Luther Ford has played Prince Harry. He’s played a psychopath, courtesy of Netflix’s Black Doves. And now, he tells me, he’s set to play “a child. A boy. A boy with a very prominent bowl cut.” The guy has range, and the bowl cut in question makes sense when you consider that King and Conqueror is set around 1066 (not a fashion-forward era).
It’s a family saga in which Ford, 25, plays Tostig Godwinson, the youngest brother of Harold. Yes, the one who died in the Battle of Hastings with an arrow in his eye — and the show itself tells the story of the years leading up to the battle. “It’s incredibly epic and there are lots of characters and storylines,” he says.
“It’s so much fun to inhabit those places: where there’s a lot of complex action scenes, it really feels massive and you’re surrounded by horses. We worked a lot in studios and the attention to detail is mad. They would have these huge fires inside the sets. And a little medieval band in the corner.”
Born and raised in London, the young Ford initially wanted to make movies. He spent his childhood filming one-take fight scenes with his best friend. “We’d lock ourselves in the bathroom because it was the only door you could lock. Then we just fight in there and it’d be one wide shot.” He laughs. “I’m reluctant to call that film-making.”
Then, his life swerved off course when he answered an open casting call for The Crown. The producers were looking for somebody to play Prince Harry; Ford fitted the bill. As far as first roles go, it’s a big one, and plunged him head-first into a world of huge attention.
“You kind of roll with it quicker than you’d expect. I don’t know if that’s sad or just normal,” he says thoughtfully. “It is mad.”
In King and Conqueror he’s acting alongside James Norton, who plays Harold, and former Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays William the Conqueror. The cast spent four months filming in Iceland — which, Ford says, meant he got to know the others quickly. Especially Norton. “We would go on hikes and have saunas,” he says. “I think it’s nice when you actually get to know someone because then it demystifies everything. And then you’re just with someone who’s really experienced and good at what they do. He’s very open and generous and very enthusiastic.”
With King and Conqueror soon airing, Ford’s plate seems full. Despite that, he’s not taking success for granted. “I don’t trust the industry,” he says frankly. “I don’t think anything is guaranteed. It’s an illogical industry. It’s not somewhere where, as an actor, if you really want it and you really work hard it will happen.” He flashes a smile. “But now it’s great.”
King and Conqueror is streaming on BBC One from August 24
