'Vikings' Star Travis Fimmel Reveals Why He's Walked Out Of Casting Auditions

Although best known for his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in "Vikings," this Australian-born actor and former model, Travis Fimmel, admitted to having no interest in the role at first.

Having had a successful career as a model with Calvin Klein, Fimmel is no stranger to fame. He was even branded the first male in the world to secure a six-figure contract to model for Calvin Klein for a year and was named one of the sexiest bachelors by America's People magazine.

Fimmel soon switched to acting after studying under Hollywood acting coach Ivans Chubbuck. He auditioned for his first role as "Tarzan," the lead role in the Warner Bros. 2003 TV series.

Amid applause by critics and audience, Fimmel went on to star in movies like "Rocky Point," with Lauren Holly, "Southern Comfort," "The Big Valley," "Restraint," "Surfer, Dude," and numerous others, each character distinctly different from the other.

Despite his apparent success in the entertainment industry, Fimmel has disclosed his discontent with specific parts of the acting process.

In an interview with GQ, the actor revealed the most challenging acting process during auditions. His nerves had gotten the better of him so many times that he's been known to walk out on more than one casting audition.

Although many fans know him because of his role as Ragnar Lothbrok in "Vikings" and Marcus on HBO's "Raised By Wolves," the actor is not particularly known by people outside these fanbases. This seems to stem from his initial reluctance to join the entertainment industry as an actor.

In his 2018 interview with GQ, the writer revealed, "I never wanted to be an actor, ever. I still don't." When Fimmels finally decided to go into acting and saw the extra baggage it came with, it only made the whole thing even worse. "I hate it. Absolutely hate it. It's very unrealistic," he said.

Stage fright is one nerve-racking condition that is not new to anyone and has caused its fair share of catastrophes. Fimmel has opened up to his overcharged nerves being the reason for him walking out of casting auditions.

During his interview with GQ, he said, "There are people that like to get up and talk in front of people. I wasn't the kid that enjoyed reading out loud in class," he admitted. "I've walked out halfway through, embarrassed, plenty of times. When talking about how he felt during the process, he described it as, "Horrible, nervous, sweaty, embarrassed," he said, "I just panic. I get out of there."

Considering all these, how then, exactly, does this Viking star still manage to score numerous acting roles?

The saying "If there's a will, there's a way" shines through in this case.

Fimmel goes on in his GQ interview to chat about how he could go over his aversion to an audience by using the videotape feature to record his auditions.

"I put myself on videotape. I can't remember the last job I got from actually auditioning." His role as Ragnar is a testament to the success of this move. He said he got the role by submitting a video recorded by his friend in his home...

Fimmel talked more about how he could keep moving regardless of the many acting areas that made him uncomfortable. "You just have to do it. But it doesn't get easier," he said. "You get a bit more selective about what things you do. You try to do one thing that gets seen, so you don't have to do five."

In his GQ interview, Fimmel did not mince words when he communicated his desire to go back to the quiet secluded life of the country.

"I don't love living in town. I'd rather be home. I hopefully won't be doing it for too much longer. I just want to make a bit of money and get home."

His reason for staying and pursuing his acting career is to get "a bit of money," after which wild horses won't hold him back from his much desired and missed ranch life.

"Sh** mate, if I had the money, I'd have been home two years ago. You need a fair bit of money now to get a big farm in Australia – it's so expensive. Unbelievably expensive. I'd love to be back – but I'll be here for a few more years."