Vikings: Valhalla star Frida Gustavsson praised co-star Henry Cavill's on-set behavior during the production of the Netflix series. The star portrayed Visenna, mother of Cavill's Geralt of Rivia, in the Netflix fantasy series. Gustavsson first appeared in the eighth episode of the first season, "Much More," in 2019.
A mysterious figure in the world of The Witcher, Visenna is a sorceress who single-handedly raised Geralt from a young age. Despite raising the boy, Visenna would soon leave her son in the care of Vesemir (Kim Bodnia) to be raised as a Witcher. The two would later reunite centuries later in Sodden, as she came across a wounded Geralt as the battle raged nearby. Despite having a brief conversation with the son she left behind, Visenna avoided answering Geralt's questions, eventually resorting to using her sorcery to put him to sleep so she could leave. Star Wars, Gustavsson shared her experience playing Visenna, discussing her experiences working alongside Cavill.
Speaking to Collider about her role in Vikings: Valhalla, Gustavsson opened up about her brief appearance in The Witcher, praising Cavill's treatment of her and his overall behavior on set. Gustavsson stated that Cavill was a good example of how a star should behave, stating that the actor treated her fairly despite her small role in the series. The star then recalled how Cavill would ask her about possibly adjusting lines if she were comfortable with it, as well as asking her whether she would like to rehearse scenes before shooting. Highlighting how Cavill treated everyone on set well, Gustavsson said that Cavill defied most negative stories she'd heard about leading stars' behavior in Hollywood, praising Cavill for his kindness and calling him an inspiration. Check out Gustavsson's recollection below.
“The thing that I think I take away from it the most is working with Henry Cavill. He taught me so much on how a #1 should behave. Even though I came in, I have only like two little scenes with him, it was incredible to see a star of that magnitude for me coming in and being this random Swedish actress, the way that he was so collaborative. He was very, very sweet about, ‘Would you mind if I changed this line? Did you want to run the scenes together?’ Making sure that everyone on the set’s comfortable, making sure that everyone knows his name, that he knows their names.
I think that was really eyeopening for me because coming from Sweden, you hear so many stories about, ‘Oh, all of these Hollywood actors and they’re just in their trailers with their massage therapists and they’re so horrible,’ and then to meet this man who is like, not only the most talented and gorgeous man, but just such a lovely person, that was a big inspiration for me and I hope that I can bring those qualities to set and make sure that everyone who works on my sets feel seen, feel like they’re a creative partner.”
Cavill's behavior in production has been widely celebrated by fellow cast and crew from The Witcher. Cinematographer Romain Lacourbas has described Cavill as collaborative and dedicated on set, offering input about aspects of filming in ways he believed could serve the story best. Lacourbas stated that Cavill also brought humor to the set, creating a pleasant atmosphere for both the cast and crew with jokes. Freya Allen, who portrays Ciri in the Netflix series, has also described Cavill as a "Witcher bible," with the star offering his own perspective on moments in the series by using his knowledge and ion for the source material.
Cavill has earned the of many fans due to being open about his personal interests, with many praising his openness and ion for his gaming and pop culture fandom. While previous stories have revealed that this ion and dedication can be seen with his approach to acting, Gustavsson's praise of Cavill's on-set behavior is a welcome story that is sure to make more people fonder of the actor. In an industry where high-profile projects can be stressful for both crew and less experienced cast , and more discussions are being held about the treatment of cast and crew, Cavill's behavior on The Witcher is a good example of how productions should be approached.
Source: Collider