'Vikings' Season 4 News: Dianne Doan on Yidu
In the dramatic episode of "Vikings" Season 4, fans saw Ragnar up against Yidu, who had threatened him with exposing his secret.
It was illustrated that Yidu, played by Dianne Doan, was ready to disclose Ragnar's secret about the colony in Wessex. With no choice, Ragnar showed his dominance over his slave and mistress by drowning her in front of his children.
Entertainment Weekly was able to speak with Doan about her mysterious role, where she revealed her internalization during the scene. When asked if she had any idea about how her character was going to die when she first joined the series, she explained that upon auditioning, the role was only expected to have an eight-episode arc.
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Doan also explained that the creator of the series, Michael Hirst, did a good job of keeping her character mysterious. However, she was also able to input her opinion on the character, making it a collaborative process.
She said, "I was able to put my own twist on Yidu. Michael told me that she could possibly be an Emperor's daughter, and when I built the backstory, I just wanted to make sure I knew where she was coming from. In that dynasty in China, women were allowed an education, a right to choose marriage or work. That sense of power, I wanted to bring to Yidu."
In addition, she revealed that her relationship with Ragnar was intriguing to her, explaining that the main motivation of her character was to stay alive. She added, "Everything comes from a place of: "Is he going to kill me, or not? How do I gain power over him?" When the drugs are introduced, the audience sees it as me helping him. But at the same time, there is that underlying sense of control that I gained over the King."
"Vikings" Season 4 Episode 9 is scheduled to air on April 14.
