Caution: spoilers ahead for The Witcher season 2
Here's the famous actor who plays Nivellen in Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher is packed with mutated monsters, disfigured demons, and boastful bards, all of which are given the live-action treatment courtesy of a considerable Netflix budget. Though The Witcher often relies on CGI to bring these creations to life, season 2's premiere episode ("A Grain of Truth") introduces Nivellen, whose uncanny beast-like appearance is achieved through slapping makeup and prosthetics onto an actor many viewers would usually recognize.
An old friend of Geralt's, Nivellen has been cursed since the pair's last meeting, and now takes the form of a beast. He offers Geralt and Ciri sanctuary from the Nilfgaardian army and other miscellaneous pursuers, but harbors a dark secret - his "cat" Vereena is actually a bloodthirsty bruxa. Finally finding a woman who didn't shy away at his monstrous appearance, Nivellen wasn't about to let a few mysteriously-vanishing villagers get in the way of true love. But despite hiding his monster girlfriend from his monster-killing friend, Nivellen's secret inevitably emerges, and he's forced to slay Vereena to protect Ciri. This proves enough to break the curse, reverting Nivellen back into his human form.
Nivellen - both the beastly version and the handsome restored human - is played by Kristofer Hivju. The actor will be best ed for portraying Tormund Giantsbane in The Fate of the Furious - worlds away from his typical fantasy fare - where he featured as Cipher's goon, Connor Rhodes.
By design, Kristofer Hivju is virtually unrecognizable as Nivellen in The Witcher's season 2 premiere. Behind the brown fur, tusks, and that majestic snout, Tormund is barely visible - and then only if you know in advance whose face to look for. According to Hivju himself, Nivellen's beast form was created without a shred of CGI, relying on practical effects only, and that decision pays off spectacularly. The character possesses a tangible, animalistic quality that digital effects could never authentically replicate. Amusingly, however, it's still hard to recognize Kristofer Hivju even after Nivellen's curse has been lifted. When Vereena dies and the beast turns into a man once more, human Nivellen emerges completely clean-shaven. Though the flame-tinted hair and exposed face might trigger a spark of recognition, Hivju sported a considerable beard in both Game of Thrones and The Fate of the Furious. Witnessing the actor in The Witcher season 2 without said beard is almost as disorientating as the facial prosthetics he was wearing beforehand.
Nevertheless, casting a recognizable actor in a largely unrecognizable role works for The Witcher season 2. Despite guest starring in only a single episode, Nivellen feels like a significant character, and later episodes pay off that significance when the true meaning of his story to Ciri comes to light. Nivellen is one of the most memorable character additions in The Witcher season 2 - and Kristofer Hivju plays a major part in making that happen.