“Game of Thrones” actor Kristofer Hivju has joined the cast of Netflix’s medieval-inspired fantasy “The Witcher” for its second season this December, but he’s looking a whole lot different in this series.
Hivju is set to appear in the season’s first episode as Nivellen, a gang leader. In the books, Nivellen rapes a woman during a heist, who turns out to be a priestess of Coram Agh Tera, the Cult of the Lionhead Spider. Before her suicide, she curses Nivellen to become a “monster in a monster’s skin,” instead of the “monster in a man’s skin” he already was.
And, thanks to “The Witcher” star Henry Cavill, fans are getting a look at some of the insane details that went into creating that monster.
“Kristofer was extraordinarily brave for season 2 of the Witcher and decided to play his character of Nivellen with zero make up or visual effects, as you can see above,” Cavill joked on Instagram. “Kristofer, we are all so proud.”
Here’s the official description for Season 2 of “The Witcher,” which suffered several COVID-related production delays: Convinced Yennefer’s (Anya Chalotra) life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan) to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.
Returning cast members for Season 2 of “The Witcher” include Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan, Joey Batey, MyAnna Buring, Tom Canton, Lilly Cooper, Jeremy Crawford, Eamon Farren, Mahesh Jadu, Terence Maynard, Lars Mikkelsen, Mimî M Khayisa, Royce Pierreson, Wilson Mbomio, Anna Shaffer and Therica Wilson-Read.
Joining the cast this season with Hivju are Yasen Atour as Coen, Agnes Born as Vereena, Paul Bullion as Lambert, Basil Eidenbenz as Eskel, Aisha Fabienne Ross as Lydia, Mecia Simson as Francesca, Kim Bodnia as Vesemir, Adjoa Andoh as Nenneke, Cassie Clare as Phillippa Eilhart, Liz Carr as Fenn, Graham McTavish as Dijkstra, Kevin Doyle as Ba’lian, Simon Callow as Codringher and Chris Fulton as Rience.