{"id":36267,"date":"2023-08-29T13:02:17","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T11:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1880252"},"modified":"2023-08-29T13:41:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T11:41:15","slug":"the-wheel-of-times-mat-cauthon-recast-explained-who-is-new-actor-donal-finn","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/the-wheel-of-times-mat-cauthon-recast-explained-who-is-new-actor-donal-finn\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wheel of Time\u2019s Mat Cauthon recast explained: Who is new actor D\u00f3nal Finn?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mat will look a little different in season 2. <\/p>

By Louise Griffin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 29 August 2023 at 11:02 AM<\/p>

\n\n

It\u2019s finally almost here! The Wheel of Time season 2<\/a> is almost upon us and fans can\u2019t wait to see what\u2019s become of our heroes.<\/p>\n

Season 1 of the show, based on the popular novels<\/a>, ended with a dramatic twist, when Moiraine (Rosamund Pike)<\/a> revealed that, despite Rand\u2019s (Josha Stradowski) sacrifice, the last battle hadn\u2019t actually been fought \u2013 and that it was only the beginning.<\/p>\n

Season 2 kicks off with our heroes torn apart<\/a> and flung to the corners of the world \u2013 but one of them may look a little unfamiliar.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything you need to know about Mat Cauthon\u2019s recasting and new actor D\u00f3nal Finn after Barney Harris was replaced.<\/p>

What happened with Mat Cauthon\u2019s recasting in The Wheel of Time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Harris departed The Wheel of Time during season 1 but an official reason has not been given.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He filmed the first six episodes of the show before production was shut down amid the Covid-19 pandemic. When production resumed, he did not return.<\/p>\n

His exit from the show meant he was absent from one of the later episodes and, in the final episode, only old footage of the character could be used.<\/p>\n

For season 2, he was replaced by Finn, with writer Rafe Judkins promising the transition would be \u201cseamless\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"D\u00f3nal\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
D\u00f3nal Finn as Mat Cauthon in The Wheel of Time season 2.<\/span><\/figcaption> Jan Thijs\/Prime Video<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s always hard but we\u2019re really lucky that Barney is so great in the first season; I love him in the show,\u201d he told told Deadline<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd D\u00f3nal Finn, who is playing Mat in Season 2, is amazing. I have seen him up on set doing his scenes now and they\u2019re incredible and they fully capture the character. I think it\u2019s a testament to this character and how great the character of Mat is that it really feels seamless between the two actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finn has since opened up about the experience of replacing Harris, telling TV Line<\/a>: \u201cI kind of put my head in the sand, because I knew that if I allowed myself some time to stop and think about it, I could get very overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut ultimately, knowing how much the fans love this character motivated me to make sure that I was starting it in the right place, and that process involved kind of gathering up all of the written work of season 1 and taking all those scripts and mining them to create a backstory for Mat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harris has not publicly commented on the re-casting.<\/p>\n

Who is Mat Cauthon season 1 actor Barney Harris?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Josha\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Josha Stradowski (Rand al\u2019Thor), Marcus Rutherford (Perrin Aybara), Barney Harris (Mat Cauthon) in The Wheel of Time season 1<\/span><\/figcaption> Jan Thijs\/ Prime Video<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Barney Harris played Mat Cauthon in season 1.<\/p>\n

He had previously appeared in series like Clique, and films including Billionaire Boys Club and A Brixton Tale.<\/p>\n

He also has an upcoming role in the indie film Magpie.<\/p>\n

Who is Mat Cauthon season 2 actor D\u00f3nal Finn?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"D\u00f3nal\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
D\u00f3nal Finn as Mat Cauthon in The Wheel of Time season 2.<\/span><\/figcaption> Jan Thijs<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Mat Cauthon is played by D\u00f3nal Finn in season 2.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s no stranger to the world of fantasy, having appeared in The Witcher<\/a>, and the film Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Finn has also appeared in TV series like How to Build a Girl and SAS: Rogue Heroes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The actor has said he \u201cmindlessly\u201d said yes to the role and fans are sure to be intrigued as to what he\u2019ll offer as the new Mat.<\/p>