Anya Chalotra (left) and Mimi Ndiweni in “The Witcher”
It couldn’t be helped. Season 1 of “The Witcher” had to hopscotch through multiple timelines to introduce its dramatis personae and plotlines to viewers and, along the way, put author Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantastical tale and relatable themes in perspective.
At the heart of its story is witcher Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), a mutated monster hunter in the 13th century who’s about a hundred years old struggling to find his place under the sun—or in the shadows, for that matter.
Just as crucial in this story are two women destined to cross paths with the White Wolf: There’s former hunchback and now sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg (the lovely Anya Chalotra), who meets and falls in love with Geralt approximately 30 years after her Ascension, and Princess Cirilla of Cintra (Freya Allan, as feisty as she is pretty).
Ciri is Queen Calanthe’s only granddaughter who, as deftly revealed in the short story “Sword of Destiny,” crosses paths for the first time with Geralt in the Brokilon forest near Sodden Hill after she runs away from an arranged marriage. Geralt treats Ciri like a daughter and trains her while she comes to terms with the Elder Blood running through her veins.
Sophomore season
Inquirer Entertainment is thrilled to have spoken to all three of “The Witcher’s” lead stars—Henry, Freya and Anya—in separate one-on-one interviews to discuss “The Witcher’s” acclaimed sophomore season.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the cult favorite has certainly “leveled up” from its 68-percent approval rating (for Season 1) to a formidable 96-percent fresh rating for Season 2—and that’s no mean feat!
The pilot season explains the nature of Yeneffer’s inability to conceive a child: As vulnerable as she is powerful, former hunchback Yen sacrifices her ability to reproduce to become beautiful—a difficult decision she ultimately comes to regret.
In Season 2, as Geralt and Ciri begin to collaborate closely, we finally see what happens to Yeneffer after her triumph at the Battle of Sodden Hill. It’s the courage in Yennefer that quickly struck a chord with Anya.
“I was most attracted to Yennefer’s fearlessness,” said Anya when asked how she related to the century-old sorceress. “We both have that survival instinct. We don’t take no for an answer. For us, if there’s a will, there’s a way.
“That’s something we have in common that I can’t wait to explore further in Season 3—that kind of presence or magnetism, and where that lies. Yennefer has taught me to recognize that in myself … I feel like I’m now able to channel her personality. I’ve gotten to recognize sides of myself that I wasn’t necessarily comfortable with or was too uncomfortable to admit. And it’s really lovely to get to know that part of myself.”
Chalotra —PHOTOS COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Not ‘living up’ to expectations
Knowing how popular the books and short stories are, wasn’t Anya ever worried about not “living up” to people’s expectations of her in the role?
“To be honest, I worry every day about not living up to my own bloody expectations of myself (laughs),” the 25-year-old actress quipped. “I went in aware of those expectations. But I put in so much effort into trying to bring the best version of this truth to screen and, if it falls short for some people, I am sorry. If it doesn’t, I’m just thrilled and excited that they see how I’ve done my best to make Yennefer as alive as possible.”
Part of the task of bringing Yen to life is relating to the challenges she hurdles. The character is empowered by her magic as much as by her physical transformation. In Anya’s case, what is she empowered by?
Anya answered, “Being good to the people I love—that’s probably what empowers me the most. That’s what it is for me.”
As we reveled in Anya’s candor and unaffected demeanor, we thought of asking the lovely actress, since she’s already lived in Sapokowski’s fantastical world for four or five years now: If given a chance, what advice would she give to Geralt, Ciri and Yeneffer?
“Oh, wow. I’m not very good at thinking on my feet—and perhaps I should take my own advice first,” Anya said, laughing. “For Geralt, I don’t know, maybe brush your hair (laughs)? For Ciri, it would be, ‘Give Yeneffer a little love.’ As for Yennefer, I’ll tell her, ‘You’re doing OK, so just keep going!’”