RTE Kin star Sam Keeley loved up with Icelandic beauty off screen

Tullamore star Keeley has been living in the Nordic outpost for several years and one of the reasons he’s staying put is because his heart has been won over by a local beauty.

“Jeez, the guards wouldn’t ask me that,” laughed Sam (32) when asked about his long-term girlfriend, who’s rumoured to be a well-known actress in Iceland.

He admits he spent most of lockdown with “a special person”, who he said was his “partner”.

“I’d rather let them speak for themselves. No offence, I don’t really put my personal life out there,” he said.

Sam, who sports a soft country accent in contrast to his hard Dublin brogue in TV smash Kin, has bulked up in the 10 years since viewers may recall him playing Philip in RTÉ restaurant drama series Raw.

He fell in love with Iceland after travelling to capital Reykjavík and became so enamoured with the country he returned time after time to stay in Airbnbs while off work before permanently locating there.

“I live on the west side of the city,” he explains, adding he doesn’t really mix with the small Irish community there.

His mum’s side of the family are Grimes, and he says it’s a coincidence that their heritage is from Icelanders and that his character in Kin is nicknamed ‘Viking’.

“It was coincidental. I think Peter (McKenna, Kin’s creator) gave him that nickname because I believe there was a character in the Eighties called ‘Eric the Viking’ and he liked the name.

“After I had booked the part I wanted to embody something of a quality that could maybe remind people of the stereotypical Viking, whether that be the beard or just the mad energy, but I think he certainly embodies the name. I think he’s earned it at this stage.”

Viewers last Sunday saw Nikita pack her stuff and leave Viking in a tizzy after he implicated her through his actions in Kem’s murder. But Sam believes the couple may still have a future together.

“I would hope so,” he says. “I think the thing about the Nikki and Viking’s relationship is that myself and Yasmin (who plays Nikita) were always really careful about making sure they were like Bonnie and Clyde, ride or die, they generally really genuinely loved each other and respected each other.

“And I think Nikki has a lot of respect for herself and she knows when it’s too dangerous for her, and I think that’s really smart.

“But I would hope Viking at least tries to have a conversation with her, trying to figure their life out because I like them together, I don’t want to see them apart.”

Viewers last Sunday saw Birdie Kinsella hatch a plot to take out her brother Bren after he was accused of trying to groom his granddaughter.

Sam predicts there will be “chaos” in tonight’s season two finale.

“What’s interesting is we have seen this villain entering the family and that ironically becomes the thing that makes everybody re-evaluate, and I think you will see a little bit of the family come together and solve a problem, and that’s always exciting,” he notes.

“He (Bren) is definitely a good antagonist. He is a s**t stirrer, he really mixes it up and sets everybody at odds with each other. I think you will see with this final episode how the Kinsellas really band together and really tackle the problem together.”

Up to now, Eric has been following Bren’s orders to a tee, but that may be about to change.

“I dare say if Eric knew the details of Bren as a character and what he gets up to and his true intentions around some things, I think he’d have a second opinion as to how close he gets to him.”

Sam agrees that he can see why fans may see traits of Conor McGregor in Viking’s character.

“It’s funny, that comparison keeps getting brought up and I understand why, but ultimately I play a character that is from Dublin that does martial arts and is a bit of a lad,” he says.

“Obviously, the shaved head and the beard. I totally understand the comparisons, but it wasn’t intentional.

“He (Conor) has not reached out. I don’t know if he’s watched the show, or liked it, who knows.” Former UFC fighter Cathal Pendred plays Rory in the series, but even though Sam practices MMA and while he thinks a fight between Eric and Rory would be “a great scene” he insists Cathal would have the upper hand in any potential bout in real life between the pair.

“In terms of reality, Cathal would pull the head from my shoulders. That man is a true warrior, he is carved of wood that guy, he is weapon.​

“I would be a casual practitioner in terms I would base my training, particularly on martial arts, but I’m not able to stand up there with the real warriors.

“I can fake it ‘til I make it, like an actor on screen, I can look like a bad ass, but if I was actually out there I’d be in a bit of bother.”

• Kin’s finale is on RTÉ One, tonight at 9.30pm