In December 2021, Kristofer Hivju spoke with Uproxx about the two fantasy projects he’s taken part in, “Game of Thrones” and “The Witcher.” While comparing the two fanbases, Hivju shared something important he learned from “Thrones” fans that helped him greatly on “The Witcher.” “I had to understand the fans’ view and how they look at my character,” he said, going on to add, “I tried to dig into what the fans, how they viewed me. It’s like portraying a real person.” Hivju feels it’s still good to put one’s own spin on beloved characters, but doing right by the source material should still take importance.
Hivju made his “Witcher” debut during the second season in the role of Nivellen: a companion of Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill), who long ago was cursed to take on the form of a beast. Since, much like “Game of Thrones,” “The Witcher” is based on books as well as video games, Hivju has done his best to meet fan expectations of the character. Sadly, if a Reddit thread from u/Revolutionary-Ear354 is of any indication, the changes the Netflix series made to his characterization did not sit well with most fans. Some were fine with the changes, but the majority clearly hoped he’d stick closer to his book counterpart.
Whether he’s playing Tormund Giantsbane or Nivellen, Kristofer Hivju tries to keep the fans and source material in mind as much as he can. After all, little good ever comes from upsetting a passionate fanbase.
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