The Marksman

Canadian actress, director and producer Katheryn Winnick stars in the critically acclaimed, Emmy award-winning television series Vikings, produced by MGM and The History Channel. In addition to her lead role on Vikings, an episode directed by Winnick debuted in 2020. Entertainment Weekly declared that her role as "Lagertha may be the most exciting feminist character on TV." Her portrayal of the fierce shieldmaiden has garnered her several impressive accolades including a Women's Image Network award for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2018, a nomination for a Critic's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Performance by a Lead Dramatic Actress (2014), Best Actress in a Drama Series by the Women's Image Network nominations in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and a Golden Maple Award nomination for Best Actress in a TV Series. In addition to these prestigious nominations, Katheryn received the Serendipity Film's Award of Excellence at the Banff World Media Festival in 2015. She was also chosen to be a jury member for the 2019 Cannes Series festival. A triple threat, Winnick recently wrapped the new Netflix series Wu Assassins that she stars in, co-executive produced and directed an episode of the series that is due out in 2019. In addition, she starred in Polar, based on the action noir comic series of the same name that premiered on Netflix. In 2017, Winnick starred in the adaptation of the Stephen King novel, The Dark Tower, starring Academy Award-winner Matthew McConaughey and Golden Globe winner Idris Elba. Winnick's other credits include roles in such movies as Love & Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal, Killers starring Ashton Kutcher, as well as Stand Up Guys with Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin. She also starred in the Paul Giamatti comedy drama Cold Souls, which received a best ensemble performance nomination in the 2009 Gotham Independent Film Awards. Off the big screen, Katheryn is no stranger to TV and in addition to Vikings has appeared in numerous television series including roles in Person of Interest, House, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order, and a notable recurring role on the hit prime time series Bones. In 2015, Winnick was named as the brand ambassador for luxury Swiss watch company Raymond Weil and is the face of their 2016 elegant and feminine Shine Collection. Katheryn proudly endorses the brand of watches, which celebrates both the strength and beauty of the active modern woman worldwide. She can also be seen in the hit video game Call of Duty. In addition to acting, Katheryn Winnick is an accomplished martial artist who holds a third-degree black belt in Taekwondo and a second-degree black belt in Karate. By twenty-one she had founded and owned three martial arts schools. After completing her university education at York University, Toronto, Katheryn went on to successfully pursue an acting career in New York and subsequently Los Angeles.

Liam Neeson was born on June 7, 1952 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, to Katherine (Brown), a cook, and Bernard Neeson, a school caretaker. He was raised in a Catholic household. During his early years, Liam worked as a forklift operator for Guinness, a truck driver, an assistant architect and an amateur boxer. He had originally sought a career as a teacher by attending St. Mary's Teaching College, Newcastle. However, in 1976, Neeson joined the Belfast Lyric Players' Theater and made his professional acting debut in the play "The Risen People". After two years, Neeson moved to Dublin's Abbey Theater where he performed the classics. It was here that he was spotted by director John Boorman and was cast in the film Excalibur (1981) as Sir Gawain, his first high-profile film role. Through the 1980s Neeson appeared in a handful of films and British TV series - including The Bounty (1984), A Woman of Substance (1984), The Mission (1986), and Duet for One (1986) - but it was not until he moved to Hollywood to pursue larger roles that he began to get noticed. His turn as a mute homeless man in Suspect (1987) garnered good reviews, as did supporting roles in The Good Mother (1988) and High Spirits (1988) - though he also starred in the best-to-be-forgotten Satisfaction (1988), which also featured a then-unknown Julia Roberts - but leading man status eluded him until the cult favorite Darkman (1990), directed by Sam Raimi. From there, Neeson starred in Under Suspicion (1991) and Ethan Frome (1993), was hailed for his performance in Woody Allen's Husbands and Wives (1992), and ultimately was picked by Steven Spielberg to play Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List (1993). The starring role in the Oscar-winning Holocaust film brought Neeson Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor. Also in 1993, he made his Broadway debut with a Tony-nominated performance in "Anna Christie", in which he co-starred with his future wife Natasha Richardson. The next year, the two also starred opposite Jodie Foster in the movie Nell (1994), and were married in July of that year. Leading roles as the 18th century Scottish Highlander Rob Roy (1995) and the Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins (1996) followed, and soon Neeson was solidified as one of Hollywood's top leading men. He starred in the highly-anticipated Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) as Qui-Gon Jinn, received a Golden Globe nomination for Kinsey (2004), played the mysterious Ducard in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005), and provided the voice for Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005). Neeson found a second surprise career as an action leading man with the release of Taken (2008) in early 2009, an unexpected box office hit about a retired CIA agent attempting to rescue his daughter from being sold into prostitution. However, less than two months after the release of the film, tragedy struck when his wife Natasha Richardson suffered a fatal head injury while skiing and passed away days afterward. Neeson returned to high-profile roles in 2010 with two back-to-back big-budget films, Clash of the Titans (2010) and The A-Team (2010), and returned to the action genre with Unknown (2011), The Grey (2011), Battleship (2012) and Taken 2 (2012), as well as the sequel Wrath of the Titans (2012). Neeson was awarded Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1999 Queen's New Year's Honours List for his services to drama. He has two sons from his marriage to Richardson: Micheal Richard Antonio Neeson (born June 22, 1995) and Daniel Jack Neeson (born August 27, 1996).