There were two major breakout stars of Netflix’s ‘The Witcher’ when it launched last winter. Oh, and there were some actors on it too. Henry Cavill’s physique launched a million admiring memes, whether he was basking in his bath or sauntering around in those oh-so-snug trousers. But getting the right fit for the costume, not to mention the required wigs and contact lenses was a lengthy process.
Cavill recently discussed some of the work that went into getting Geralt of Rivia’s look just right. First, he praised his hairdresser, Jackie Rathore, who Cavill says was kept up at nights due to the white hairpieces.
“My hairdresser Jackie Rathore is absolutely fantastic. She didn’t have the opportunity to actually build the wig herself, so when she received it, she started doing work on it. She worked, and worked, and worked it; it was quite a difficult process. There’s three of them, so she would take them home every night and be changing individual hairs. She sent them back to get a finer lace, so it’s less visible, and she just worked and worked and worked that thing. She was having nightmares about the wigs.”
The costumes for the series were designed by Tim Aslam, and it sounds as though there was a lot of trial and error. Cavill continued:
“Let me tell you this — the whole thing shifted a lot because we had screen tests and the look of the character evolved throughout the first season. We went through a couple of iterations of trousers because they initially had me in leather trousers. I mean, I’m designed in a certain way that things are forced into a stretched position. So, once that happens, the leather just didn’t go back to its natural shape. It ended up being a little bit saggy in places, which was not a great hero, attractive look.
“Eventually, the costume evolved, the wig evolved, the makeup evolved. Once we had it nailed, the experience in the morning — the two hours of hair and makeup and getting into costume — was transformative. It was something which by the time I was out of hair and makeup, my body language changed. I was moving differently. I was talking differently, obviously, but not just the voice, which Geralt has, but the intonation changed. My interaction with my dog even changed. He still saw me 100% as me. He didn’t freak out at all, or anything, but just the way I started interacting with the world changed a lot.”
‘The Witcher’ was an immediate hit when it arrived in December, and a a second season was almost immediately ordered. Filming in London shut down in May due to the coronavirus outbreak. Cast member Kristofer Hivju tested positive for COVID-19. Filming is expected to resume on August 17, with Netflix expecting to release it in 2021.
Check back for updates as they become available!
Source: Variety
