With the fourth season of The Witcher now on Netflix and a fifth and final installment on the horizon, actress Anya Chalotra has opened up about the darker side of playing Yennefer of Vengerberg. After seven years in Geralt’s world of magic, Chalotra revealed she stepped away from social media to protect herself from online abuse.
In an interview she recalled how, from the very first episode, she was inundated with insults and threats from viewers dissatisfied with the show’s creative choices or critical of her appearance not matching fan expectations. The actress emphasized that she cherished the role and prepared thoroughly, reading Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and playing CD Projekt Red’s games to portray the character authentically.
But the emotional toll of the harassment proved devastating:
“The first season… was very difficult for me. There were many positives, but certainly a lot of negativity… It was one of my earliest roles and it hit me hard. I realised quite quickly how intense it could be.”
The situation reached a point where she shut down all her social accounts and focused on life offline.
Now thirty, Chalotra looks back on the experience with warmth. Having begun the role at 23, she grew professionally alongside the character, spending up to eight months a year working at Longcross Studios and on location in Wales, forming deep bonds with her colleagues. She describes that period as “intense, frightening, but profoundly emotional.”
Her farewell to The Witcher coincided with Henry Cavill’s replacement by Liam Hemsworth as Geralt, which sparked another wave of criticism and threats. Chalotra defended her co-star, saying the team welcomed him with respect.
Source: iXBT.games