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BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 \u201cA Life\u2019s Worth,\u201d the Swedish series that is now being broadcast on the streaming service Viaplay, deals with young soldiers thrown into Bosnia\u2019s brutal conflict in 1993. It features all the elements of a production dealing with war \u2013 guns, uniforms, armored vehicles and much more paraphernalia for an armed conflict.<\/p>\n
The production goes deeper. What it also has are the fears of young people, the uncertainty of a future, constant emotional turmoil and deep friendships as a group of young Swedes who are part of a NATO force. Those personal elements are what attracted Edvin Ryding to the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a psychological drama. In my mind, it\u2019s about how these people are affected by this horrible conflict. And not just the soldiers but more importantly the local population, the victims of the conflict,\u201d Ryding says during a break from film \u201cThe Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping\u201d now filming in Germany.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Life\u2019s Worth\u201d doesn\u2019t only explore the horrors of war, but also the humor, hope, and friendships that sustain the soldiers through it. The eight-part series is\u00a0Sweden\u2019s most ambitious war drama to date.<\/p>\n
Four Swedish rookie soldiers \u2013 Forss, Babic, Strand and Kilpinen \u2013 voluntarily venture into the heart of conflict in the Balkans \u2013 some driven by duty, others by the prospect of adventure. They are deployed for their first overseas service to the tangled, bloody conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where their mission is to secure the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians while staying neutral. However, it proves impossible to solve by peaceful means as a cycle of atrocities and revenge between Bosnians and Croats threatens the stability of the region.<\/p>\n
Ryding stresses his job is to take what the character is going through and find a connection within himself as an actor. It helped that Ryding and the rest of the cast had a long period to prepare for the physical and emotional demands of the production.<\/p>\n
One source to prepare for the role Ryding used was talking to his friends who were in the Swedish military. The fact that boggled him the most was that each one of his friends was presented with a card that told them their life expectancy.<\/p>\n
Those who were part of military action were told they were expected to last no more than five seconds. Ryding found that unfathomable.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously none of us have been in a weaponized conflict, so we needed to do as much as possible to get as close of a feel to that as possible,\u201d Ryding says, \u201cI definitely try and experience what it\u2019s like to live with the not knowing if you\u2019re going to die that day or not.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could never fully understand what that\u2019s like. That\u2019s reality for these people. We did our best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ryding was able to draw from past TV and film performances to help him create the character of Johan Strand.\u00a0 He is best known for his starring role as Prince Wilhelm in the Netflix teen drama \u201cYoung Royals.\u201d Other credits include \u201cMannen under trappan,\u201d \u201cThe Crown Jewels,\u201d\u00a0\u201cThe Stig-Helmer Story,\u201d and \u201c28 Years Later.\u201d<\/p>\n
The actor has been involved with two major franchises with \u201c28 Years Later\u201d and \u201cHunger Games.\u201d He feels a lot of pressure when working on those projects because they already have large fan bases.<\/p>\n
He calls working on an original project like \u201cA Life\u2019s Worth\u201d as being freeing. He was able to create the character from the ground up.<\/p>\n
Ryding has been involved with projects that were all original and some based on a previous project or book. \u201cA Life\u2019s Worth\u201d is based on Magnus Ernstr\u00f6m\u2019s novel, A Half Year, an Entire Life<\/em>.<\/p>\n Whether Ryding will look at the original material is different from project to project.<\/p>\n \u201cI felt like since it\u2019s based on real events and real experiences, I found it necessary to educate myself as much as possible through Magnus\u2019s book on which the script is based,\u201d Ryding says. \u201cMagnus and some of the other veterans were on set with us as consultants so we could ask them as much as possible about their experiences.<\/p>\n \u201cI found that really vital and useful. In other projects, it could be way more of how I can\u2019t look too much into it.\u201d<\/p>\n The final element that helped Ryding get into the right acting frame of mind came from the wardrobe department. He has always found what he is wearing helps him get into character.<\/p>\n What ended up being the most important part of his wardrobe was his shoes.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so helpful with the costume, the shoes. Maybe in a project like this even more because it\u2019s part of the experience of being a soldier. The physical aspect of it and having to carry the gun and walk around in the gear,\u201d Ryding says. \u201cIt was heavy, and I found that it really helped me physically.\u201d<\/p>\n New episodes of \u201cA Life\u2019s Worth\u201d are available each Thursday through Nov. 27.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Viaplay\u00a0streaming service features thousands of hours of premium Nordic and European series and films from\u00a0Scandinavia\u2019s largest and most recognized television\/streaming platform.<\/p>\n Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/i><\/p>\n