It’s been reported that Henry Cavill suffered a little sickness during his final days as Geralt in The Witcher Season 3 – but he dealt with it in the most Geralt way imaginable.
The first book of the new season is now available on Netflix for everybody to devour, as fans learn about the newest exploits of the titular monster-hunter, his allies, and his opponents as new threats emerge on the Continent.
We recently spoke with cast members Joey Batey, who plays the charming bard Jaskier; Anya Chalotra, who plays the formidable sorceress Yennefer; and Freya Allan, who portrays Ciri as the princess’ power grows.
After the third season wrapped, the trio learned that Henry, 40, would be departing the programme, to be replaced by Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth, 33, in the fourth installment.
We asked them if knowing that information months later changed their perspective on their final scenes with Henry… Joey, 34, stated that he now views his co-star’s final hours on set with a’special poignancy,’ especially because he wasn’t 100% healthy.
‘I was there on Henry’s last day shooting, and he was doing a large fight scene and he was ill, if I remember correctly. So I do look back on those final few weeks and they are quite poignant,’ the actor recollected.
‘There was something Geralt-like about Henry in his final few days – he refused to let something like illness or tiredness or exhaustion stop him from committing wholeheartedly to this character. I think those scenes really have a special poignancy to them now, to me.’
Freya, 21, said how her character Ciri’s connection with Geralt influenced how she felt when she learned Henry would be stepping down from the lead role.
‘For me, it’s not reflecting on any final scenes. I think my final scene was me shoving mashed potato down. It’s more so… this sounds crazy, but sort of like mourning through Ciri, because we really got to become so close through those characters,’ she stated.
‘He plays my adoptive father. So that part was the most sad element of it. So it was more reflecting on this whole experience we’ve had together and that coming to a close with his side of it.’
Meanwhile, Anya revealed that she was pleased she didn’t know before filming that it would be Henry’s final season because she would have been ‘bawling’.
‘I don’t think it changed the way I would have dealt with doing my final scenes with Henry,’ the 26-year-old shared.
‘It’s kind of a testament to him. He is so committed to the scene. He wouldn’t let anything else come into that – nor would I to be honest, so yeah.
‘It’s quite nice actually that I didn’t know and could just live in that moment. It was like 3am, I think. I would have been bawling.’
Henry attended the premiere of The Witcher’s third season’s first volume in London with his co-stars and Natalie Viscuso, his girlfriend.
Before the screening, the actor earned an emotional standing ovation after recently thanking fans on social media for “touching his heart.”
The Witcher season 3 volume 1 is available to stream on Netflix, with volume 2 due to premiere on Thursday July 27.
