Game of Thrones star Kristofer Hivju reveals how his character, Nivellen, from The Witcher season 2 was created using prosthetics and costumes. Hivju is best known for playing wilding leader, Tormund Giantsbane, in the HBO original series Game of Thrones. The Norwegian actor has also appeared in 2017's The Fate of the Furious, 2016's The Last King, and 2013's After Earth.
When Netflix's series, The Witcher, first released in 2019, it immediately drew many comparisons to Game of Thrones, due to its style, tone, and subject matter. Dipping further into the Game of Thrones well, The Witcher season 2 even brought on a fan-favorite actor from Thrones, in way of Hivju. The actor first appeared in the Netflix series in season 2, episode 1; however, he was entirely unrecognizable. Playing the character Nivellen, who is a cursed aristocrat, Hivju was decked out in a half boar, half bear costume that was as frightening as it is real. The amount of realism the costume captured is entirely due to the fact that is used a lot of prosthetics.
Speaking to TV Insider, Hivju reveals that much of his costume for Nivellen in The Witcher season 2 was created with prosthetics and not CGI. Describing his wardrobe as an "enormous process," Hivju details that the costume department first took a sculpture of his full body, and then built his suit upon it. The actor further explains that "everything you see -- [his] hands, [his] feet, [his] body" is real. Hivju jokes that even his nipples had to "fit into the suit." View Hivju's explanation of his The Witcher season 2 Nivellen costume being created out of prosthetics below:
"It was an enormous process. First, they did a sculpture of my full body, and then built the suit upon my body, so even my nipples fit into that suit. [Laughs] Everything you see — my hands, my feet, my body; it’s real. It’s prosthetics. And that was amazing. We could have done this with me running around in a slim green suit, you know? So, I think it was a fantastic choice to do it, so I could be in the room with the actors and play for real. I think it’s beautifully done, and when you look into his eyes, they’re my eyes."
As Hivju points out above, The Witcher creators could have created the character entirely from CGI; however, instead, they opted for a more practical approach. Doing so, this allowed the other actors in the room play off of Hivju's costume, rather than attempting to imagine what he may look like after post-production. The actor goes on to explain that it took "seven people" to help him put on the suit, which means the costume was a "great deal of teamwork." Still, it seems the longest process was to actually make the suit. Hivju even studied how boars and bears move to really nail down the character's movements. To this, the actor explains, "you have to play the suit, you know, and make it full of life." Hivju says he felt like a "puppeteer and the puppet at the same time."
Although Nivellen did require some CGI to fully come to life, it seems there was still a great deal of practical effects used to create the character's look. Owing to the decision to create the suit and prosthetics, as well as Hivju's dedication to the role, the Nivellen character feels real and authentic on-screen. While the rest of the show does feature CGI in other areas, particularly many of the monsters, the practical approach to this particular character really adds to his depth and rich emotions. Viewers can see Nivellen in all his prosthetic glory in The Witcher season 2, which is now streaming on Netflix.
Source: TV Insider