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VIKINGS is streaming on Amazon Prime now and fans are curious to know more about the show's cast. French actor Gaia Weiss played Porunn in the historical drama until season three. Why did Gaia Weiss leave Vikings? Express.co.uk has everything you need to know.
By Molli Mitchell
Vikings: Bjorn asks Porunn if she will marry him
Vikings recently came to an end after six seasons on Amazon Prime Videoand History and fans have been re-watching the historical drama over lockdown. Over the show's 89 episodes, many fan-favourite characters came and went and fans want to know why La Révolution star Gaia Weiss left the series.Express.co.ukhas everything you need to know.
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Why did Gaia Weiss leave Vikings?
Gaia Weiss starred in season two and three of Vikings as Porunn (also spelt Thorunn) but did not return after season three, episode eight, titled To The Gates.
Porunn was a former slave girl who caught the attention of a Viking warrior and the son of Ragnar Lothbrok (played by Travis Fimmel), Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). She later married Bjorn, becoming his first wife.
In season three, Porunn was suffering from severe depression after being brutally beaten by a Mercian warrior.
When Porunn's injuries healed, she was left with a large V-shaped scar on the right-hand side of her face, leaving her feeling like a failure as a shield woman.
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Vikings: Gaia Weiss as Porunn in Vikings (Image: AMAZON PRIME)
Vikings: Porunn was Bjorn's first wife (Image: AMAZON PRIME)
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At the time, Porunn was pregnant and after giving birth to a healthy daughter named Siggy, it was implied she was also suffering from post-natal depression.
As a result of her suffering, Porunn alienated her husband Bjorn, despite his insistence that he loved her and was content.
Midway through season three, Porunn left Kattegat behind while her husband Bjorn and other Viking warriors were invading Paris.
She also left her and Bjorn’s daughter, Siggy, in the care of Ragnar’s wife, Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland).
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Vikings: Porunn was last seen alive in season three of Vikings (Image: AMAZON PRIME)
Luckily, Porunn was one of the very few characters to exit the show alive but sadly, her departure from the show wasnever addressed in future seasons.
In an interview withExpress.co.ukin late 2020, show creator Michael Hirst suggested Weiss's exit from the show was simply down to her character's storyline.
He said: "Her story effectively ended when she left, I have never had plans to bring her back."
"It was a tremendously tragic story, it was a long time ago.
"I do think deeply about death and disappearances because I love my characters.
"I know Thorunn disappeared and I didn't want to imagine what would become of her, she just disappeared out into the darkness."
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Vikings: Vikings is streaming on Amazon Prime now (Image: AMAZON PRIME)
Weiss herself has never explained why she decided to leave Vikings in 2015.
Since departing from the show, Weiss has continued to pursue her acting career.
Most recently, Weiss played the role of Marianne in Netflix's alternative historical drama La Révolution.
She has also appeared in Medici: Masters of Florence as Ippolita Sforza, alongside Richard Madden, Brian Cox and Dustin Hoffman.
Her other post-Vikings credits include Outlander, Judy, Overdrive and C'est beau la vie quand on y pense.
Speaking to TV Fanatic about her character Porunn in 2015, Weiss described her as “a really complex and challenging character,”
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She also described her time on the set of Viking as “absolutely wonderful”.
Weiss added: “When you look around you, it is a village. It’s not green-screen or blue-screen, everything around you is just the Viking world.
"It makes it a lot easier to act and believe in what you’re doing.”
“When I arrived I had many questions about my character and he [Michael Hirst] was always there to answer.”
Vikings is streaming on Amazon Prime now
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Vikings (TV show) Amazon Prime
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