Ragnar and Rollo’s love-hate relationship is one of the fiercest rivalries in Vikings, but according to Clive Standen, it almost didn’t exist the way we know it. In a candid interview with Collider’s Therese Lacson at the International Global Series Festival, Standen pulled back the curtain on how his character Rollo was originally conceived — not as Ragnar’s brother, but as his much older cousin — and how the showrunner Michael Hirst made a last-minute change that reshaped the series forever.
“I did nearly nine auditions to play Ragnar and Travis came in right at the end. I think they offered it to Mads Mikkelsen at one point. Rollo was written to be like a 50-year-old cousin of Ragnar Lothbrok, because they weren’t brothers in real life. And I think Donal Logue was offered that at one point, and then he came back as King Horik.”
Rollo was never meant to be on equal footing with Ragnar. In fact, the character was first envisioned as a much older, more distant family member — one with minimal dramatic tension baked in. But once Travis Fimmel landed the lead role of Ragnar, and Standen had been through a gauntlet of auditions, the direction of the story shifted.
“At the very last minute, I think it was down to the last three, and for whatever reason, I wasn’t Michael Hirst’s choice for Ragnar. And then they chose Travis, and I got a phone call from Michael saying, ‘Hey, look, I’m changing the cousin to a brother, and I wanted them to be similar age, because I think this would be interesting.’”
The shift wasn’t just logistical. It was thematic. Hirst saw the potential for a deeper, more personal rivalry between the two men — a story about two brothers constantly at odds, locked in a spiral of jealousy, love, and betrayal.
“Because he’d known me from like, so many auditions, and Travis came in and nailed his audition. He was the Ragnar, but he saw something between me and Travis, and he said, ‘We’re gonna go for this, and it’s gonna be brothers now, because there’s a competition here, and this is different.’”
That competition became one of Vikings’ defining storylines. Rollo, forever in Ragnar’s shadow, struggled with envy and ambition. He wanted what Ragnar had — the love, the glory, the legacy. But instead of challenging him directly, Rollo took a different path. After betraying Ragnar more than once, he eventually distanced himself from Viking life altogether.
Why Did Rollo Exit ‘Vikings’?
Most of Ragnar’s inner circle met tragic ends. Lagertha, Floki, even Ragnar himself — their stories were filled with violence and sacrifice. But Rollo stepped away. After helping sack Paris, he accepted an offer from the Emperor: land, a title, and marriage to Princess Gisla — in exchange for defending the city against future Viking attacks. On the surface, it was another betrayal. But the decision ran deeper than that. Rollo was tired of being second-best. Staying in Paris gave him a fresh start, a chance to gain status and respect without Ragnar towering over him. His choice gave him what he always wanted — freedom, power, and a legacy of his own.
Vikings is streaming now on Netflix. Stay tuned at Collider for more.
