The Witcher adds Graham McTavish, Cassie Clare, & five more to cast

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

We'll be seeing a lot of new characters in the second season of the hit Netflix series The Witcher, and the names of seven more actors who are joining the cast have just been announced. The latest additions are Graham McTavish (The Hobbit) as Dijkstra, "a master spy and head of special forces for the kingdom of Redania"; Cassie Clare (Tremors: Shrieker Island) as Philippa Eilhart, "an advisor to Redania's King Vizimir II and leader of the Lodge of Sorceresses"; Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton) as Nenneke, "a priestess of Melitele, and the head of the Temple of Melitele"; Liz Carr (Silent Witness) as Fenn, "a partner in a law firm and detective agency in Dorian"; Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral) as Fenn's partner Codringher; Chris Fulton (Outlaw King) as Rience, "a mage who was instructed to find Ciri after she disappeared during the slaughter of Cintra"; and Kevin Doyle as Ba'lian, a character who has apparently not been featured in any of the Witcher novels or video games.

These character descriptions come from The Hollywood Reporter, with the note that they fit the way the characters were presented in books and games. It's not clear if those descriptions are completely accurate for how the characters will appear in the Netflix series.

Inspired by a series of novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. The show is an 

epic tale of fate and family — the story of the intertwined destinies of three individuals in the vast world of The Continent, where humans, elves, witchers, gnomes, and monsters battle to survive and thrive, and where good and evil is not easily identified.

Season 2 has the following synopsis: 

Convinced Yennefer’s life was lost at the Battle of Sodden, Geralt of Rivia brings Princess Cirilla to the safest place he knows, his childhood home of Kaer Morhen. While the Continent’s kings, elves, humans and demons strive for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect the girl from something far more dangerous: the mysterious power she possesses inside.

Cavill is joined in the cast by fellow returning cast members Freya Allan as Princess Cirilla, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer of Vengerberg, Joey Batey as Jaskier, MyAnna Buring as Tissaia, Tom Canton as Filavandrel, Lilly Cooper as Murta, Jeremy Crawford as Yarpen Zigrin, Eamon Farren as Cahir, Mahesh Jadu as Vilgefortz, Terrence Maynard as Artorius, Lars Mikkelsen as Stregobor, Mimi Ndiweni as Fringilla Vigo, Royce Pierreson as Istredd, Wilson Radjou-Pujalte as Dara, Anna Shaffer as Triss Merigold, and Therica Wilson Read as Sabrina.

Other new cast members in season 2 include Carmel Laniado as a smart, sadistic teenager named Violet; Mecia Simson as Elven sorceress Francesca; Aisha Fabienne Ross as the sorceress Lydia; Agnes Born as Vereena, who is fragile and vulnerable on the outside but is capable of brutal violence; Kim Bodnia as Geralt's mentor Vesemir; Kristofer Hivju as Nivellen, "a man cursed as a result of a terrible sin"; Paul Bullion as witcher Lambert; Yasen Atour as witcher Coen; and Basil Eidenbenz as witcher Eskel, a friend from Geralt's youth.