The Cast of 'The Witcher: Blood Origin': Your Guide
The already expansive world of Netflix's The Witcher franchise has gotten a lot bigger. Set 1,200 years before the events of the original hit fantasy series, The Witcher: Blood Origin presents a major event in the show's lore, as it follows a group of warriors and mages who seek vengeance in the wake of a coup on the elven Continent. To bring the story to life, the prequel miniseries, which premiered on Christmas 2022, cast a group of up-and-coming stars as well as esteemed actors. Read on to meet the faces behind the engrossing series.
Sophia Brown as Éile
Éile was born into the fearsome Raven clan of Pryshia. Unable to stomach the brutality of acting as the monarchy's sword, the former warrior eventually leaves her family to become a traveling bard. She's now widely known as the Lark, and her revolutionary songs are a balm for the lowborn who live under the noble class's thumb. Though she's left her duties behind, she still uses her fighting skills to defend the helpless.
Brown is a British actress who made her debut in a UK production of Sister Act the Musical. She previously appeared in shows and films including the Netflix series Girl/Haji, the ITV series Marcella, and Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. In her interview with Marie Claire, the actress shared that playing Éile has been a "real rebirth for [her] creatively as an artist." Next, she's set to appear in the upcoming British shows Borderland and You & Me.
Laurence O'Fuarain as Fjall
Fjall, member of the kingdom of Xintrea's Dog Clan, is sworn to protect the kingdom's princess, Merwyn. When he betrays his clan by getting too close to the royal, he's banished and left to travel as a sellsword. Though he and Éile meet as rivals, the former clan members eventually find common ground through their quest.
O'Fuarian is an Irish actor who has appeared in several action series, including stints on HBO's Game of Thrones, Prime Video's Vikings, and AMC's Into the Badlands. The Dublin native will next appear in the supernatural thriller Creepers.
Michelle Yeoh as Scían
Scían is lone surviving member of the Ghost Tribe, a group of nomadic warriors who didn't swear allegiance to a kingdom. She formerly served as Éile's "swordmother" and trainer; when the bard abandoned her duties, Scían was dishonored and banished. She worked as a sellsword to survive, and she longs to be reunited with her ancestral blade, Soulreaver, which was taken by Xintrea.
Yeoh is an action star who began her acting career in Hong Kong's film industry. (Fun fact: Yeoh utilizes her dance training to learn fight choreography and has never trained in martial arts.) She crossed over into Hollywood through projects including the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the iconic kung fu movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Recently, she's starred in blockbusters including the rom-com Crazy Rich Asians, Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and the critically-acclaimed Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Francesca Mills as Meldof
At this point in the show's history of the Continent, elves are in power and dwarves have been forced back into the mountains. When we meet Meldof, she's seeking vengeance for her beautiful bearded lover Gwen, who was killed by Golden Empire warriors. As she hunts down the men responsible, Meldof's accompanied by her beloved warhammer, which she named after Gwen.
Mills is a stage and screen actress who's best known for playing Cherry Dorrington on the Hulu series Harlots. She also appeared in the film Zoolander 2, the Hulu series Pistol, and the British shows Sneakerhead and Worzel Gummidge.
Huw Novelli as Brother Death
Callan, who's better known as Brother Death, is a warrior and expert tracker who seeks vengeance against the Golden Empire for wiping out a village that had taken him in. When he hears of Éile, Fjall, and Scían's quest, he's quick to offer help to the potential new allies. He's also in love with the mage Zacaré, who saw the fighter at his worst and still accepted him.
Novelli is a Welsh actor who previously appeared in the BBC series The Pact, the Peacock original series The Capture, and the Lifetime TV movie The Watcher in the Woods.
Lizzie Annis as Zacaré
Zacaré is a mage who isolates herself as repentance for a terrible spell she and her celestial twin, Syndril, performed in the past. (The pair are especially gifted mages who were born in the same village at the same time under the same burning star, and they're especially adept at healing magic.) Zacaré's home is protected by a marsh that is filled with mists which force visitors to relive their worst memories.
Blood Origin is Annis' first major television role. The British actress has previously appeared in several plays and was also a voice actor on the podcast series Crush Hour: A Musical.
Zach Wyatt as Syndril
Syndril was a powerful mage serving in the court of Xintrea when he discovered that the ancient Dwarven monoliths buried under the Continent could be used to open portals to other worlds. He quickly came to regret his research after seeing how his fellow court mage, Baelor, planned to use the new power.
Wyatt is a stage and screen actor who has appeared in the 2019 film Blithe Spirit and the BritBox series Karen Pirie. He's next set to appear alongside Nick Frost and Jacob Anderson in the fantasy rom-com Timestalker.
Mirren Mack as Merwyn
Xintrean princess Merwyn admires the legendary conquerors of history and doesn't want to be reduced to a pawn who is married off to another kingdom for an alliance. Her ambition leads her to an alliance with the treasonous mage Balor, who promises to help her create a unified elven civilization that brings knowledge and enlightenment to other worlds.
Mack is a Scottish actress who made her TV debut as Florence on season 2 of the Netflix comedy Sex Education. She also starred in the BBC miniseries The Nest, and the British crime series Dalgliesh.
Sir Lenny Henry as Balor
The extremely ambitious Chief Sage Balor is a lowborn who has always wanted to gain power and raise himself up among Xintrea's strict caste system. When he travels through the monolith, he encounters a mysterious force that will give him ultimate power in return for a devastating sacrifice.
Henry is an esteemed actor, singer, and writer who began his career as a stand-up comedian in the late '70s. He has since become one of the most prominent Black-British comedians in the world and starred in his own program, The Lenny Henry Show. He has also appeared in the films Penelope and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (he voiced the shrunken head on the Night Bus), as well as the series Broadchurch, The Sandman, and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Jacob Collins-Levy as Eredin
Xintrean military captain Eredin is played by Collins-Levy, an Australian actor who previously starred as Henry VII in the STARZ series The White Princess, alongside Jodie Comer as Elizabeth of York. He also appeared in the Netflix series Young Wallander, a 2020 episode of Doctor Who and the Australian series Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries.
Samuel Blenkin as Avallac’h
Avallac’h is a young mage who becomes Merwyn's bodyguard and taps into a surprising power from the monoliths. Before Blood Origin, the British actor originated the role of Scorpious Malfoy in the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. He's also appeared in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, FX's Atlanta, and the Netflix series Peaky Blinders and The Sandman.
Minnie Driver as Seanchaí
The Witcher fan favorite Jaskier (Joey Batey) learns the story of the Lark and the Golden Empire from the space- and time-traveling storyteller Seanchaí. Playing the mysterious figure is Driver, a British actress whose best known for appearing in films including Good Will Hunting, Grosse Point Blank, I Give It a Year, and Beyond the Lights. She also recently appeared in the Prime Video remake of Cinderella and the HBO Max rom-com Starstruck.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rq3RopycpJGev6Z6wqikaJulocG2vsRoq69lo528uL%2BOrZ%2BeZaeewaS0xKtkm6SfpLFuu9GinqKmXZiutMCMp5ytnpyexXA%3D