COUNTY NEWS: Wolf actors return to TV screens in Ripper Street

A pack of wolf actors based in Sussex return to television screens in Ripper Street when it starts next week.
Actor Jonas Armstrong with two of the Watermill Wolves on the Ripper Street set in Ireland SUS-160510-155608001Actor Jonas Armstrong with two of the Watermill Wolves on the Ripper Street set in Ireland SUS-160510-155608001
Actor Jonas Armstrong with two of the Watermill Wolves on the Ripper Street set in Ireland SUS-160510-155608001

The Watermill Wolves feature in the fifth and final series of the hit Amazon Video drama, starting on Thursday, October 15, and will air on BBC Two next year.

The wolves, based on Watermill Lane, Bexhill, have previously appeared in the award-winning TV shows Penny Dreadful and Vikings, plus promotional work for Game of Thrones.

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‘This was one of our most dramatic scenes to date,” head trainer and dog behaviourist Natalie Lagstrom said.

“They had several tricks and stunts to learn – we were practicing for months.

“Although I get nervous, the wolfies just think it’s all a big game. They love stealing the scene and can’t wait to get in front of the camera.”

The wolf pack filmed the Ripper Street scenes in Dublin, Ireland, in February and Natalie said it has been hard keeping quiet all that time.

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“It’s always the hardest part, waiting for it to come out because they are always filmed so far in advance and it’s hard to keep quiet about it,” she said.

“I’m so proud of how they do and they always get a big juicy bone in the evening, plus I think they like staying away in hotels.”

Previous career highlights for the animal actors include the work for Game of Thrones, as well as The Jungle Book remake and Twilight.

They have also done modelling work with Vogue and Marie Claire magazines in the past.

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Natalie could not give anything away about the upcoming series as she is sworn to secrecy, but she did say the wolves had lots of tricks and stunts, as well as needing to be friendly to some actors and less-friendly to others.

“All of the snarling is fake and we do it through play, as they’re actually one of the softest animals out there, they just think it’s a game,” she said.

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