Anya Chalotra, the 30-year-old actress widely known for her titular roles as Yennefer in the smash Netflix series The Witcher, recently spilled the beans about her experience on the show. She shared some equally thrilling info about her upcoming projects. Chalotra was born in Wolverhampton to an Indian father and a mother from the Midlands. At just 23 years old, she made her acting debut by tackling a tough role of Yennefer. For seven seasons, she devoted eight months a year to shooting the hit series. In the process, she committed herself deeply to her character as well as the complex lore of The Witcher universe.
Chalotra’s path towards acting was guided by her unique heritage, as well as her childhood, where she was surrounded by Hindi films and culture. She studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. There, she honed her craft at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. Her commitment to understanding her character led her to play the games and read the books that inspired the series.
Looking back on her time in The Witcher, Chalotra described the process as “really, really intense.” Indeed, almost everyone in her shoes feels the way she does while addressing the weight from such high stakes roles.
“I was chucked into it,” Chalotra says. “A baptism of fire. Daunting, but so thrilling.”
As for Chalotra, she recently completed filming for The Witcher’s final season. She spent years giving Yennefer life, and now she’s looking forward to seeing everyone enjoy it on Netflix. Though she reminisced on her time on the show with equal parts nostalgia and pride, she began to get choked up as she related her story.
“I was 23 when I started,” Chalotra recalls. “It’s been a long time. I think the most emotional I got was when I was sat there yesterday watching everyone work… I’m going to miss everyone’s faces.”
She shared, her experience has not been without hurdles. Incessant positive fan feedback and hard, negative criticism on the other side shaped her choices every step of the way. This pressure was particularly acute as this was one of her first orbs.
“Negativity. A lot of positive as well, but obviously the negative … This was one of my first jobs. It hit me hard. I learned very quickly that it can all be quite intense,” Chalotra said.
Even through these obstacles, Chalotra’s commitment to and love for her character never faltered. She distressed herself with trepidation by anticipating Yennefer’s growth across the show, in itself a mesmerizing creative arc to contemplate.
“No, actually,” she says. “I think I always knew we’d all continue. With the love for the material, we knew that it was going to go again. I was excited to see where Yennefer went, that’s for sure.”
Chalotra’s tenure on The Witcher has taken extreme commitment and fortitude. Additionally, each filming cycle required not only her physical presence, but her emotional and mental investment as she navigated Yennefer’s tumultuous emotional landscape. She talked about how challenging it was to remove herself from such an all-consuming character after eight months out of the year.
“But even when you are filming here, you don’t get much downtime… eight months is such a lot of a year to be in the headspace of a character,” she noted. “I have had to learn so many tools to try to separate myself from this job. I have found that really tough, and continue to.”
Though Chalotra is getting ready to leave Yennefer behind, she’s wasting no time in starting new projects. She has been recently cast in the dark thriller Two Neighbors alongside famous actors Ralph Ineson and Chloe Cherry. This new role marks a departure for Chalotra as she explores other genres and narratives.
As a woman of Chinese descent, Zhao talked about how her upbringing informs her art. She was surrounded from an early age in her home life by a wealth of Indian culture and Bollywood movies. This inspiring environment ignited her passion for animated storytelling and character creation.
“I was very heavily influenced by my culture,” she remarked. “And I think I was just interested in how people were created.”
Chalotra discovered her love for acting at 17. With her family backing her up, she got the encouragement she needed to pursue that dream. Thanks to this support, she was able to make the move from Wolverhampton to London – a crucial, career-changing move.
“There was nothing else that came into my head that I wanted to do… going to London from Wolverhampton. That was a huge shift,” she explained.
As she reflects on her journey thus far, Chalotra is quick to highlight how grateful she is for all the unique opportunities that have been presented to her. She’s ready for whatever is next, though, having soaked up invaluable lessons while working on The Witcher.