She is one of the most beautiful German women, model and actress – and is now becoming a Netflix star.
By Ina Michaelis-Ugwonno
Laura Berlin (31) has walked the catwalk in Paris and Milan, graced the fashion spreads and covers of major magazines, played Charlotte Montrose in the film adaptations of the novels “Ruby Red” (2013), “Sapphire Blue” (2014) and “Emerald Green” (2016) or as Sister Charly in the movie “Immenhof – The Adventure of a Summer” in the hearts of her fans. She can also be seen on TV again and again (eg in the series “Blaumacher” or in “Notruf Hafen Kante”).
Now the Berliner will soon be flickering across the screens of the streaming giant Netflix – as Queen Emma of Normandy. The 31-year-old was cast for the new Netflix series “Vikings: Valhalla”. A Vikings spin-off set a hundred years after the original series.
“In winter 2019/2020 Laura recorded a so-called ‘self-tape’ or ‘e-casting’ for the role,” explains Anja Joos, Manager of Laura Berlin, to BILD. “That means she acted and recorded the scene at home. The scene has gone to the casting director of ‘Valhalla’. After that, we didn’t hear anything for many weeks and had already come to terms with the fact that the role had gone to another colleague.”
But then in April 2020 the big surprise: “The casting director got in touch and confirmed that Laura was the number 1 favorite for the role and that only a Skype call with showrunner Jeb Stuart would be necessary. Because of the corona lockdown, a personal meeting was not possible. Only a few days passed before the final confirmation. Those were very exciting days for Laura and we, as management, were of course excited. When the promise really came, Laura could hardly believe it. Of course we were overjoyed!”
What is the new series about? “In this sequel to ‘Vikings,’ 100 years later, a new breed of daring warriors rises to forge their own destiny and make history,” Netflix said of Vikings: Valhalla.
The early 11th century tells the story of some of the most famous Vikings of all time: the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson (played by Sam Corlett, 26), his fiery and strong-willed sister Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson, 28), and the ambitious Nordic prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter, 28). As tensions between the Vikings and English Royalty reach their bloody climax, these three Vikings embark on an epic journey across oceans and battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond…
“Valhalla” series maker Jeb Stuart (66) is fascinated by the role of Emma from Normandy: “At first she was just a kind of possession of her father. In her early 20s, however, she became one of the richest women in Europe. How did she do that?”
How Laura Berlin fulfills this demanding role will be shown on Netflix from February 25th when “Vikings: Valhalla” starts. In any case, she shares the trailer for her new series hit on her Instagram account with great anticipation.