Liz Carr on joining 'The Witcher': 'A dialect coach taught me how to speak the Elven language!'

Liz Carr as Fenn alongside Simon Callow as Codringher in 'The Witcher' season 2.
Liz Carr as Fenn alongside Simon Callow as Codringher in 'The Witcher' season 2. (Image credit: Netflix)

After starring as Clarissa in Silent Witness, Liz Carr joins fantasy show The Witcher season 2, starring Henry Cavill (aka Superman) as monster hunter Geralt of Rivia, which is released worldwide on Netflix on Friday Dec. 17 2021. 

This time there are some cracking new guest stars, including Simon Callow from Four Weddings and a Funeral fame, who along with Liz Carr, play mysterious lawyers Codringher and Fenn.

Based on the best-selling fantasy series of books, the new season kicks off with Geralt mourning the loss of Yennefer at the Battle of Sodden. But determined to keep Princess Cirilla (Freya Allan) safe from the Continent’s kings, elves, and demons, and from her own mysterious power of foresight, Geralt is forced to bring her to his childhood home of Kaer Morhen.

However, with so many questions circling about Cirilla’s ancestry, sorcerer Istredd (Royce Pierreson) turns to eccentric law firm Codringher and Fenn for answers. Here, Liz Carr, 49, tells us more about her new role in this latest eight-episode saga of The Witcher

The Witcher (Henry Cavill) with Jaskier (Joey Batey).

The Witcher with Henry Cavill with Joey Batey as Jaskier. (Image credit: Katalin Vermes/ Netflix)

Liz Carr on joining 'The Witcher' season 2…

"Honestly, it’s not the kind of TV I normally watch. But I saw it when I got the part and I loved it. It’s so swashbuckling, but there’s also a humor to it — and of course, it’s got Henry Cavill! As an electric wheelchair user, being in something that’s not contemporary and being able to show the possibilities of who I can be cast as has been really exciting. I loved the whole thing, but the hardest part has been keeping it all a secret. I filmed the show in February, so it’s really exciting to be able to talk about it now."

Liz on filming 'The Witcher' season 2

"It’s so different to Silent Witness. For a start I had a translator! Some of the words I use are Elven words, so I had to work with a dialect coach to learn how to say them, which was a joy and also very funny. Also the logistics of using a wooden wheelchair was challenging because obviously there weren’t electric chairs in those times!"

Liz Carr as Clarissa in 'Silent Witness'.

Liz Carr as Clarissa in 'Silent Witness'. (Image credit: BBC)

Liz on playing Fenn

"Fenn and Codringher are a legal team and detective agency, who run their outfit from a dusty old bookshop. If you want to know anything in this world, then they’re the people to ask, and Istredd wants answers to Cirilla’s bloodline, who she is and where she comes from. But whether they can tell him remains to be seen…

"Fenn’s great. She has a curiosity about the world and about life. She’s smart, eccentric, and colorful in every sense, including her appearance. When I got the job I was like, ‘do I have pointy ears or special powers?’ Those were my two big questions, but unfortunately, Fenn’s a human, although her power of intelligence shouldn’t be dismissed!"

Liz on Fenn's costume

"Fenn has a fantastic auburn wig — when they put it on me I couldn’t have been happier. I think I look fantastic in it. I really wanted to steal it. She also has these fabulous green silk heels, maroon stockings and pantaloons. It’s a bit like a pageboy outfit. I loved it."

Liz on working with Simon Callow

"When they said, ‘your sidekick’s Simon Callow’, I mean it doesn’t get much better than that! When you work with people of that caliber then it pushes you and inspires you. It also gives you the confidence to try new things, so there are a couple of ad-libbed lines between us that add humor and a real sense of who they are to each other. They’ve been buried in this business and this book shop for many years so they’re a tight unit but a bit like bickering siblings."

Henry Cavill wielding his mighty sword in 'The Witcher' season 2.

Henry Cavill wielding his mighty sword in 'The Witcher' season 2. (Image credit: Netflx)

Liz on 'The Witcher' lead star Henry Cavill

"Unfortunately I didn’t get any scenes with him! I might have seen him in the lunch queue, but to be fair that could have been a stunt double! Sometimes on a big shoot you see people you’re in awe of, but if you’re not in a scene with them then you don’t always get to meet them. But Simon Callow and I would love to go back for another series, so you never know!"

Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill)

 The Witcher hero Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill)  (Image credit: Netflix)
Nicholas Cannon
TV Content Director on TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week

I'm a huge fan of television so I really have found the perfect job, as I've been writing about TV shows, films and interviewing major television, film and sports stars for over 25 years. I'm currently TV Content Director on What's On TV, TV Times, TV and Satellite Week magazines plus Whattowatch.com. I previously worked on Woman and Woman's Own in the 1990s. Outside of work I swim every morning, support Charlton Athletic football club and get nostalgic about TV shows Cagney & Lacey, I Claudius, Dallas and Tenko. I'm totally on top of everything good coming up too.