The Big Picture

Dónal Finn, who steps into the role of Mat Cauthon for The Wheel of Time Season 2, says he used fandom resources to learn about the world and his character ahead of filming. Filming the Heroes of the Horn scene in the Season 2 finale was a “singular experience” for Finn, evoking epic moments from movies like Gladiator. Finn also teases that Mat will get the opportunity to have a bath and a new wardrobe in the upcoming third season.

We’re further out now from The Wheel of Time’s Season 2 finale, but given everything that goes down in that epic episode, we knew we needed the help of some of the show’s cast to wrap our heads around it all. While Rand al’Thor (Josha Stradowski) finally accepts his role as the prophesied Dragon Reborn (with the help of some channeling from Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine), the original Two Rivers five (plus one!) reunites on the top of the tower, looking out on the city of Falme as everything settles in the wake of that battle between Seanchan, Whitecloaks, Aiel, and… wait, there’s another Forsaken (Laia Costa) lurking softly, softly from the shadows?

Although Prime Video hasn’t yet confirmed when the much-anticipated third season will drop, that only means we have plenty of time to keep breaking down Season 2’s biggest moments. We’re winding down our coverage with some of The Wheel of Time’s newest additions and most recognizable faces, but we got so much insight from the cast into some of what their characters faced (as well as hints about what we can look forward to). Collider recently had the opportunity to speak with Dónal Finn, who takes over the role of Mat Cauthon in Season 2, about some of the character’s most pivotal scenes this time around. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, the actor discusses the “whirlwind experience” of jumping into things in Season 2, filming that Heroes of the Horn moment, the significance of Mat’s friendship with Min (Kae Alexander), and what he can tease for Season 3.

The Wheel of Time Set in a high fantasy world where magic exists, but only some can access it, a woman named Moiraine crosses paths with five young men and women. This sparks a dangerous, world-spanning journey. Based on the book series by Robert Jordan. Release Date November 19, 2021 Creator Rafe Judkins Main Genre Fantasy Genres Fantasy , Sci-Fi Rating TV-14 Seasons 3 Streaming Service(s) Prime Video

COLLIDER: Congratulations on Hadestown, by the way. I feel like this is the first step in my trying to successfully pitch Rafe [Judkins] a Wheel of Time musical episode at some point.

DÓNAL FINN: A musical episode like in Scrubs, that kind of an episode? There’s room for that. I think he could be really responsive to that idea, as a fan of musicals as well.

Dónal Finn Relied on ‘The Wheel of Time’ Fandom to Prepare for Playing Mat
Image via Prime Video

I really wanted to start by asking a question that I also posed to Ceara and Ayoola, which is: how many of the books did you read after you found out that you were going to be playing Mat? Or did you only want to read so far in advance in terms of knowing where Mat goes? I think Josha [Stradowski] has read all the books, and others have said they just want to use it as a supplemental thing based on where the show is.

FINN: It was such a whirlwind experience of jumping straight into the job that the resources that I used were pretty much all of the fandom’s resources, actually. To learn about the world, the place that they come from, and the rules of that society, and the rules of the White Tower, what makes an Aes Sedai the Aes Sedai, and who are the antagonists and stuff. I actually ended up using loads of The Wheel of Time fandom stuff, the websites and resources.

Because it was quite quick jumping in and all of that, then once I was bedding into the character, and the arc, the job, the schedule, and all of that, I said, “Okay, I’m going to get stuck into the books.” I try and read them at a pace that means that I’m at about a similar part of the arc to where we are in the show, and then maybe just a bit further — because you can understand where something is leading to by being just ahead of it. It takes a mountain of focus and energy to do what Josha’s done, and I really, really hope to get there. I have a lot of admiration for him for having completed the books so quickly. But yeah, that’s my ambition too. It’s only fair to everyone who cares so much about the show to feel that same way about it.

To your point though, it’s a big undertaking. As someone who’s reading through them myself, it’s a lot.

FINN: How are you finding them? Where are you in your Wheel of Time journey?

I’m on book five, so I just got past where Season 3 is going to be. Because I was also like, “Let me see what we can look forward to!”

FINN: I love it.

Mat and Min’s friendship is one of the changes that the show makes, but it’s such a fascinating relationship, and I feel like her betrayal cuts really deep and personal for him. Between someone like that, and maybe to an even more extreme extent, Padan Fain, someone from the Two Rivers that Mat has known longer, are those betrayals going to affect his approach to new people from now on?

FINN: That’s a really good question. One of the reasons that I like Mat so much as a character is that he might often say, “Yeah, the world is falling apart,” but I think he’s a covert optimist, and he has great faith in humans, in people. Particularly, of course, the people in his life, it’s easy for him to feel that way, because he really cares about his friends. But with Min, the betrayal does really hurt because he sees a lot of his own life, and hopes for what a life could be, in her. And so he says, “Oh look, she’s an outsider as well, and she’s fine. She’s really good, she’s a great person to be around.” Naturally, he trusts her, and that’s what hurts him and what makes that really difficult for him.

Filming Season 2’s Heroes of the Horn Moment Was a “Singular Experience” for Dónal Finn
Image via Prime Video

I can’t not talk about the Heroes of the Horn scene. Was the filming of it as intense as it looks on-screen?

FINN: It was a singular experience to be able to be doing a scene like that. And it was also my last day on set, and so there was a great sense of relief in that for the character, and for me having gone on the journey with this character as well. Those things felt like they were in sync. In the same way as what Mat feels, he feels like this only works if he… I thankfully never grew up in a place where there were bears, but I understand that in parts of America, people are told to try and make themselves look as big as possible. There’s a bit of that, where he says, “I need to feel like I’m committing to this as wholeheartedly as possible,” and that’s really cathartic. It felt like it would only work if we just gave it everything.

And I really enjoyed it. As a kid, I watched so many films that had moments like that, like Gladiator, or Master and Commander, and you only dream, really, that you might be one day even around something like that happening — not to mind being in the center and it being part of your character’s arc, so I felt really, really blessed. Obviously, the stunt team had been working so hard, and had been so patient and caring about making that as brilliant as they possibly could be, so huge admiration and thanks to them.

Dónal Finn Teases Mat’s New Wardrobe in ‘The Wheel of Time’ Season 3
Image via Prime Video

I have to see what I can ask you about Season 3, which I’m sure is not much. But maybe a question that’s a bit easier to answer: is it fair to say that Mat will be… lucky enough to get to wear more costumes than he did in Season 2?

FINN: I think it doesn’t quite fall under the category of spoiler to say that he might have a bath. When you see him at the end of Season 2, he’s just fought this battle, and it’s in Falme, it’s roasting, and he’s sweating, and there’s ash and dust and cloud everywhere on the top of that tower. Obviously, some time must pass between [Seasons] 2 and 3, so I really fought for the character to have a bath and maybe go and find some new garments and that kind of crack. He does get the chance to don something new, without saying too much.

It’s been fun to see Mat rocking the same look for a while, but he’s due for a change. Maybe a nice hat, something along those lines?

FINN: Yeah, but you know what as well, I was just saying there was so much change and challenges in Season 2 for me in the journey for the character, that him having just that one outfit — or that one costume for the season — was a great constant, because it kept me tuned in with the character, and it made me feel connected to something that was anchored, and certain, and reliable.

Both seasons of The Wheel of Time are available to stream on Prime Video.

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