Anya Chalotra's Witcher Casting Was Meant To 'Challenge' The Audience
There's almost always some kind of fan outcry when the appearance of characters are changed when a work is adapted from one medium to another, and the depictions of the characters in Netflix's "The Witcher" were not immune. The Netflix series is based on the fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The novels have also been adapted into a popular video game series, giving some fans a predetermined idea of what the characters should look or sound like. Fans, especially gamers, can be extremely protective of their version of a particular canon, but it turns out that casting director Sophie Holland planned on pushing a few buttons when she put together the cast of "The Witcher."
In an interview with Variety, Holland explained that she was interested in challenging people's ideas about standards of beauty with her casting decisions, specifically regarding the powerful sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg, played by Anya Chalotra. While some might be wondering how casting the beautiful Chalotra could challenge beauty standards, Holland's decision had something to do with not centering white, Eurocentric ideals in the way they have been in many fantasy shows in the past.
The most beautiful woman in the world
When it came to casting Yennefer, Holland had discussions with showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich about the character's origins and challenging stereotypes:
"In the book, she's described as the most beautiful woman in the world. This was a few years ago and I'd like to think things have changed. But when you think about people's unconscious bias — especially in the fantasy world, it felt like these worlds were predominantly white. And I remember saying, 'I feel like we need to challenge what people think of as the standard of beauty. And having a woman of color in this role does incredibly powerful things to the people watching.'"
Casting has definitely started becoming more inclusive in the past few years, moving away from the stereotypical depictions of beautiful women in many fantasy stories. Of course, Cate Blanchett is stunning as Galadriel and Michelle Pfeiffer is gorgeous in "Stardust," but there should be room in the fantasy realm for beautiful women of color, too! What's important with casting is that the actor gets the spirit of the character right — exact appearance details don't generally matter. Seriously, just look at the excellent TV adaptation of "Interview with the Vampire," which made some major changes from the source material.
Chalotra is a powerful Yenn
The version of Yennefer in the Netflix series is different from her book and video game counterparts in more ways than just her appearance. There have been changes to her backstory and her personality, including making her a bit softer and more trusting. Chalotra is the perfect person for this version of the character, imbuing her with a kind of rawness that resonates with her traumatic past. This tiny bit of vulnerability makes her compelling and helps audiences who might not know the series forgive some of her more frustrating choices and betrayals.
Chalotra also brings some fun specificity to the role from her heritage; she revealed earlier this year that some of her spell-weaving choreography is inspired by Indian dance. (The actor is of British and Indian descent.) Tying details from our world into fantasy settings can make them more relatable and can lend emotional weight to performances. Chalotra is excellent as the wounded and fiery Yennefer and it would be a shame if we might have been denied her performance because she didn't fit a specific "look," so good on Holland.
"The Witcher" is available to stream on Netflix.