Interview with Tom Weston Jones (Hector)
Interview with Tom Weston Jones, who plays Hector in Troy: Fall Of A City
Published: 14 February 2018
The Greeks and Trojans tended to separate themselves when we were filming but we all got on very, very well
Tell us about Hector. What’s he like?
Hector is basically the golden boy of the city, of Troy. He doesn’t really take too much of a liking to Paris - the brother he didn’t know existed - when Paris first arrives because I don’t think he feels Paris has the best intentions or the right attitude. Hector also doesn’t know who Paris is as a person, so there is a lot of mystery in their relationship, and we don't really know where it is going to go for long stretches of the story.
I just love how Hector isn’t afraid to go against the grain a lot of the time too. He doesn’t mind speaking his mind. Some might call him a bit of a curmudgeon, but we love that about him!
What were the highlights of playing him?
The highlight for me was probably the variety of scenes I’ve filmed, certainly in terms of scale. I'd never filmed anything before that had seen me working on such personal, intimate scenes one moment, and then riding a horse into battle half an hour later, through a town that was on fire! It's was a big juxtaposition and I loved that.
What preparation did you do?
I did a lot of training to get me ready for such a physical role. I had 10 weeks of preparation time, which was a long time, but exactly what I needed to get myself in shape, mentally and physically. And then as soon as I arrived in South Africa we had another three weeks of preparation which included boot camps for all the skills a soldier would have needed back then, from horse riding to fight and stunt training.
I thought I was pretty ready from my ten weeks of training back home, but then they threw all the swords and shields at us and I realised how much I still had to do to be ready to play Hector. But it was amazing how quickly we took to all these new skills and different styles of weaponry. We learned about hand-to-hand combat, how to handle swords, spears and shields in a way that's safe for us but looks incredible on camera. I love that kind of thing so I threw myself into it. And then when we got to put it all into together into the big action scenes during filming it felt like a young boy’s dream. There were times when we’d have to pinch ourselves.
Hector’s fight with Paris is a big moment in episode one...
It is, it’s a big deal! The fight between Louis and I was filmed across four days and by the end of it both of us were broken men! Not to give too much away, but we really throw ourselves around so much during that sequence and we had one particular section which was done in one take. So we had to rehearse it in full over and over again, and because it was quite complicated we just had to go full throttle every single time. We went for a beer that night - we really needed that!
Was it also fun?
It was great fun. You develop a great deal of camaraderie with someone after spending four days pretending that you’re trying to kill them! It's a little bit like sport really - after you've slugged it out with someone for a time, you develop a weird bond with them. And we really did have that by the bucket load. In fact the whole cast did - the Greeks and Trojans tended to separate themselves when we were filming but we all got on very, very well.
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.
