Young Royals' Malte Gårdinger Teases A Different Side To August In Season 2 - Exclusive
There have been countless iconic characters that fans love to hate, from Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) in "Harry Potter" to Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) in "Game of Thrones." But thanks to Netflix's "Young Royals," there's a new bad guy on the scene who is giving them a run for their money.
Of course, we're talking about August (Malte Gårdinger), who makes life at Hillerska a living hell for his little cousin Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding), the crown prince of Sweden. When viewers are first introduced to August, he seems to have it all — he's charming, athletic, and holds leadership positions at the elite school.
But as Season 1 progresses, it quickly becomes evident that August has a dark side. He's conniving and manipulative, and he stops at nothing until he gets what he wants, whether that's power or un-prescribed ADHD medication. However, his worst moment comes at the end of the season, when he captures an intimate moment between Wilhem and Simon (Omar Rudberg) and makes the video go viral. This move not only drives a wedge between Wilhelm and Simon but also puts Wilhelm in hot water with the royal family.
August's actions seem rather unforgivable. But during Looper's exclusive interview with Gårdinger, the actor hinted that audiences will see a different side to his character in Season 2, which premiered November 1 on Netflix.
Young Royals Season 2 will show a more human side to August
When "Young Royals" Season 2 begins, the students of Hillerska are returning from a brief holiday break. This means that everyone — August, Wilhelm, Simon, and the entire country of Sweden — has had a chance to let the scandalous video sink in. While it's easy to assume that August remains his pompous self and has no regret for his actions, this may not be the case.
"I think they [fans] will be shocked by all the twists and turns and hopefully get a new perspective [on] August as a human being," Malte Gårdinger told Looper. "He may do stupid s*** sometimes, and he messes up and he's a bit of an a**hole, but he's also human, which this season really emphasizes, which I like."
In Gårdinger's opinion, August sharing the video of Wilhelm and Simon wasn't done entirely with malicious intent. Rather, it was a matter of him feeling overwhelmed in the moment and making a rash decision. "He was hurt and angry and frustrated, and he didn't think it through; he just went for it," said Gårdinger. "I think he regretted it the minute he pressed that button, but he did do it."
Fans will have to tune in and see if August can make amends with Wilhelm and Simon or if he continues to revert back to his deceitful ways. Though playing the villain is quite fun, Gårdinger thoroughly enjoyed introducing a new, more vulnerable side of August for Season 2.
"I love playing the a**hole, straight up," said Gårdinger. "But I feel like I would like an ending to his arc which is positive. I would like a happy ending for him."
Season 2 of "Young Royals" is now streaming on Netflix.