Cover Nathaniel Curtis wears Kingsman at Mr Porter, Raey, Falke and Grenson (Photo: Courtesy of Joseph Sinclair)

Netflix’s new fantasy series may be a prequel to ‘The Witcher’, but apparently it’s going to be quite different

Nathaniel Curtis is set to star in Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin, the new fantasy miniseries and much-anticipated prequel to the streaming giant’s massively popular The Witcher led by Henry Cavill (who is rumoured to be replaced by Liam Hemsworth in season four), Anya Chalotra and Freya Allan. From an outsider’s perspective, for someone whose acting credits can be counted on one hand with plenty of fingers left over, this rising star’s career trajectory sure seems magical.

Blood Origin is only Curtis’ second on-screen acting credit, and he will already be appearing alongside A-listers including Everything Everywhere All at Once leading lady and Time magazine’s 2022 Icon of the Year Michelle Yeoh and A Battle in Waterloo actress Sophia Brown. The actor, much praised for his portrayal of Ash Mukherjee on the LGBTQ+ drama It’s a Sin, will be playing Brían in the fantasy series set to be released on Christmas Day.

Recently Tatler caught up with Curtis to talk about playing an elf, how he landed the role (without playing the games or reading the books) and the changing film industry.

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Tatler Asia
Above Nathaniel Curtis in The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022) (Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)

Tell us about Brían, your character in The Witcher: Blood Origin.

Brían is one of the heads of the merchant guild. He’s charming, charismatic, really warm and loving.

Had you watched The Witcher and what did you think?

I love the original series. I’m a big fantasy fan. The showrunner Declan Barra had the idea that the whole story comes from just a couple of lines in one of the books, so it’s not very regimented. It’s not stuck to one story. There’s a bit more freedom to go to lots of different places and explore the different characters.

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Tatler Asia
Above Nathaniel Curtis in The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022) (Photo: Courtesy of Netflix)

Will Blood Origin be cut from the same cloth?

The entire look of this series is different. The main Witcher series has that dark, gritty, almost mediaeval kind of timeframe and look, whereas with Blood Origin, there’s gold everywhere. There are elves and it’s very luscious and luxurious. It reflects the time before the main Witcher series.

Why were you interested in this series?

I’ve never read The Witcher books—I’m sorry—and I’m not particularly a gamer and I didn’t play The Witcher games, so I didn’t know an awful lot about it. But I am such a fan of the original Witcher series and of Declan. I sent in my tape for the casting, and I had a Zoom meeting with Declan that lasted about an hour. He was so passionate when he talked about the new project, and I thought the way we talked about the character of Brían was so beautiful and important.

Tatler Asia
Above Curtis wears Mr P at Mr Porter, Acne Studios and Missoma (Photo: Courtesy of Joseph Sinclair)

Did you have to get into the books and games after landing the role?

Because Blood Origin is an original story, and my character is an original one, I didn’t know how helpful it would have been to immerse myself into the world [of Andrzej Sapkowski’s books and the games adapted from the series] which [I would then have to] pull myself back out of. So I trusted the scriptwriters.

How did you find filming a fantasy series compared to It’s a Sin, which is a historical drama?

I thought it would be quite jarring, [because] It’s a Sin is rooted in true history and the devastation of the AIDS epidemic, whereas Blood Origin is rooted in fantasy—but it was surprisingly easy. I spent hours getting my prosthetic elf added, and then I walked on to set, which was so vast, whereas with It’s a Sin, we were filming in our home created in the studio. It was nice to have something so completely at the other end of the spectrum.

So were there any similarities between the two projects?

I was surrounded by the best people in both projects. I love the people I worked with on It’s a Sin, and then walking on to set for Blood Origin, there were some really lovely people who were so supportive again. That made the switch easier. In both projects, I was working with much more seasoned actors, so if I had questions, I wasn’t afraid to ask them because they were so generous.

Speaking of seasoned actors, what was it like working with Michelle Yeoh?

When I found out that she was going to be in it, I just didn’t know what to say. When we started filming, we saw each other on set, sat next to each other in hair and makeup, and she was so funny and normal. She’s an excellent proof that you can be incredibly hardworking, talented and humble—and that’s so important.

What were the challenges during the filming process?

With all projects, it depends on your relationship with the other characters. If you were to do a play, you’d have rehearsals [and you get to] start at the beginning and you build the play all the way to the end. But with filming, because you have [to jump around] to different time periods of the character’s life, it depends on your relationship with others you’re working with. If I have a scene where I have a romantic partner, for myself, it’s important to be able to be comfortable with that person. I need to understand why the character is doing what they are doing. I wouldn’t say I’m a method actor particularly, but I do see the necessity of knowing what my characters’ intentions are and why they are what they are.

Both The Witcher and It’s a Sin feature very intimate scenes, both physically and emotionally. As an actor, how do you prepare yourself for that?

I’ve done my fair share of intimate scenes—never fun, but again, it depends on who you’re working with. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that the people I’ve had to be very intimate with have been so amazing. One of the hurdles is managing my emotional release, be that anger or misery. It can be quite tough having to sit there and start crying immediately, and getting myself into the appropriate place where I’m not in emotional danger while being able to then just let go.

Tatler Asia
Above Curtis wears Mr P at Mr Porter, Orlebar Brown and Etro (Photo: Courtesy of Joseph Sinclair)

As a half-Indian, half-English actor, do you see parallels between the fantasy world of Blood Origin and reality?

[Blood Origin being inclusive] is one of the reasons why I signed on to this. When I was talking to Declan about it, he said he didn’t want to build a cast of people who would just be men living in their mums’ basements. He said our world is vast and rich with culture, and so he wanted to show that everyone belongs in fantasy. It doesn’t matter what colour your skin is, what your sexuality is, or if you’re able-bodied—he wanted to show that the world is so inclusive but not tokenistic.

For example, Lizzie Annis [who plays Zacare] is one of the finest actresses I’ve ever seen. She has cerebral palsy, and it wasn’t even written into her character. In the same way, I’m half-Indian, half-English and the colour of my skin isn’t even mentioned in the script. It’s wonderful, because we’re not being “othered”, and we’re a part of this world. And if we’re showing this whole new world, it has got to be full of cultures.

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Has the entertainment industry in the UK become more inclusive?

Yes, it’s lovely to see that things have improved in the last five to ten years. I went to London’s East 15 Acting School at 19 for a one-year course and stayed for a three-year degree. After drama school, there were five years when I didn’t land an acting job. Eight years ago it was more difficult for someone who looks like me [to be cast]. Then the other night, I was hanging out with Anya Chalotra, who [is also of Indian heritage and] plays Yennefer in the main Witcher series.

I’ve only been in this industry for two years, but there are people I know who have been in this industry for ten years and are able to see a lot more clearly than I am that things are changing. I love productions like The Witcher because of the way they show that people of colour are everywhere and belong everywhere. Of course, there are still steps to be made, but I’m thrilled to be a part of the change.

What change would you like to see in the industry in future?

I think there needs to be more representation of disability on screen. The show Sex Education is so interesting, because you have the spiky character Isaac played by George Robinson, a wheelchair user and he isn’t portrayed as saint-like, [which realistically reflects how] people are complicated.

Also, not everyone has the same level of access to the arts. Those who have are people who have slightly more privilege. That is devastating. I was born and raised working class. If I had the opportunities when I was younger, maybe I wouldn’t have had to fight so hard. I fought as hard as I could, and I’m very proud of myself. But I’d love for any child who wants to go to the theatre to not have to spend an arm and a leg to get there.

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Credits

Photography  

Joseph Sinclair

Grooming  

Charlotte Yeomans

Styling  

Sarah Roseharrison

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