Bloodaxe producers did not need to test Xavier Molyneux for action skills. They thought that as an Australian he would simply follow the example of Chris Hemsworth and Travis Fimmel.
When Xavier Molyneux was cast as the lead in Prime Video’s next Vikings saga Blood axehe never entered the room for an in-person audition.
He had sent three self-tapes, three more of which were filmed in Sydney in front of cameras for American producers. Two months later he had the leading role of Viking warrior Erik Blood axe.
“It surprises me,” he says Television tonight. “I thought they were going to interview you as a person, like you’re going for a job. What’s this guy’s personality, his physical coordination skills and all that?”
“It’s a very physically demanding role, so sometimes I would ask the showrunner, ‘You guys, didn’t want to make sure I could swing an ax or ride a horse or something?
“‘You’re Australian! You should be able to do that!’ they said.
“I think because they had Travis Fimmel they just expected that any Australian could show up like him!”
It has been a steep learning curve for Molyneux, best known to Australian audiences as Byron Stone for two years Neighbors. It was the show’s ties with Amazon that led to an American casting director recommending that he submit a self-tape Blood axethe latest Vikings incarnation from showrunner Michael Hurst.
Last month he was named one of the 2025 Rising Stars by the Casting Guild of Australia. It was a secret he had to keep during filming Blood axe in Ireland.
“Halfway through filming, my agent called me and said, ‘I just wanted to let you know you were on Rising Stars,’ which was pretty amazing.
“But I had no one to tell. I was filming by myself in Ireland… I had a thousand other things going on. I had to run away and do something.” Blood axe.
“A lot of big names pass by there, including the year before Boy swallows universe. So to be nominated, along with all these other people, it just gives you a perspective that maybe I’m doing something right.
In 2020, he also appeared in Seven’s season of Big brother during paramedic training. He claims it wasn’t a shortcut to fame. He didn’t start until 2023 Neighbors.
“I grew up watching it Big brotherand I thought, ‘That sounds like a good time, if I win it’s a quarter of a million dollars.’ I wasn’t doing anything else at the time, so I just went for it. Then we went into covid in the Big brother house. That was pretty crazy.
“But Big brother I never really intended to go anywhere else. In any case, it bothered me. No one wants to see someone go from reality to acting.
“They actually had to fight a little harder to get me there Neighborsbecause some people said, ‘We don’t want reality.’ But thanks to (series producer) Andrew Thompson who stuck his neck out for me. I will be forever grateful for that. That changed my entire trajectory.”
Although he had taken acting lessons with the Sydney Actors Association, the 10 soap again proved to be an excellent training ground.
“You learn how to be third, second and first when it’s your storyline. So you really learn to respect whose turn it is to lead. I think that was really important. There’s so much I learned when I was at Blood axeI didn’t feel that deep. It didn’t feel like a world away. I credit that Neighbors and all the people there.”
Naturally, he regrets the end of the soap, for which he made a surprising final return.
“It’s so tragic. There’s a part of me that thinks someone will intervene. Never say never. Knowing what I went through and what I got out of it, it’s a real loss for the newcomers in front of the camera and behind the camera. It just sucks. I really hope someone pulls their finger out and raises their hand.”
On Blood axewhich completed filming in Ireland, he had to step up his game for the demanding action scenes.
“There’s a lot of action scenes, horse riding, sword fighting, lovemaking, that sort of thing… there’s quite a few beheadings. I think my on-screen death count was up to something like 70.
“When the camera rolls and there are twenty people running towards you, all in the same outfit, and you have to pick your stuntmen, it becomes like a real battle. It’s just everywhere. If you’re a Viking and you survive those battles, it’s not because you’re good. I think it’s just pure luck!
“And there’s quite a bit of nudity. The first time I did that it was super scary, but we got through it and had some really nice intimacy coordinators on set to figure that out.”
In the meantime, he’s grateful for the Rising Stars award and takes on board any suggestion that he’ll be next Neighbors legacy star in his step.
“The plan is just to keep working in good things, and I think they’ll follow in the footsteps of all those titans that have come before you, whether it’s Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe, Hemsworth, Margot, Kylie… they’ve gone to the top. I’m just really happy with where I am right now.”
“The dream is just to keep working with people who are much better than me and I can keep learning from them to a point where I feel like I’ve earned a place in the industry. At this point, I think it could come out from under me at any point. I think it feels more realistic if I just earned my stripes and went from strength to strength with mentors and support networks.
“So the dream is longevity, I guess.”
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