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For better or for worse, Netflix's The Witcher has been defined lately by its controversial recasting of the titular character. Once played by Henry Cavill, Geralt of Rivia has been played in season 4 and will be played in the upcoming (and final) season 5 by Liam Hemsworth. But remember, folks, there was a time when Geralt's role belonged to no one at all, and actors from across the world were vying for the fantasy lead of Andrzej Sapkowski's hit books. In fact, one of those actors ended up finding different work on the series anyway.

That actor would be Eamon Farren, who plays The Witcher's complex antihero Cahir. At MCM Comic Con London May 2023, though, the future Nilfgaardian Black Knight revealed that his first foray into the live-action Witcher universe was in an audition for the show's monster-slashing lead.

"I didn't know what I was auditioning for when I auditioned," the Twin Peaks: The Return actor began, "I auditioned for Geralt's role to start off with, and I didn't get that, which was shocking to me. Then I made my way down to this other unnamed character that was like a mercenary, fighter-killer guy. I sent it off and didn't expect anything. Then, yeah, I got the job, and we ended up in Budapest."

Quick pause here - we're not 100% sure if Farren is being serious or not about him being "shocked" at not getting the Geralt role. The actor spent much of the panel proving he had a dry sense of humor, and it's entirely likely that that little jab was an example of it. In any case, once Farren arrived on set, he explained, the role he got is the one he wanted all along.

"Why I wanted to play Cahir," Farren continued, "He has that perfect hero's journey - a broken hero's journey. As an actor, of course, that's great. I get to play every gamut of every personality type. I mean, we start off with a very dark, menacing conjuring of a series. And then through season two, [...] there's a breakdown. He's sort of a broken man. Then, as we move through season three and hopefully beyond, we get to see the full transformation of what his love and faith can transform him into. It's wonderful to be able to play all that."

You can watch Eamon Farren's full MCM London Comic Con panel from May 2023 right here:

Return to the Continent - be it the original Witcher books, the great Witcher games, or the excellent Witcher TV series franchise at Netflix. To help you on your journey, we have our key articles about Geralt's adventures here:

• How to read the Witcher novels & short stories in order
• How to watch the Witcher series and spinoffs in order
• The Witcher timeline explained