Interview with Joseph Mawle (Odysseus)
Interview with Joseph Mawle, who plays Odysseus in Troy: Fall Of A City
Published: 14 February 2018
It was Odysseus who came up with the idea to say look, why don't we make everybody swear an oath that whoever marries Helen of Sparta, the rest of us have to protect that marriage?
Did you do any research before taking the role?
I did, quite heavily. Research is one of the joys of doing this job for me. I read the Iliad which is set at Troy, and I read The Odyssey which follows on from it. Strangely enough the Odyssey almost gave me more information about my particular character, because it refers back to what happened to Odysseus during the Iliad. The Trojan Horse for instance, which plays a pivotal role in our series, does not happen in the Iliad, nor is it mentioned. Instead it is mentioned in The Odyssey.
How much of this research informed how you played Odysseus?
When you take on any role you want to look into their background and work out where they've come from and what's happened before you've arrived at this place, where we first meet them in the story. There were things that struck me about Odysseus. For instance, although he’s a king of a small island he’s essentially a farmer. He also truly loves his wife, which sets him apart from some of the other Greek kings of the time.
I also learned how close-knit the Greek Kings were - Odysseus would have known Agamemnon when he was 15 or 16. As with Menelaus, they are men who have known each other from boyhood to this point in time - they didn’t just meet before the events of this series. They’ve a real understanding and in some cases a real fear of each other. So they're arriving with a much greater weight on them than perhaps the way sometimes these stories are told.
Odysseus is perhaps more cerebral than the other Greek Kings he wages battle against Troy with, Agamemnon and Menelaus...
Exactly, yes. They called him the first modern man, so that was always something I kept in mind. He is far more of a strategist than an all-out fighter. He's described as that in the Iliad, and there's a lot about how clever and cunning he is. And far more so than the others, he didn't want to go to war. The irony is that he inadvertently created it.
I don't know how many people know the story, but it goes that a number of the Greek Kings were invited to woo Helen of Sparta by her Father. They all turned out and there was a big worry that there would be a lot of infighting around whoever did get chosen to marry Helen, because sadly she was as much a ‘trophy' as a very powerful person to marry. And it was Odysseus who came up with the idea to say look, why don't we make everybody swear an oath that whoever marries Helen of Sparta, the rest of us have to protect that marriage?
Which I think is why we have that in modern day marriage ceremonies today, where we all stand up and say we'll protect this marriage. And that, of course, is why, when Helen elopes with Paris, all hell breaks loose and Agamemnon and Odysseus raise a great army with Menelaus. There's a moral obligation that Odysseus is very much part of.
Could you tell us a bit more about his relationship with Agamemnon (Johnny Harris)?
Agamemnon and Odysseus are complete contemporaries, so it's lucky for me that Johnny Harris who plays Agamemnon is also a really dear friend who I've known for many years. The last time we were on set together, for The Passion in 2008, I was strung up on a cross and so was he! In Morocco. In the desert.
I was playing Jesus at the time and he was playing Asher, one of the criminals. Johnny was so supportive to work with that even when it wasn't on his take he would still get up on the cross to support me, because it was really painful up there and he was just someone who wanted to go on the journey and be there for me. I really respected him for that and really admired him. And obviously he's done so much extraordinary, astounding work since then.
The Greeks
The Trojan Royal Family
Priam, King of Troy - played by David Threlfall
Priam has ruled Troy since he was a young man. He is married to Hecuba and father of Hector, Cassandra, Alexander, Deiphobus and Troilus. His father nearly ruined the city but Priam saved it from destruction and Troy now flourishes. Together, Priam and Hecuba have made it a powerful and wealthy city port.
Hecuba, Queen of Troy - played by Frances O’Connor
Hecuba is Priam's wife, mother to his children and rules Troy with him. Although she is not originally from Troy she has lived in the city for 30 years and is held in high regard by the Trojans.
Hector - played by Tom Weston-Jones
Hector is Priam’s eldest son and heir. He leads the Trojan army and is a celebrated warrior, brave and honourable. He is happily married to the Cilician princess Andromache.
Andromache - played by Chloe Pirrie
Andromache is from nearby Cilicia, an ally of Troy, and is married to Hector. Their marriage was arranged, but is a union of love. She desires children but conception has proved hard.
Paris (Alexander) - played by Louis Hunter
Alexander, also known as Paris, is the second son of Priam and Hecuba. He spent his youth as a herdsman in the mountains unaware of his true background. His meeting with the gods changes everything.
Cassandra - played by Aimee Ffion Edwards
Cassandra is Priam and Hecuba’s daughter. At Alexander’s birth she had visions of disaster and continues to have premonitions. She has been looked after ever since, and is considered mentally unstable.
Aeneas - played by Alfred Enoch
Aeneas is Hector and Alexander’s cousin, who comes from the Trojan ally region of Dardania. He is upright, young but fearless. He has a father back at home but has lost his wife to sickness.
The Greeks
Helen, Queen of Sparta - played by Bella Dayne
Helen was born in Sparta and has lived there all her life. She is married to Menelaus, whose brother Agamemnon won her hand in competition, but it is a loveless match. She has a daughter, Hermione, but their relationship is strained. As the story begins, her unhappiness is beginning to become undeniable.
Menelaus, King of Sparta - played by Jonas Armstrong
Menelaus was born in Mycenae, which he considers the true cradle of civilization. He has ruled in Sparta for many years but it has yet to become his home. He does love Helen but his love is possessive and controlling. He admires his daughter Hermione greatly.
Agamemnon, King of Mycenae - played by Johnny Harris
King Agamemnon is Menelaus brother and the most powerful ruler of the Greek city-states. He holds huge influence in the region and is aware of Troy s burgeoning power across the ocean. He is married to Clytemnestra and father of Iphigenia, Electra and Orestes.
Odysseus, King of Ithaca - played by Joseph Mawle
Odysseus is renowned for his strategic intelligence, wisdom and cunning. He loves his home and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. He is a true islander, somewhat solitary, ruthless when needs must, but with a deep love of home and family. Odysseus is called upon to help the Greeks return Helen to Sparta.
Xanthius - played by David Avery
Xanthius is a servant of Odysseus and travels with him to Troy. A loner who prefers dogs to men, Xanthius is used by Odysseus to infiltrate the city. Quiet, invisible and deeply intelligent, Xanthius is Odysseus secret weapon.
Achilles, King of the Myrmidons - played by David Gyasi
Achilles is the most feared of all the Greek warriors travelling to Troy. He is by myth half human, half-god, created by the union of Peleus and Thetis, a sea-nymph. He is a great warrior, almost unbeatable, but his sense of honour tips into pride and stubbornness. His friend and lover is Patroclus, another great Myrmidon warrior. They are inseparable.
Picture: Menelaus (Jonas Armstrong), Achilles (David Gyasi), Agamemnon (Johnny Harris), Odysseus (Joseph Mawle)
The Gods
Zeus, King of the Gods - played by Hakeem Kae-Kazim
Zeus is the God of storms, tumult and justice, who holds ultimate power over both gods and mortals. He chooses not to take sides in the Trojan War, despite all attempts to engage his loyalty. He insists that even the Gods cannot change Fate, which will decide the outcome of the war. Zeus is married to Hera and father of many gods including Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis and Hermes.
Hera, Queen of the Gods - played by Inge Beckmann
Hera, is the goddess of marriage and wife of Zeus, but they have a turbulent relationship. She is furious at Paris for not choosing her in the judgment of the goddesses and fiercely loyal to the Greeks.
Athena - played by Shamilla Miller
Athena is goddess of wisdom and war. She sides with the Greeks, angry at her rejection by Paris. In particular, she favours Odysseus and Diomedes.
Aphrodite - played by Lex King
Aphrodite is the goddess of love. She is loyal to Paris, who chooses her as the finest of the three goddesses, so she supports the Trojans in the war.
Artemis - played by Thando Hopa
Artemis is the goddess of hunting and wildlife. She supports the Trojans in the war. Agamemnon offends her and she demands a terrible price from him.
Apollo - played by German de la Melena
Apollo is the god of prophecy, plague and healing. When Apollo’s priest asks for help on behalf of his daughter Chryseis, he is quick to answer. He favours the Trojans in the war.
Hermes - played by Frances Chouler
Hermes is the messenger of the gods and is present at the judgement of the goddesses, explaining to Paris the task the gods have set him.
