Audiences will probably recgonise Henry Cavill for his role in the DC Extended Universe as Clark Kent, AKA Superman. He first stepped into the cape and tights for 2013’s Man of Steel, before going head-to-head with Ben Affleck’s Caped Crusader in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The Kryptonian returned from the dead in Justice League, while he also went on a slightly different journey in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which is the director’s original vision for the team-up movie.

But Cavill is also known for his other action roles, like the suave superspy Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from UNCLE – before grappling with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt as August Walker in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. He also plays the heroic fighter Theseus in Tarsem Singh’s fantasy epic Immortals.

Freya Allan plays Princess Cirilla, AKA Ciri

Who is Ciri?

Princess Cirilla, or Ciri as she’s mostly called, is Queen Calanthe’s granddaughter and is the only princess of Cintra. So when Cintra’s war against Nilfgaard escalates, she’s wanted by everyone because of her royal status. Ciri is an incredibly determined, headstrong girl – but she’s also extremely terrified by the mystical abilities that she can’t control properly. 

She spends most of season one running for her life across the Continent, and she never really settles because of her desperate situation.  Thankfully, her abilities pushed her towards Geralt by the end of season one, and the next chapter will find them journeying to Kaer Morhen, where Ciri will be much safer from Nilfgaard, the Northern Kingdoms and beyond.

What else has Freya Allan been in?

Freya Allan’s career took off when she joined The Witcher, but she had a few small roles in various short films before playing the younger version of Emily Beecham’s Minerva in Into the Badlands. She also briefly shows up as Mary in the BBC War of the Worlds miniseries. She also has a supporting role as Kali in folk thriller The Third Day. 

In terms of TV, she’s still best known for playing Ciri in The Witcher, since she’s one of the main characters in the series and it gives her plenty of time to shine. But Freya Allan is already eyeing up roles on the big screen, and she recently appeared in Gunpowder Milkshake as the young version of Sam, Karen Gillan’s fiery assassin.  

Anya Chalotra plays Yennefer of Vengerberg

Who is Yennefer of Vengerberg?

Yennefer of Vengerberg is from (you guessed it) Vengerberg, and started out life as a downtrodden girl with a curved spine and partial facial paralysis. However, when she accidentally portals herself to Aretuza (the Mage academy) she starts out on a new journey where she learns to hone her magical abilities under Tissaia’s teachings. Eventually, she uses magic to heal her medical issues thanks to a painful procedure which uses her own reproductive organs to make her “beautiful”.

Yennefer crosses paths with Geralt a few times, and the two fall for each other. From there, Yennefer becomes one of the most powerful Mages in the Continent, even conjuring up vast waves of fire to defeat the Nilfgaardian army during the Battle of Sodden Hill. She disappears after the battle, and it’ll be interesting to see how her friends deal with the loss.

What else has Anya Chalotra been in?

Much like Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra is best known for playing Yennefer in The Witcher – although she starred in the BBC series Wanderlust back in 2018 as Jennifer Ashman. She’s one of the older pupils at the school the Richards family send their son Tom (Joe Hurst) to during the series. She also stars in The ABC Murders miniseries as Lily Marbury, and manages to hold her own against the likes of John Malkovich’s Hercule Poirot and Rupert Grint’s Inspector Crome. However she really proves her acting prowess as Yennefer, and she’s definitely got a bright career ahead of her.

Joey Batey plays Jaskier

Who is Jaskier?

Jaskier (or the Dandelion as he’s sometimes known) is the lovable bard who meets Geralt in a tavern after getting booed by the audience. Jaskier winds up traveling with Geralt during some of his quests to kill various monsters in the world so that he can improve the Witcher’s public image with his songs. You can hear the song now, can’t you? Toss a coin to your Witcher…

What else has Joey Batey been in?

While Jaskier is Joey Batey’s most well known performance, he’s starred in plenty of other British TV shows over the years. He briefly shows up in ITV’s Whitechapel as Gavin Redman, before later starring in Sky’s comedy series Mount Pleasant and the BBC’s In the Dark. He later had a recurring role in the History Channel’s Knightfall as Pierre, a Papal spy in the Knight’s Templar. 

Joey Batey also has minor roles in Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, appearing in season three episode two – and he then played Henderson in the first episode of the BBC’s War of the Worlds miniseries, although he didn’t have any catchy songs to sing in those shows.

MyAnna Buring plays Tissaia de Vries

Who is Tissaia de Vries?

Tissaia de Vries is one of the Mages at the Aretuza academy, and chooses young girls to become students at the school. She’s the one who teaches Yennefer how to use her abilities, and she also fights in the Battle of Sodden Hill against Nilfgaard.

What else has MyAnna Buring been in?

MyAnna Buring is known for starring in a number of horror movies like The Descent and The Descent Part 2, Doomsday and Ben Wheatley’s Kill List. But Buring has also had roles in a number of iconic British shows like Doctor Who and Downton Abbey, while she also appears in crime dramas like Blackout, Ripper Street and In the Dark.

Eamon Farren plays Cahir

Who is Cahir?

Cahir is the leader of the Nilfgaardian army who personally leads the attack on the city of Cintra, and kills King Eist. Cahir is extremely loyal to Nilfgaard and is determined to capture Ciri as well as overthrowing the Continent, but this doesn’t exactly go well when his army is decimated by Yennefer at the end of season one.

What else has Eamon Farren been in?

Eamon Farren has racked up an eclectic filmography over the years and appears in 2017’s Mohawk, the 2018 horror Winchester and Netflix’s The Dig. He’s also had roles in a number of high profile shows like The Pacific, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks revival and The ABC Murders before joining The Witcher. 

Mimî M Khayisa plays Fringilla Vigo

Who is Fringilla?

Fringilla Vigo is a loyal Nilfgaardian sorceress who originally studied at Aretuza alongside Yennefer.

What else has Mimî M. Khayisa been in?

Mimî M. Khayisa has had roles in both Cinderella and The Legend of Tarzan, and briefly shows up in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as a Resistance Officer. While she also stars in Mr. Selfridge, Doctor Who, Rellik and Black Earth Rising. 

Anna Shaffer plays Triss Merigold

Who is Triss Merigold?

Triss Merigold is a sorceress who first met Geralt when she asked for his help in saving the Princess of Temeria.

What else has Anna Shaffer been in?

Anna Shaffer is best known for playing Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter series, but she also played Ruby Button in Hollyoaks as well as appearing in Glue, Class, and Fearless. 

Mahesh Jadu plays Vilgefortz

Who is Vilgefortz?

Vilgefortz is one of the sorcerers from the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and uses his powers to fight the Nilfgaardian army at the Battle of Sodden Hill.

What else has Mahesh Jadu been in?

Aside from The Witcher, Mahesh Jadu is known for playing Dr Doug Harris in Neighbours, before going on to have main roles in the I, Frankenstein movie and Netflix’s Marco Polo series.

Royce Pierreson plays Istredd

Netflix

Who is Istredd?

Istredd is another sorcerer in the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and he had a romantic relationship with Yennefer sometime before her transformation. 

What else has Royce Pierreson been in?

Royce Pierreson appears in Our Girl as Dr Jamie Cole, but he’s also known for starring in Line of Duty as DC Jamie Desford. He later starred in Wanderlust, Judy and The Irregulars.

Kim Bodnia plays Vesemir

Who is Vesemir?

Vesemir is Geralt’s father figure at Kaer Morhen, and he’s been a Witcher since he was a young boy.

What else has Kim Bodnia been in?

Kim Bodnia has played a number of roles in a sprawling list of Danish shows, including the critically acclaimed crime drama The Bridge. He’s best known around the world for playing Konstantin in Killing Eve. 

Tom Canton plays Filavandrel

Who is Filavandrel?

Filavandrel used to be King of the Elves, but he led his people into the caves after they were forced out of their homes. 

What else has Tom Canton been in?

Tom Canton has previously had roles in The Good Karma Hospital, Dark Heart, and Endeavor. He also played the High Inquisitor in Amazon’s Truth Seekers, and he also voices Filavandrel in The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf animated movie.

Mecia Simson plays Francesca Findabair

Who is Francesca Findabair?

Francesca Findabair is an Elven sorceress who becomes Queen of the free Elves and has an uneasy alliance with Fringilla.

What else has Mecia Simson been in?

Mecia Simson doesn’t have a sprawling filmography like some of her co-stars, but she definitely proves her worth in The Witcher season two. She’s previously starred in The Hunt miniseries and the Brave New World series.

Wilson Mbomio plays Dara

Who is Dara?

Dara is a teenage elf on the run from the Nilfgaardian soldiers in season one, and he struggles with the fact that Ciri’s grandmother is the one who ordered the death of his family. 

What else has Wilson Mbomio been in?

Getty Images / Dave Benett / WireImage

Wilson Mbomio made his debut as one of the orphans in 2015’s Pan, before later starring in the Dickensian series as Dodger and then Jake Hunter in Hunter Street. 

Basil Eidenbenz plays Eskel

Who is Eskel?

Eskel is one of Geralt’s fellow Witchers who returns to Kaer Morhen for the winter.

What else has Basil Eidenbenz been in?

Getty Images

Aside from The Witcher, Basil Eidenbenz is known for starring next to Rachel Weisz in 2016’s Denial and he also starred opposite Jenna Coleman in the Victoria TV series.

Paul Bullion plays Lambert

Who is Lambert?

Lambert is a boisterous Witcher at Kaer Morhen who also grew up with Geralt and Eskel.

What else has Paul Bullion been in?

Paul Bullion has had a number of interesting roles over the years, playing Nicolae in Dracula Untold in 2014 before playing Billy Kitchen in Peaky Blinders. He also joined The Bastard Executioner, and had a minor role in Patrick Melrose. Bullion also plays one of the Sardukar soldiers in Dune.

Yasen Atour plays Coen

Who is Coen?

Coen is another Witcher at Kaer Morhen who is often found getting up to no good alongside Lambert. 

What else has Yasen Atour been in?

Netflix

Yasen Atour got one of his first roles in two episodes of Strike Back as Farid, before joining Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation as a control lab technician. From there he also appeared in the Ben-Hur remake, and played Mutton in the 2018 Robin Hood movie.

Kristofer Hivju plays Nivellen

Netflix

Who is Nivellen?

Nivellen is an old friend of Geralt’s who was cursed to live as a monster with boar tusks and huge claws. But he can use magic, so there’s an upside to his curse.

What else has Kristofer Hivju been in?

HBO

Kristofer Hivju is best known for playing the mighty Tormund in Game of Thrones, but he also played Jonas in the 2011 The Thing prequel, and also shows up as Rhodes in The Fate of the Furious.

Agnes Born plays Vereena

Who is Vereena?

Vereena is secretly a Bruxa, a monstrous vampire who can take the form of a young woman with dark hair.

What else has Agnes Born been in?

Agnes Born isn’t well known amongst western audiences yet, although she starred in the Nordic series Monster in 2017 before joining The Witcher as Vereena.

Terence Maynard plays Artorius Vigo

Netflix

Who is Artorius?

Artorius Vigo is another mage in the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and he also happens to be Fringilla’s uncle.

What else has Terence Maynard been in?

Terence Maynard has a lengthy list of roles, with some of his earliest work being Waking the Dead and Reign of Fire, before he later appeared in various recurring roles in shows like Casualty, Doctors, The Bill and Holby City.

Lars Mikkelsen plays Stregobor 

Netflix / Katalin Vermes

Who is Stregobor?

Stregobor is another member of the Brotherhood of Sorcerers, and he’s the one who points Geralt at Renfri back in season one.

What else has Lars Mikkelsen been in?

Lars Mikkelsen has appeared in many Danish programs and films, but he also played Charles Magnussen against Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock before playing Viktor Petrov in Netflix’s House of Cards. 

Shaun Dooley plays King Foltest of Temeria

Who is King Foltest?

King Foltest is the King of Temeria, and he previously showed up in season one when Geralt was tasked with killing the Striga – who turned out to be Foltest’s daughter.

What else has Shaun Dooley been in?

Shaun Dooley started out playing Ritchie Fitzgerald on Coronation Street before joining EastEnders as Reverend Tom Stuart. He later appeared in a few horror movies, including the intense Eden Lake as well as The Woman in Black. Nowadays, he is best known for roles in the likes of It’s A Sin, Broadchurch and Gentleman Jack.

Graham McTavish plays Sigismund Dijkstra

Who is Sigismund Dijkstra?

Sigismund Dijkstra is the head of Redanian Intelligence, and he’s a professional spymaster.

What else has Graham McTavish been in?

Getty

Graham McTavish got started in 1986 playing Ned in the Return to Treasure Island TV series, before joining Red Dwarf as Ackerman and played a submarine captain in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. He later played Mikhail Novakovich in 24 and also starred in The Hobbit Trilogy as Dwalin the dwarf. He even holds a few comic book roles, as he played King Atlan in Aquaman and the Saint of Killers in the Preacher series. Outlander fans know him for his double role of Dougal MacKenzie and William Buccleigh MacKenzie.

Chris Fulton plays Rience

Who is Rience? 

Rience is a mage with fiery abilities who hunts for Geralt and Ciri, and takes great delight in torturing his victims.

What else has Chris Fulton been in?

Chris Fulton first showed up playing a minor role in Doctors, before later starring opposite Chris Pine in Netflix’s Outlaw King. He briefly appears as Max in Succession and also played Sir Phillip Crane in Bridgerton

Aisha Fabienne Ross plays Lydia 

Who is Lydia?

Lydia is Vilgefortz’s assistant at the Brotherhood of Sorcerers.

What else has Aisha Fabienne Ross been in?

Aisha Fabienne Ross is still something of a newcomer, but she played a shop assistant in The Danish Girl opposite Eddie Redmayne, and also plays Maria in Highway One. 

Simon Callow plays Codringher 

Who is Codringher?

Codringher is the face of the detective agency, Codringher and Fenn, and he’s particularly skilled at finding out information from a network of contacts.

What else has Simon Callow been in?

Stage legend Simon Callow’s had quite a successful screen career as well, starring in the likes of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, The Phantom of the Opera, Doctor Who, Outlander and Hawkeye. This Christmas, he’ll be seen in The Amazing Mr Blunden in the titular role.

Liz Carr plays Fenn 

Who is Fenn?

Fenn is the other half of the detective agency, Codringher and Fenn, and she mainly manages the research part of the duo’s work. 

What else has Liz Carr been in?

BBC

Liz Carr is best known for her leading role as Clarissa Mullery in Silent Witness, and she’s also appeared as Dr Marlow Rhodes in The OA. The actress also briefly appears in the science-fiction drama Devs as well as the Mark Wahlberg-led action-thriller, Infinite.

Adjoa Andoh plays Nenneke

Who is Nenneke?

Nenneke is a priestess at the Temple of Melitele, and taught Geralt his magical signs when he was younger.

What else has Adjoa Andoh been in?

Adjoa Andoh is a British star who started out playing Karen in EastEnders in 1990. She’s well known for playing Mrs. Peel in Adulthood as well as Francine Jones in Doctor Who, but most recently she played Lady Danbury in Netflix’s Bridgerton.

The Witcher season two streams on Netflix from Friday 17th December. For more, check out our dedicated Fantasy page and our full TV Guide.

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