INTERVIEW: Emmett Skilton of ‘The Almighty Johnsons’ on his role as almighty Odin

Emmett Skilton, star of the New Zealand show The Almighty Johnsons, seems especially thankful to the growing fan base for the science-fiction show. The series, which is now airing 10 p.m. Fridays on Syfy, follows a group of family members who live and breathe seemingly normal lives, but deep down they have a secret: They’re all Norse gods of lore. Skilton plays Axl, or Odin, and it’s his character arc that the audience follows throughout the series. Thanks to fans of the show (both in New Zealand and now in the United States), The Almighty Johnsons has been able to explore this neo-Norse mythology, resulting in both dramatic and comedic revelations.

“It’s always such a delight to have new fans as we go to different countries and continents, but especially the Americans,” Skilton said recently on a phone interview. “I’m really excited for my show in particular but also the fact it’s quite rare for an American audience to be exposed to anything in New Zealand. And so to be one of the first shows that people get exposed to an American audience is pretty special, and at the moment it’s being received pretty damn well. I’m really happy.”

Skilton was still at drama school when he received news of auditions for The Almighty Johnsons. He was intrigued by how the show was based in realism and yet featured fantasy and science fiction elements. “So it sounded like such a far-fetched show and risky show, and before I knew it, I had auditioned for it,” he said. “Read the first script and wondered what the heck I was getting myself into.”

Soon enough, he was flown from his hometown of Wellington to Auckland. He auditioned with other cast members, including Dean O’Gorman who plays Anders / Bragi, Keisha Castle-Hughes who plays Gaia and Jared Turner who plays Ty / Hodor. American audiences will likely know Castle-Hughes from her Oscar-nominated performance in Whale Rider.

“In terms of a whirlwind of having a first major television show audition and also getting it, it was pretty daunting,” Skilton said. “Within a few episodes of filming, within a few weeks, we were really, really tight. It was funny the way that we actually stuck together. Our characters on the show are pretty close to how we are in real life when we get together. … [On the] first day that we filmed, it kind of helped us getting bonded together in that it was episode two that we were shooting when I run out of the room completely naked and tell them that I kill the girl. So that was the first time they were ever exposed, literally exposed to me, and from there it kind of seemed to work out well, I guess.”

Skilton said he sees The Almighty Johnsons firstly grounded in drama. The comedy of the series comes from these real-life situations. “For the journey of Axl, it’s about him realizing that what he’s trying to figure out in the Norse world isn’t so different from what he will experience in the real world,” he said.

To understand Odin and the Norse gods, Skilton decided to research a bit at the library, but his questions were always asked in the same vein as his character Axl might ask. “I knew about Thor and that’s pretty much it, to be honest,” he said. “But the beauty of my character, Axl, is that everything that he was discovering about this world he was told through the story. So, for me personally, I definitely did research, but I did research as Axl found out. So when Axl found out he was Odin, I did what Axl would have done and went to the library and found out about Odin.”

This is where the fans helped out as well. Skilton said he has learned a tremendous amount of information from the fans at conventions and through social media. Their insights into Norse mythology have enlightened the actor on specifics he had no idea about.

“We’ve got some very, very dedicated fans. … [Before] our third season, one week it was put on hiatus because they weren’t sure whether it was going to get made or not, and the fans banded together and created this mini online petition to say we actually really, really want it. Even though the show was up in the air — it wasn’t canceled, it was up in the air — the fact that the fans really showed their true colors of how much they enjoy it, that was mind-blowing to see how many people actually desired or really demanded more episodes.”

Those three seasons ran in New Zealand, and American audiences will have to wait and see if all play in the States. Skilton would love to see more seasons; he’s hoping it does well in the U.S. and that there’s demand for more episodes. “Where we left it, I was very satisfied,” he said. “But in terms of the story, there’s so much more to explore.”

For the time being, Skilton is basing himself in the United States. Even though the New Zealand acting scene has been good to him, there are numerous opportunities in the Los Angeles area.

“[In New Zealand], there’s not as many actors as there is in Hollywood, and there’s not as many productions. But in terms of the scale of things, it’s quite even. For example, you have 100 actors, and you have five TV series in one year, maybe a little bit less [in New Zealand]. Whereas over here you have 100,000 actors, and you have 5,000 TV series a year, which is obviously not exactly to scale. But in terms of the opportunity, it’s reasonably even. … I mean I’ll always leave the door open to New Zealand. … Being in America for the PR and the publicity side of Johnsons, I am amazed at how much I enjoy L.A. and how much positivity and productivity there is in this town.”

Until the decision is made on future episodes, American audiences will have Friday nights on Syfy to catch up on the first season of The Almighty Johnsons. From the first episode, fans can start watching the evolution of Skilton’s character. “In episode one, he is our audience. He is the one standing in the forest laughing at the whole concept of gods in the modern day, so when he agrees and decides that he’s going to follow this story, that’s the point where the audience does as well. … And for me personally I’ve been absolutely friggin delighted to create that journey.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• The Almighty Johnsons starringEmmett Skilton airs 10 p.m. Fridays on Syfy. Click here for more information.