One Time The Witcher’s Casting Was So Perfect That It Confused the Viewers
The Witcher may not be great in the following-the-book-canon department, but it has done a spectacular job of casting these two characters.
Season 1 was a confusing time for the show – multiple timelines were at play, and only the fans of the original book series by Andrzej Sapkowski knew what was going on.
Princess Cirilla of Cintra has played a major role from the beginning. In The Witcher season 1, she was supposed to be 11 to 13 years old, and yet she was portrayed by Freya Allan who was 16 to 17 at the time. Ciri’s blonde locks and striking eyes are her signature features, something the viewers can always recognize her by.
Then episode 4 rolled around, and the people met Ciri’s mother, Pavetta, who later passed the Elder Blood on to her daughter. Season 1 was confusing enough as it was, but episode 4 had many people questioning the plot – all thanks to the fact that Gaia Mondadori, who played Pavetta, looked like the spitting image of Freya Allan.
As far as we know, the two actresses do not share any DNA, so it was just a case of a casting choice so perfect that some viewers needed a minute to figure things out. Not only does Mondadori have the same fair complexion and blonde hair, but she also has pretty much the same stare. The resemblance is uncanny!
Now that Allan is older (she is 21 years old in season 3), she looks even more like her on-screen mom. Mondadori has come back for three more episodes so far (two in season 2 and one in season 3), so it is safe to say that we may be seeing more of her going forward.
While Henry Cavill has bid farewell to The Witcher and his character, Anya Chalotra (Yennefer), Freya Allan (Ciri), and Joey Batey (Jaskier) are set to return for season 4. Liam Hemsworth will be joining them as the new Geralt of Rivia.
The Witcher season 3 volume 2, Cavill’s swan song, is available for streaming on Netflix.