New face in the crowd

IF YOU were following History's hit series Vikings, you probably can't wait to see what happens in the upcoming fourth season after the extraordinary battle in Paris, with Ragnar (played by Travis Fimmel), emerging victorious despite the odds against him.
Joining the cast in season four is Dianne Doan, who plays a young woman from ­foreign shores, who fascinates Ragnar.
Doan was last seen in the Disney film Descendants last year. This Vancouver native has been previously featured in TV series such as Once Upon a Time and in 2010, she competed on So You Think You Can Dance Canada.
In Vikings, her character Yidu was ­originally kidnapped on the Red Sea and brought to Paris as a slave.
Yidu is highly intriguing – from her looks to her views of the world and her beliefs. King Ragnar is captivated by her, which begins his journey to uncover more about her past.
During a tele-conference interview with Doan in Los Angeles, she said that she had watched Vikings before but was not really an ardent follower. "A lot of my friends were obsessed with it, so they are really glad that I am in the new season."
She auditioned for the role in Toronto which was not too far from Vancouver, where she lives.
Doan did some research into her ­character, such as what dynasty Yidu would be from. She also had to be careful with certain nuances in her speech. "[Regarding the Viking characters] I did not do further research other than what I saw on the show."
Her character is said to be mysterious. "They (the Vikings) have not seen anyone of my ethnicity [before]. Everything from how I was raised to my appearance makes my character [unique]. Ragnar especially is curious about where I came from," Doan explained.
Doan said she will be there in the first episode, but she won't reveal exactly how long she will be on the show.

"What is interesting about this role is that I can relate to her. She is masked and brought to Kattegat where she knows ­nothing of the Viking culture. Like her, I ­arrived on the set where I did not know anyone.
"I just wanted to make sure I brought out that sense of confidence and ­independence within her."
Doan added: "I am excited and ­curious to see how the audience ­reacts to her."
Doan is aware that things have stepped up for ­Vikings this ­season.
"It is bigger and ­badder. There are many ­conflicts that need to be resolved from last season. There are a lot of new ­characters. I think it is a lot more exciting. They have made something the audience can relate and fall in love with."
Season four starts off with Ragnar ­having fallen ill. His wife queen Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland) and his oldest son Bjorn (­Alexander Ludwig) begin making plans to succeed him.
Meanwhile, Bjorn's mother ­Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) is locked in a power struggle with her ­calculating, former ­second-in-command, Kalf (Ben ­Robson). Rollo (Clive ­Standen) betrays his ­Viking ­heritage, and Floki (Gustaf ­Skarsgård) is seized for his ­brutal ­actions against the Christian priest ­Athelstan.
Also joining the cast in ­season four is Peter Franzén as King ­Harold Finehair, a complex ­character who seeks to be King of Norway and a potential threat to Ragnar; and Jasper Pääkkönen (Jet Trash) as Halfdan The Black, King Harold's ­violent younger brother.
Vikings season four ­premieres Feb 19 at 10pm on ­History and ­History HD (­Astro channels 555 and 575).