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In an interview with Première magazine, Henry Cavill admitted that he couldn’t get the character of Geralt of Rivia out of his head, even before Netflix began working on its own adaptation of The Witcher (via PlayStation Lifestyle).
Reddit user Valibomba did a complete transcription and translation of the four page magazine feature, so hats off to them. Within the interview, Cavill expressed his admiration and enthusiasm for Andrzej Sapkowski’s series. ‘I discovered the games, then I discovered the books, and the universe of The Witcher instantly meant something to me. I often thought about playing Geralt,’ he explained. ‘When the opportunity appeared, I didn't let the chance pass me. I asked my agent to make me meet Lauren [Schmidt Hissrich, Netflix's The Witcher showrunner] as soon as possible.’
Cavill doubled down on his dedication, and described that he lives and breathes the grimly dark universe of The Witcher. ‘I didn't even have the need to prepare myself for the role. I already got numerous opportunities to think about this character while I was playing the games,’ he said, ‘My preparation was already made before the casting started!’
Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich also revealed that he is impossible to separate from Geralt’s silver locks. ‘He always keeps this wig on his head… By the way, it's really strange to see him with his black hair, now!’ she remarked, and Cavill said he loves to dress up as the Butcher of Blaviken.
‘I love to wear this costume and this wig. I had to get used to it at first, it was a bit uncomfortable, but then I forgot it completely! Each morning, when I put them on me, I go one step further to the embodiment of the character. It allows me to slip into the shoes of Geralt,’ he said. The authentic aesthetic of Netflix’s The Witcher is the beating heart of the show, as stated by production designer Andrew Laws.
‘We are not the poor cousin of Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones,’ he expressed. ‘Netflix has given us quite a lot to work with! We have filmed gigantic scenes, and we have given our series a production value worthy of the big screen.’
Netflix’s The Witcher does not have a release date yet, but you can play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on the Nintendo Switch right now.
