Donal Finn plays Mat Cauthon in The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime * for 7 episodes. As one of the best friends of the “Dragon Reborn”, he influences the events in season 2. The Irish actor took over the role from Barney Harris after season 1, after he left the fantasy series.
Changing actors isn’t always easy, as Henry Cavill’s Witcher successor Liam Hemsworth can attest. Especially because, like Dónal Finn, you were only the second choice in the first casting. But now Rad der Zeit fans celebrate the new addition as the only true Mat.
Dónal Finn replaced Barney Harris: Why Amazon’s The Wheel of Time replaced Mat Cauthon in Season 2
The Wheel of Time team around Rafe Judkins remained tight-lipped about the reasons for Barney Harris’s departure after the first announcement of the new line-up. There was no official statement for his departure after 6 episodes of the Amazon series. According to Screen Rant, the change is unofficially in Barney Harris’ mental health reasons that it was more important for him to maintain than to stick with his big Amazon role. The only thing that is certain is that quickly a replacement actor had to come. And that’s where Dónal Finn came into play.
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The Wheel of Time: Mat Cauthon in Season 1 (Barney Harris) and Season 2 (Dónal Finn)
According to the Irish Times, Dónal Finn had already auditioned for The Wheel of Time before season 1, but He lost the role of Mat to his predecessor during the casting years earlier:Barney Harris. When looking for a new cast, the series creators remembered the Irish actor. Dónal Finn told RTE:
I am grateful for my journey and for being in the role [des Mat] to be allowed to step. It was a whirlwind and me For reasons of secrecy during the casting, I didn’t even know what role it was about. Then I got the call to join the series [Das Rad der Zeit] connected and everything went very quickly, which I’m grateful for because it meant I didn’t have time to sweat.
At the time of his casting in The Wheel of Time, Dónal Finn was filming SAS: Rogue Heroes and recalls:
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Dónal Finn as Mat in season 2 of The Wheel of Time
I jumped. I was in Morocco at the time, filming another project. Then I came straight to Prague, um [für die Rolle des Mat] to read. Afterwards there was a dress rehearsal, They cut my hair and before I knew what was happening I was on set.
Dónal Finn describes the role of the womanizer, gambler and companion Mat Cauthon, who is tempted by a dark dagger, which is extremely popular with fans of the original books * by Robert Jordan “immediately lovable, a farm boy […] but also someone who likes to cause trouble and grabs life by the collar to enjoy and milk it.” The latter also sounds a bit like his own turbulent story about how he got the fantasy role.
This is how enthusiastically The Wheel of Time fans react to Dónal Finn’s arrival as Mat in the fantasy series
Star Rosamund Pike was initially less than enthusiastic about her Season 2 change in The Wheel of Time. Amazon’s fantasy return was very positively received by audiences and critics. And that includes the newly appointed Mat Cauthon at the forefront. Fans have been showing Dónal Finn a lot of love for his performance for 7 episodes:
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He is simple jumped from the book page into the series. JUMPED! – I was disappointed that the old actor left, but Dónal Finn is simply Mat.
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Dónal Finn is like that here seamlessly inserted as a mat!
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Mat Cauthon, you precious man. I love you with all my heart.
After the character struggled a lot with his darkness and fear of daggers in the first season of The Wheel of Time, the character gains a little more lightness in season 2 of the fantasy series:
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“I can’t let you become an arrogant idiot. Dragon Reborn.” – Mat Cauthon, I missed you so much! The way he cried with joy as he hugged Rand broke me.
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The way Donal Finn plays Mat is simply amazing! After the hiccups of last season, of course there was a course correction, but that has NOTHING to do with the actor and his skills. Well done, sir!
The 8th and final episode of the 2nd season of The Wheel of Time starts on Amazon on Friday, December October 6, 2023. In this season finale, we’ll find out whether the vision of Mat Cauthon stabbing the dragon comes true. You can also discover Dónal Finn in the fantasy film Fantastic Beasts 3, which has just come to Amazon Prime, where he plays the baker’s assistant Albert.
Podcast for series fans: 13 fantasy highlights in 2023 on Netflix, Disney+ and Co.
If you’re looking for The Wheel of Time replenishment: Netflix, Disney+, Amazon and Co. are releasing exciting fantasy series in 2023. We present you the next 13 highlights.
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In addition to the third season of The Witcher, the angel-devil duo from Good Omens returned to the stream for a second season after four years. You can also discover a few promising fantasy series that you definitely haven’t heard of before.
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