Henry Cavill has revealed he reads reviews of his performances and “thrives” on criticism of his acting in The Witcher.
The Superman actor plays fantasy hero Geralt of Rivia in the hit Netflix series, and told Vanity Fair that he threw himself into the part, so much that he scours fansites to read feedback on his work.
“I am very happy that people liked the character so much,” he said. “I know that there are mixed opinions out there as well, which I really thrive upon reading as well. For me, it’s vital to go about and read – I’m on all the Reddit forums. I’m reading all the reviews. I’m literally trying to get everyone’s information.”
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Cavill said one of the toughest aspects of working on the show was finding the right balance between author Andrzej Sapkowski’s original source material, and showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich’s interpretation of it.
“I think any of those criticisms, they often lie in things like … we don’t have the advantage of a long involved conversation or dialogue with Geralt, so they are criticisms which I think I was prepared for,” he explained.
“So for me, it’s about seeing that, understanding it, and working out how I can do my job better within the framework provided, [how to] appease and make those people feel comfortable that I do actually understand this character, and love this character just as much as they do.”
In June, Hissrich said that, for the show’s forthcoming second season, she will abandon stories set in multiple different timelines. The structure proved controversial, with some fans complaining that they were too confusing to understand.