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Liam Hemsworth reveals the full magnitude of the physical, mental and emotional challenges he had to go through to play Geralt of Rivia during the last two seasons of The Witcher. The actor had the opportunity to talk about his experience on a late-night talk show, covering everything from the video games he had been playing for years to the impressive acting method he employed through the use of special contact lenses.
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Of course, the conversation turned to choosing the person who would take on the role of the actor who had been so ingrained in everyone’s minds and hearts. Hemsworth was quite honest in revealing his appreciation for his predecessor. “I remember getting a call from my agent,” he said. ‘And I was like, what do you think about replacing the Witcher in this series? At that point, Henry Cavill had already done three seasons and I’ve always admired him. Furthermore, I am a big fan of his work with this character.” In addition, he continued by saying that just a year and a half before he was playing these games, which for him was not only a fun activity but a way to get familiar with the character of Geralt.
Among the things the actor had to do to transform into Geralt, the yellow contact lenses were probably the most interesting detail in his story. It wasn’t the armor or the swords that had the biggest impact on the character, but it was the lenses that made up the majority of the work. ‘Contact lenses are, you know, yellow, right? But it gives you tunnel vision,” Hemsworth admitted. The actor said the whole thing was “incredibly immersive” and that he literally experienced it as if he were in someone else’s body. The glasses made it difficult for the cameraman and everyone else on set to see him, and he had no choice but to focus solely on the co-actor who was right in front of him. The host joked that it might be a “new form of method acting,” to which Hemsworth responded, “Yeah, I guess I’ll use it now.” contact lenses all the time.
The news that Hemsworth took over the character, as expected, generated several reactions from the viewer. The comments section below the video clip of the interview was a perfect reflection of the broader discussion online. Most viewers strongly support Cavill’s performance. One viewer’s desperate plea, “Bring Henry Cavill back,” was met with a very direct response from another, “No.” It’s too late. He shouldn’t have left’, making it clear that the departure of the original star has caused discontent among a certain segment of the audience.
On the contrary, a considerable part of the public expresses their support for Hemsworth and urges others to give him a chance. ‘Way to go @liamhemsworth, don’t pay attention to the haters. Follow your path and be your own person. You’ll shake it.’ This was an opinion that another shared when he wrote that the recast is a question of the past and the future, saying: ‘I don’t care what they say! I’m very excited to see Liam as The Witcher. I love Enrique! I respect Henry’s work! But just as we have new Spider Mans and Sherlock Holmes, I’m excited for our new Witcher!’ This particular comment generated a lot of agreement, with one response crediting the original poster as “the real monster hunter here” for his positive attitude.
Amid this casting dispute, some comments expressed a more philosophical perspective. One person was unsure about the need for fans to have deep emotional attachments and posted: “I will never understand why people are so attached to actors/singers.” It is a fictional world. If you can’t stand change, why do you watch fantasy shows? This point of view is a direct confrontation with the very definition of fandom, as well as the tendency to resist modifications to long-established fictional universes. Giving a simple opinion, another user wrote: “The hate really isn’t justified,” to which he was quickly supported by another person.
The discourse surrounding Geralt was not the only one as the interview also touched on the lighter side of things, especially when it came to Hemsworth’s appearance which seemed to have become the commentators’ favorite topic. “He’s so handsome omg,” was one comment, to which another responded, “It’s crazy how extremely beautiful he and his brother are.” Oh my god.’ A different user even posed the question: ‘Wait, is Liam really hotter than Chris?’ How is that possible? and received an immediate response in the form of a simple confirmation: “yes.” Liam Hemsworth’s relationship with his brother Chris is often a topic of public interest.
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The last two seasons will be the setting for the actor who will take charge and make the character his own. Amidst the anticipation for his role as Geralt, the vivid description of the
