Television shows are often at the mercy of their actors and actresses. The Witcher is no exception. Not only is an actor responsible for making the best of their character, but they also do everything they can to interpret the direction and portray what they feel is right. Henry Cavill (Geralt) recently had an interview explaining some of these choices that he felt were necessary, particularly with the Geralt’s accent which distinguishes him as a unique character among all the rest.

The Witcher is a character straight out of Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novels. With the video game adaptation winning the game of the year in 2015, it’s no surprise to see such success in the recent Netflix development. Reviving this universe on the big screen, it centers around a medieval world called the Continent and follows the stories of Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer of Vengerberg, and princess Ciri.

Now that the Witcher is streaming on Netflix, get caught up on all the terminology like the Law of Surprise, Conjunction of the Spheres, and other key terms. https://t.co/pq0aJnTuLN pic.twitter.com/RLe1PKFC2g

— IGN (@IGN) December 27, 2019

The dark-fantasy series has so much lore and a cult following in its wake, but it’s made more special with Cavill’s decision. Anyone watching the show will instantly notice Geralt’s striking accent. According to Cavill, this choice was his personal way of creating a uniqueness with Geralt, bringing to life a concept that especially prominent in the books.

As he says in his interview with The Wrap, “For me, as a performer of the show, it was my job to bring my performance and everyone else was allowed to bring their performances, separately. Cavill continues with how he wanted to “[express] the essence of who he is in the books and bring that space in the format that was allowed by the show.” The show draws a lot more from the books which is distinct from the games where the character is played with an American accent.

Cavill’s clearly put a lot of thought into the show with the main focus being how unique he is and readily molds that into his character: Geralt, a mutant and outsider. The show has already proven to be a hit with fans and there’s bound to be more to see with the incoming season 2 in 2021.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat