The Witcher became an instant hit and is one of Netflix’s most popular shows despite its mixed reviews. Cavill’s Geralt was one of the biggest draws of show, as he is known for playing Superman in the DC Extended Universe.
Cavill brought something new to the famous literary and video game character, but one thing that stood out was the physicality. He did a lot of his own stunts, bringing a sense of realism to the role.
He Done it Because of Tom Cruise
Henry Cavill and Star Trek: Picard star Patrick Stewart interviewed each other for Variety‘s Actors on Actors series. During the interview, Stewart asked Cavill about his stunt work on The Witcher.
Cavill explained he enjoys doing his own stunts, stating he likes the “physical stuff” when it comes to acting. Cavill worked with Tom Cruise on Mission: Impossible – Fallout, where he played the antagonist August Walker aka John Lark.
Acting alongside Cruise (in one of the biggest action movies of the decade) only strengthened Cavill’s desire to do his own stunts. He also feels like performing stunts himself helps his portrayal of Geralt, as the fights he has are essential to the character’s personality.
“If an audience is watching Geralt on-screen, they must believe that it is me. If it’s not me, I feel like I’ve betrayed the character in some way, and so I try and do as much as a production will let me.“
Using a Rubber Sword
Henry Cavill’s passion for doing stunts seems to have helped the series, as many of the fight scenes are often regarded as some of the show’s highlights. Cavill explained in a past video how some of the sword fights were shot while still maintaining safety on set.
Rubber swords were sometimes used depending on how a scene was choreographed. Other times Cavill would only be wielding a hilt, and CGI would be used to add the blade in afterward. WOW, i think we all never knew that right?
So, what do you all think about this guys?
