By The stars of Netflix’s The Witcher have had a packed few days at San Diego Comic Con, with a panel, interviews and roundtables keeping them busy. Luckily for us fans, though, Anya Chalotra (Yennefer) and Freya Allan (Ciri) found some time to answer fan questions too, with an AMA posted on the show’s official Instagram.
As Instagram stories aren’t the most friendly medium, we’ve re-uploaded the video to YouTube for you, and included a full transcript of the AMA below. It’s well worth the watch if you can, to see the chemistry between two of the show’s leads!
Anya Chalotra: Hi, I’m Anya, playing Yennefer.
Freya Allan: I’m Freya, and I’m playing Ciri.
Together: And this is our AMA!
QUESTION: Did you read the books to prepare for the role?
Anya: I started reading them when I got the part, and as I was filming, I found it really difficult to carry on reading whilst I was reading the script.
Freya: I’ve only read one of them. I read Blood of Elves the day after I found out I got the role.
QUESTION: Can you describe Ciri and Yennefer in one word?
Freya: Growing.
Anya: Good word. Survivor.
QUESTION: What was your favorite part of working on the show?
Freya: It was the people I met during filming. And the amount I’ve learned off of people that I was working with.
Anya: Mine would be how much I learnt and to come on to a set this big and to be reminded of that everyday.
QUESTION: Freya, how did you prepare to take on the role of Ciri?
Freya: Mainly just looking at the scripts. I didn’t want to overprepare because I felt like there was a very natural parallel between Ciri and I, and I related to her, and so I didn’t want to ruin the spontaneity of that.
QUESTION: Are the costumes as comfortable as they look?
Anya: No! Not at all. Some of them…
Freya: Mine was fine.
Anya: Did you have corsets?
Freya: No.
Anya: It was very physically demanding, so to be in a corset, having to perform certain stunts, it was really difficult. But, every time I went to a fitting, I was blown away by the thought that was behind each outfit.
QUESTION: What are the biggest challenges of working on The Witcher?
Anya: Leading the show. That was a huge challenge. The weight of that, the pace at which we worked.
Freya: My challenges came mostly at the beginning of filming, because I was thrown straight into it, and some of the most crucial moments in this season for Ciri happen at the beginning.
QUESTION: What’s the one thing about your character that you relate the most to?
Anya: Her fearlessness.
Freya: The value she has for her voice, using her opinion. Her curiosity. Her drive to learn.
QUESTION: Anya, do you do anything special to get into character?
Anya: I had the lilac and gooseberry perfume that I put on before I walked out. I made sure I walked as my character, I breathed her in a way. I’d make sure my voice was more grounded for the Yennefer that’s transformed. And then for the younger Yennefer, I was in three hours of prosthetics, so within that time I was able to get into a mental headspace for the scenes that I was doing which were really emotionally challenging.
QUESTION: Freya, what was the most exciting thing for you during filming?
Freya: I did a little bit of horse riding.
Anya: She’s very good at it, and she made it known to everyone.
Freya: No I did not!
Anya: Actually, I had a horse as well. But I wasn’t as good as Freya.
Freya: So yeah, I loved doing that.
QUESTION: If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Freya: I’m going to go quite deep and say healing.
Anya: Oh, that’s lovely. Mine would be, that knowledge is power, so I would be all-knowing
QUESTION: What reaction did you have when you discovered you got the role?
Anya: I think I swore down the phone at my agents. I couldn’t quite believe I’d gotten the role. But I didn’t really feel like I was right for this part when I read the brief, only to discover that there’s so many similarities between us.
Freya: The minute that I had been given the breakdown of the role I just immediately thought this was going to be a challenge and it’s going to allow me to develop as an actor.
QUESTION: What was your favorite filming location?
Anya: Canary islands.
Freya: Mine was actually in Hungary. Huge woods that went on for miles, and it really felt like we were in a fantasy world.
