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Henry Cavill’s exit from Netflix’s The Witcher caused a huge uproar among fans but series regular Mimî M Khayisa isn’t worried at all.
In October 2022, it was confirmed that leading man Henry, 41, would be replaced by Liam Hemsworth, 35, as Geralt of Rivia in the final two seasons.
Fans certainly had opinions on the swap but Mimî, who plays sorceress Fringilla Vigo, reveals there was a ‘giddy’ energy when the Hunger Games star finally joined them on set.
‘There was a long lead up between hearing who was joining us and actually first day on set,’ she tells Metro. ‘He [spent that time] training with the stunts team.
‘When I see the work that that he’s been doing? Wow, what big shoes to step into; number one.’
The 33-year-old star is full of praise for her new co-star as she emphasises how that isn’t an easy move ‘for anybody’ and the cast did their best to make Liam feel ‘welcome’.
Liam Hemsworth will take over as leading man Geralt of Rivia (Picture: Netflix)
Mimî M Khayisa has starred as Fringilla Vigo since season one (Picture: Netflix/Susie Allnut)
‘I think sometimes [with] actors, particularly at his level, we can forget the human,’ Mimî shares. ‘This human that’s also really nervous, the human that’s also like, “I’ve got a big job”, you know?
‘Don’t let go of the fact that this is a massive job. It’s a massive platform. Those are big shoes, and he’s going to come with all of his feelings about that too.’
Since season one, there have been characters coming in and out of the Netflix show, although never someone as central to the show as Geralt.
Henry had long documented his love for the franchise so his exit came as a huge shock to viewers, making some fans less than enthusiastic about his replacement.
However, Liam’s timing couldn’t have been better according to Mimî as the strikes had provided a break in filming, meaning everyone was keen to get back to it.
Henry Cavill stepped down from the role after season three (Picture: Netflix/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
Mimî says the cast welcomed Liam with open arms (Picture: Jemima Marriott)
‘There was almost a bit of a giddy energy when we had our first read-through,’ she reveals. ‘It was like “Is it real?” It was incredible.’
Season four has officially wrapped filming and before five begins, the Doctor Who actress is returning to her roots in a stage production.
Mimî is starring in A Good House at Bristol’s Old Vic, a comedy which pushes neighbourly niceness to its limits when a mysterious shack appears in a small community.
She shares: ‘The last time I was on stage was 2018, it was quite a while ago. It feels like a lifetime, I feel like a very different actor since then.
‘One of the amazing things about playing Bonolo in A Good House is she’s the only one who really listens, which is why she can poke the bear a bit. I like that, I like provocative pieces.’
She is back on stage for the first time since 2018 in A Good House (Picture: Camilla Greenwell)
A Good House will be on at the Bristol Old Vic until March 8 (Picture: Camilla Greenwell)
Having made her film debut in the 2015 Cinderella live-action, Mimî has been working across both stage and screen for nearly a decade now.
‘I always used to say the stage is my favourite, but recently I’m like, is it my favourite?’ she considers. ‘I trained in theatre, I feel like I know it better.
‘But then you do years on The Witcher, and I feel like I’m more in tune with this world now. Walking onto those sets, it’s so incredible seeing them make everything.
‘I really want to do more of that. I want to experience more of that.’
Mimî had an incredibly positive film experience early on working with David Yates on The Legend of Tarzan, which she says created ‘core connections’ for her.
‘I remember my first day on set, David came and knocked on my trailer. He had a full-on chat and when I got on set, he introduced me to people again.
She trained in theatre but has enjoyed working on screen (Picture: Jemima Marriott)
She promises Fringilla will be back for more with her fellow sorceresses (Picture: Netflix/Jay Maidment)
‘He just took his time, and he was so caring. Something about that process just felt really, really special. David encouraged us to bond, he encouraged us to lean on one another. I think I kept that internally with myself as I’ve gone on.’
The Witcher has a similar ‘safe space’ friendly ethos, with the cast bombarding their group WhatsApp with fun pictures from shoots.
Mimî actually almost deleted the chat after the cast filmed the ballroom scene, which Fringilla was not part of, because the ‘fomo’ was so intense.
She teases that season four will dive into ‘intimate parts’ of the characters and their relationships, bringing a ‘new energy’ to the show.
Mimî is excited to see what the future holds after The Witcher (Picture: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
Fans can expect to see the sorceress return to the fray, with Mimî joking she has ‘spent about two seasons in a dungeon in darkness.’
‘We’re going towards the final storylines, there’s a lot more of a collective feel,’ she spills. ‘These last two seasons kind of work as one really long season.
‘When we did our final episode of season four, we did two slightly different variations because we don’t know where the season’s gonna end yet.’
Mimî promises a ‘gorgeous’ season which she is ‘really proud’ of and hopes new Geralt, Liam, is too.
Excitedly she tells us: ‘I think it will be a great watch. I hope you guys agree with me. I know I’m so biased because my heart is wrapped up in this show.
Mimî will be performing in A Good House at the Royal Court until February 8, then at the Old Vic in Bristol until March 8, with tickets on sale now.
The Witcher is available to stream on Netflix now, with season four expected to be released in late 2025.
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