season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series American Horror Story. The handsome young actor was cast to play the role of Luke Ramsey, who appeared in five episodes of the Witchy Coven storyline.
The role of Luke Ramsey introduced a clean-shaven Alexander Dreymon to an American audience and made it abundantly clear that the actor had both the talent and the charisma to become a leading man. Shortly after his debut in American Horror Story, the actor began exploring the world of feature films.
A year before being cast in the lead role of Uhtred in The Last Kingdom, and a year after his turn in American Horror Story, Alexander Dreymon starred in the film Blood Ransom, directed by Francis de la Torre. He played the role of Jeremiah in the romantic fantasy thriller, leading an ensemble cast that also included Clifton Powell (Black Lightning), Jamie Harris (Carnival Row) and Emily Skinner (Crown Lake). The actor must have shown his ability to hold an entire production on his broad shoulders, because it wasn’t long after Blood Ransom that The Last Kingdom caught up with him.
Between 2015 and 2018, Alexander Dreymon proved his range in two more feature films, Guys Reading Poems and Heartlock, but by this time, he was already an established name with a busy production schedule thanks to the success of The Last Kingdom. The future looks bright for the actor, too. As Uhtred likes to remind us, “fate is everything,” and it certainly seems like Alexander Dreymon was destined for stardom from the start.
