Raised by Wolves is the new sci-fi epic from genre master Ridley Scott! It tells the story of two androids, Mother and Father, tasked with keeping the last children of the human race alive on a harsh and dangerous planet. It also tells the story of Marcus and Sue, (Travis Fimmel and Niamh Algar) two humans who managed to trick their way onto the last human “Ark” – a giant space ship carrying the members of the religious faction “The Mithraic” as they flee a dying Earth. I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with Fimmel and Algar about one of the striking costume design and how it informed their characters.
WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS.
Nerds and Beyond: I found the military uniforms of the Mithraic and the Atheists really interesting because they were like science fiction meets medieval crusaders, or like the Knights Templar. And I couldn’t help but make the connection that they (Marcus and Sue) are on a quest, you know? And so I was wondering, for Marcus and Sue, what their Holy Grail or the goal of their quest might be, and if maybe it starts to differ for each of them as the show goes on.
Travis Fimmel: Um, I think for my character – Marcus was a child soldier, and he spent their whole life just trying to survive. I don’t think he’s ever had a chance to have goals or dreams or imagine a better world for himself. I think he’s just spent his whole life trying to survive. And now, he’s on a new Virgin planet trying to do the same thing. He’s very fluid in the way that he relates to people a lot of the time because of his upbringing. And sometimes I feel bad for Niamh’s character because I’m not the best husband in the world, although I love her dearly. And she’s a great cook.
Niamh Algar: We had an incredible costume designer. When you’re putting on those costumes, it’s like you’re putting on armor. They’re incredibly guarded because of the way in which they’re raised – and especially for Travis’s character, he’s a child sorta, so he has it ingrained in him to protect himself and that vulnerability is trying to get through. Travis has an incredible coat as well that I was very jealous of.
Travis Fimmel: I actually made that coat myself.
Niamh Algar: (Laughing) Oh did you?
Travis Fimmel: Yep.
Niamh Algar: (Laughing) You were wasted in acting, Travis.
Speaker 1: I would agree. I’m a great seamstress.
Raised by Wolves is now streaming on HBO Max. Read our review here.
