As the Princess of Cintra, bound by Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) by destiny and prophecized to be a savior, Ciri is one of the most important and intriguing characters in The Witcher. Across three seasons and many twists and turns, her role has only expanded further, so much so that The Witcher‘s executive producer has teased that Ciri is actually the main character of the show rather than Geralt. When viewers first met Ciri in season one of The Witcher four years, she was the only heir of Cintra after being orphaned at a young age and raised by her grandmother, Queen Calanthe (Jodhi May). Her world is soon shattered when Nilfgaardians invade Cintra, resulting in her fleeing the kingdom to find Geralt and discovering her powers along the way.
She quickly leaves her life of royalty behind as Geralt vows to protect her, and she joins him on his journey. Along the way, she begins receiving training in fighting and magic from Geralt and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra). However, a lot of questions arise about who she really is. On the one hand, she believes she is destined to be a Witcher like Geralt, but there are also whispers of a prophecy that claims she, the child of the Elder Blood, is destined to save the world from end times. On top of that, she’s tormented by visions of her past and even decides to take on a new identity in The Witcher season 3.
The Witcher certainly does seem to be becoming Ciri’s story more and more. So, who is the talented actress behind Ciri who might soon be leading the show?
The Witcher‘s Ciri actress
Freya Allan portrays Ciri in The Witcher. She has portrayed Ciri across all three seasons and is set to reprise her role in season 4, which will explore the character embarking on a new path under a new name. While The Witcher is the role Allen is most well-known for, it’s not the only credit she has to her name. Before she was cast as Ciri, she appeared in Netflix’s Gunpowder Milkshake as a younger version of Karen Gillan’s character Sam. She also boasted guest roles in Into the Badlands and The War of the Worlds.
When her audition for The Witcher rolled around, she wasn’t even aware of the gravity of the role she was auditioning for. She recalled not being sure who she was auditioning for and being told that she had landed the minor role of Marilka, who appeared in one episode in season one. However, after being told she was to play Marilka, she received a call that the casting directors wanted to see her for consideration for the role of Ciri. After visiting with them, she was given the role of Ciri the next day. Even without knowing which role she was auditioning for, the show’s creators could already see that she would make a great Ciri.
Since nabbing a lead role in The Witcher, her career has continued to flourish. Last year she was cast in the long-awaited fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes film series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, in an undisclosed role. She also nabbed her first horror/thriller role in the film Baghead. It’s expected her career will only continue growing as she steps further into the role of Ciri in The Witcher‘s future.
(featured image: Netflix)
