The exit of Henry Cavill from The Witcher continues to stir up conversation, with the star of the show's upcoming prequel series comparing the British actor's decision to leave to the "Time Lord."
Minnie Driver, who stars on The Witcher: Blood Origin, spoke to Entertainment Weekly about Cavill's departure following Season 3 and addressed the fan uproar over the recasting of his lead role as Geralt of Rivia by Liam Hemsworth. While many aren't happy about Cavill leaving, Driver offered an interesting take from a conversation she had with one of her teenage son's friends about the situation, comparing his exit to the regenerations that take place in the Doctor Who series. "We come from this tradition of Doctor Who where the Doctor regenerates. I think we need to look at it far more like it's amazing," she said. "It's an amazing person, it's an amazing character, and we should have different people playing it. So that was a really cool conversation with a teenager. He was like, 'I never thought about it like that.'" She then responded to the teen with a bit of lighthearted sarcasm, saying, "'Good, you should talk to me more often. I'm cool.'"
Driver also revealed her admiration for Cavill, who she has known since he was a teenager as her brother went to school with the Enola Holmes 2 star. She called him the "loveliest person" and praised his personality since getting to know the actor. Though she has yet to speak to him about her role in Blood Origin, she believes they will go over it when they meet next.
Cavill confirmed his departure from The Witcher this past October, revealing he would leave after Season 3 while Hemsworth would play Geralt in Seasons 4 and 5. The decision sparked outrage from fans who demanded that Netflix cancel the fantasy drama TV series while also starting a petition for Cavill's return to The Witcher which fielded over 250,000 signatures in less than a month. This was the first of two high-profile exits for the actor in as many months as he also was ousted from his role as Superman with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn revealing they're working on an upcoming film based on the titular superhero which won't feature the Justice League star. Cavill has since signed up to join Amazon Studios' production of a live-action series adaptation of the Warhammer 40,000 video game.
Minnie Driver's Role on The Witcher
Driver, who said she's a huge fan of The Witcher series, plays Seanchai in Blood Origin, a shapeshifter who appears before Jaskier (Joey Batey) needing a bard to sing life into the Conjunction of the Spheres story attracted monsters and humans into the world of the elves thousands of years prior. Seanchai narrates the tale throughout the four episodes of the upcoming series, though she only makes on-screen appearances in the opening and closing episodes. She stars in Blood Origin alongside Michelle Yeoh (Scian), Sophia Brown (Eile), Laurence O'Fuarain (Fjall) and Lenny Henry (Chief Druid Balor).
Known for her recurring role as Lorraine Finster on the classic comedy series Will & Grace, Drive has also appeared in with Take, Circle of Friends and Good Will Hunting, the latter of which earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The actor was added to the Blood Origin cast this past September, shooting her scenes over a few days in Oxfordshire.
The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres Dec. 25 on Netflix.
Source: Entertainment Weekly