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If there\u2019s one word to describe Sophia Brown, it\u2019s versatile. Kicking off her career on <\/span>EastEnders<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Casualty<\/span><\/a>, she quickly gravitated to the world of prestige thrillers, with roles in the underrated Guerrilla, <\/span>Giri\/Haji <\/span><\/a>and <\/span>The Capture<\/span><\/a> under her belt. What\u2019s Sophia been doing since? Well, she\u2019s been off filming her leading role for <\/span>Netflix<\/span><\/a>\u2018s Christmas present to all, <\/span>The Witcher: Blood Origin<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking to <\/span>RadioTimes.com<\/span><\/a>, Brown remembers her first fantasy-related project came in the form of a role in Disney\u2019s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast: \u201cIt was definitely an introduction to the scale of being able to drop into these big worlds. It enticed me into wanting to do more, then the opportunity to join the world of <\/span>The Witcher<\/span><\/a> came around and it was a no-brainer,\u201d Brown explains.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d already watched the series, so I was familiar with the world, and I rewatched it after I got the job \u2013 but ultimately, I parked that all to the side and tried to dedicate myself to just Declan [de Barra, showrunner]\u2019s text, and the resources of the cast and crew that have been a part of The Witcher already.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Brown plays Eil\u00e9, known to many throughout the Continent as \u2018The Lark\u2019, a former warrior of her clan\u2019s Queen\u2019s guard who exiled herself to begin anew, grappling with the difficulty to fully come to terms with that decision.<\/span><\/p> We\u2019ve met travelling musicians in The Witcher<\/span> before, such as Joey Batey\u2019s meek-but-charming Jaskier, but Eil\u00e9 quickly proves herself to be a very<\/em> <\/span>different <\/span>kind of bard to Dandelion, which Sophia was more than happy to get stuck into.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d had some experience with fight scenes in the past on Giri\/Haji<\/span> but this was on a completely different level. I mean, The Witcher<\/span> is so known for its fight scenes, so I knew the bar I had to hit coming in. One of my favourite moments was in the first episode, we called it the \u2018Assassin Fight\u2019, where it\u2019s me versus eight other people, and I just get to tornado through all the stunt guys.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The character of Eil\u00e9 takes on a special meaning for Brown \u2013 not only was it a leading role in a huge, acclaimed franchise, but it was the role that saved her from quitting and pursuing a new career entirely. \u201cI was going to stop acting. I\u2019d made that decision weeks before getting the job, so there was a real synchronicity in me playing Eil\u00e9, with these ideas of walking away from something huge and battling that loss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As a result, Brown put everything into embodying Eil\u00e9 as best she could, working with an acting coach to understand minuscule daily rituals that she\u2019d perform, understanding what comes naturally and what is difficult for her to grasp \u2013 the result is a richly layered performance that Brown disappeared into.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think by the time we were camera up, I really felt like her, so it became so difficult to let her go. It\u2019s been a journey now getting to see it, because to me, that\u2019s Eil\u00e9 on screen and there\u2019s a part of me that feels as though she\u2019s still within me somewhere.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n