Where You've Seen The Cast Of The Witcher: Blood Origin Before
If you can't get enough of the world of "The Witcher," you're in luck. A prequel miniseries, "The Witcher: Blood Origin," promises to share plenty of backstory about the world of Geralt of Rivia. Set over 1,000 years before the events of "The Witcher," the series should offer you plenty of swords, sorcery, and monsters.
"Blood Origin" focuses on a major event in the lore of the franchise called the Conjunction of the Spheres. Essentially, the Conjunction of the Spheres was a collision of multiple dimensions that brought together the different races and creatures that live on the Continent. It also introduced Chaos to the world, allowing sorcerers to fully take power. Finally, with the introduction of monsters to the Continent, the first Witchers were created to help keep the population safe.
Like most high fantasy ensembles, the cast of "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is pretty impressive. Here's who you can expect to see when you watch, and some other notable roles you can find them.
Sophia Brown - Éile
One of the central characters in "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is Éile, an elite warrior elf who hangs up her sword to become a traveling bard. As the threat to the world grows, she finds herself pushed back toward fighting alongside a group of like-minded heroes.
As a bard and an excellent fighter, Éile needs to have grace, charisma, and physicality in equal measures. British actor Sophia Brown is a perfect choice for the role, though she was relatively unknown when it was announced that she was cast. Brown had a few blink-and-you'll-miss-it roles early in her career, like an episode of BBC's "EastEnders" and a small role in the 2017 "Beauty and the Beast" live-action remake.
It wasn't long before Brown started earning bigger roles. She's appeared in a number of detective series, including roles as DC LeAnn Hunter on Season 2 of "Marcella," Karen Merville on "The Capture," and Donna Clark on "Giri/Haji." She also had a central role in the British thriller "Clique," where she played Louise.
Laurence O'Fuarain - Fjall
Any band of adventurers needs some internal tension, and that's where the rivalry between Fjall and Éile comes into play. Fjall is also a warrior elf who is pulled into the central quest, but he comes from a different clan than the singer Éile—a clan that has a very different culture and approach to bracing for the oncoming storm. Fjall is a brooding, dangerous-looking elf, and Laurence O'Fuarain has just the look to pull it off.
If you're the type of person who gets excited about "The Witcher: Blood Origin," you'll probably recognize O'Fuarain. He's had small roles on a number of big-budget fantasy series over the last several years. He appeared on a single episode of "Game of Thrones" as Simpson, a House Bolton soldier. You can also spot him on an episode of "Into the Badlands" as Bowler Hat and on "Vikings" as Hakon. "Blood Origin" seems to be his first major role.
Michelle Yeoh - Scian
The world of "The Witcher: Blood Origin" needs some legendary fighters, and the sword-fighting expert Scian is one of the best. Scian joins the quest in search of an ancient weapon that is important to her clan. Scian is played by the most recognizable actor in the entire cast—and one of the most in-demand action stars in the world—Michelle Yeoh.
Yeoh has made quite a name for herself over an extensive career, mainly by appearing in bombastic and elaborately choreographed action films. Though her acting credits date back to the early 1980s, including a role in the Jackie Chan classic "Supercop," it was her starring role as Wai Lin alongside Pierce Brosnan in the 1997 James Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies" that really introduced her to Western audiences. A few years later, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" catapulted Yeoh to full stardom.
More recently, Yeoh has branched into other genres, including roles in "The School of Good and Evil" and "Crazy Rich Asians." Action roles are still her bread and butter, however, with starring turns in "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (a much-acclaimed indie comedy/drama that happens to feature a lot of martial arts), "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and many more.
Nathaniel Curtis - Brían
Outside of our central trio, there are a number of other major recurring characters on "The Witcher: Blood Origin." One of those is Brían, who has received plenty of screen time in the promotional buildup for the series. Brían is a merchant caravan leader who seems to be in a relationship with a powerful military leader. Brían is played by actor Nathaniel Curtis.
Like many of the actors in "The Witcher: Blood Origin," Nathaniel Curtis has not been acting for very long. In fact, Curtis's role as Brían doubles his professional credits, as he only had one prior to his role on "Blood Origin." That said, it's a pretty impressive one: Curtis plays Ash on the British miniseries "It's a Sin," which chronicles a decade in the life of a group of gay men and their friends during the 1980s. Though Curtis is still relatively inexperienced, these two prominent roles seem to indicate that we'll see much more of him in the future.
Lenny Henry - Chief Druid Balor
One of the more villainous characters we've seen thus far in "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is Chief Druid Balor. Not only does he showcase some impressive control over seemingly dangerous magic, but he is also driven by revenge and pride—never a good combo when dealing with powerful abilities. Balor is played by Sir Lenny Henry.
Lenny Henry got his start as a stand-up comedian, and many of his early roles played to those same strengths. His first notable role came on the BBC series "Chef!" in the mid-1990s, where he played the lead role. Non-British audiences were probably first introduced to Henry in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," where he voiced the shrunken head on the Knight Bus.
Henry has also moved more into dramatic roles in recent years. He had a major role on the third season of "Broadchurch," voiced fan-favorite character Martin Tenbones on Netflix's "Sandman" adaptation, and played Sadoc Burrows on "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."
Dylan Moran - Uthrok One-Nut
If nothing else, "The Witcher: Blood Origin" has some great character names. It seems highly likely that we'll get an extended scene where Uthrok One-Nut explains to his companions how he earned such a colorful moniker. Luckily, Uthrok is played by an expert of comedic timing in actor Dylan Moran.
Moran has made a living by playing hilarious, deadpan characters since he began acting professionally in the late 1990s. His first major role came as Rufus the thief in the romcom "Notting Hill." He would go on to star alongside Michael Caine in "The Actors" before joining the ensemble as perpetually pathetic David in "Shaun of the Dead."
Fans of British television probably know Moran best for his starring role on the cult-hit sitcom "Black Books." His other TV roles include the comedies "Stuck" and "Uncle." Despite Moran's success, he does not take acting roles too often, so it's nice to see him back on television with a substantial part.
Jacob Collins-Levy - Eredin
Those who have delved into the deeper lore of "The Witcher" might recognize the name Eredin. Eredin is one of the big bads of the books and video games, leading the Wild Hunt after Ciri in order to take control of her powerful magic. The timeline of "The Witcher: Blood Origin" is long before Eredin takes this evil turn, though it seems likely that actor Jacob Collins-Levy will still portray him with plenty of menace.
Collins-Levy doesn't have a ton of acting credits to his name, but he has played a few recognizable roles. After a few bit parts, he landed a leading role alongside Jodie Comer on the miniseries "The White Princess," where he played Henry VII. He later went on to play small but memorable roles on shows like "Young Wallander," where he played Karl-Axel Munck, and "Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries," where he played Laurence Osborn. Like many British actors worth their salt, he also appeared in a 2020 episode of "Doctor Who," playing Lord Byron.
Zach Wyatt - Syndril
Though we still don't fully have a grasp of how things will shake out in "The Witcher: Blood Origin," it seems like the character Syndril is set up as someone with tremendous abilities. On the official Twitter account of "The Witcher: Blood Origin," Syndril is introduced as someone who learns "to access new worlds. For better or worse," which certainly sounds ominous. Syndril is played by actor Zach Wyatt.
Wyatt's professional acting career only began in 2018, when he starred with "Game of Thrones" alum Maisie Williams in a video release of the stage show "I and You." He played the tennis coach in the supernatural comedy "Blithe Spirit," and has a recurring role as DS Phil Parhatka on the police drama "Karen Pirie." His role as Syndril is easily the biggest exposure Wyatt has seen in his career and could lead him to bigger and better things if the show is a success.
Francesca Mills - Meldof
"The Witcher" has always been home to plenty of colorful characters, and it sounds like Meldof the Mad will be one to keep an eye on. Meldof is a dwarven assassin who joins the central group and carries a powerful warhammer that she calls Gwen. Meldof the Mad is played by actor Francesca Mills.
Mills has been acting for almost her entire life, and she joined renowned actor Warwick Davis's Reduced Height Theatre Company in 2014. She has appeared in a number of stage shows, and has since made the leap to television and film. She has had small roles in a few major films, like the entirely underwhelming "Zoolander 2," but she's also made some noise in television roles. Look for her on the FX series "Pistol," based on the memoir by the guitarist for the Sex Pistols, Steve Jones. She plays Jemma on the series "Sneakerhead," Earthy Mangold on "Worzel Gummidge," and, most notably, Cherry Dorrington on the series "Harlots."
Mirren Mack - Merwyn
An elf princess who seeks to change the way the world thinks of her, Princess Merwyn looks to be a major player in the events of "The Witcher: Blood Origin." She is heir to one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world of "Blood Origin," so it will be interesting to see which side she winds up on. Merwyn is played by Mirren Mack.
Mack's professional credits only date back to 2020, but her first few roles were some of her most notable. She plays Florence on a few episodes of the much-loved series "Sex Education," and Kaya, a surrogate mother, on the miniseries thriller "The Nest." Since then, she has appeared in a number of short films, like "The Painter & the Poet" and "Blood Rites." She has a few notable projects due in the future. Look for the Scottish actress in the extremely creepy-looking "My House."
Huw Novelli - Brother Death
If Uthrok One-Nut has the silliest name in "The Witcher: Blood Origin," then surely the award for most badass name must be given to Brother Death. Another member of the central group, Brother Death is a powerful warrior, known for wielding a pair of cleavers with devastating proficiency. It seems likely he will play a major role in keeping the rest of the crew safe. Brother Death is played by actor Huw Novelli.
Along with fellow "Blood Origin" cast member Sophia Brown, one of Novelli's most notable roles came on the series "The Capture," where he played Covert Op Bryn. His other major appearance came on the series "Snow Spider," where he played the frost giant Efnisien.
Novelli is gaining quite a bit of traction in his acting career, with a number of other projects in various stages of production. Watch for him in the Viking thriller "Loki's Game" as Willem, the political comedy "Chariot" as Jonty Hetherington, and more.
Minnie Driver - Seanchai
"The Witcher" has some major lore lifts, so it can be tough to keep track of everything that's happening. The fans of "Blood Origin" will have a pretty impressive tour guide through the new series: Seanchai, who we know is a powerful being with the ability to travel across time and worlds. Seanchai will serve as a bit of a narrator for the series and will be played by Minnie Driver.
Like fellow "Blood Origin" star Michelle Yeoh, Driver needs very little introduction. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Skylar in "Good Will Hunting." Other major movie roles have come in films like "Grosse Point Blank," where she starred with John Cusack, and the 2004 version of "The Phantom of the Opera," where she played Carlotta.
On the television side of things, Driver is most notable for her work on series like "Speechless," "About a Boy," and "Will & Grace."
Joey Batey - Jaskier
It's hard to connect two series that take place over 1,000 years apart, but "Blood Origin" has a unique way to tie its narrative to "The Witcher": Jaskier. You may remember Geralt's best buddy for getting songs like "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" and "Burn, Butcher, Burn" stuck in your head for weeks on end. Like Minnie Driver's character Seanchai, he'll serve as something of a narrator to the prequel series. In true Jaskier fashion, it looks like he may be telling this story under serious duress, if the picture released by EW is any indication.
Musician and actor Joey Batey is reprising his role as Jaskier, a character he played alongside Henry Cavill on "The Witcher." If you can't get enough of Batey, he's appeared in several other roles. Look for him as Edward of Lancaster on the miniseries "The White Queen," as Pierre on the series "Knightfall," and as Patrick McCarty on the Epix series "Billy the Kid."