‘Love, Loss, And The Cost Of Survival’: Mimî M Khayisa On The Witcher Season 4

The Witcher is back – but it looks a little different… After a headline-making casting swap in 2022, Liam Hemsworth has taken the reins from Henry Cavill in this the fourth season of the hit Netflix fantasy drama. Reeling from the Continent-altering events of the last season, we can expect a raging war, countless enemies and unexpected allies as Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri continue their journeys with the hopes of reuniting for good.

One face you’re bound to recognise is British star Mimî M Khayisa, returning to her fan-favourite role as Fringilla Vigo. We sat down with Mimî to find out what season 4 has in store.

‘It feels like the gloves are off in season 4.‘
Photographer: Jemima Marriot
Make-up: Amalie Russell Art
Hair: Flora Masaya

Q&A: Mimî M Khayisa On The Witcher Season 4

Hi Mimî, how’s life going at the moment?

Life’s going really well, thank you. I’m incredibly excited to share what we’ve been creating in The Witcher world. You’ve all been very patient.

You’re back in your fan-favourite role, Fringilla Vigo. Can you give us an elevator pitch for the series?

Challenge accepted. I’d say, in the words of Yennefer, ‘Neutrality be damned’. The Continent is darker than ever. We left season 3 at ‘The Cost of Chaos’: relationships torn apart, and morale lower than ever. Tissaia is gone, the Brotherhood is in shambles, and our heroes are separated. But if Yennefer, Geralt and Ciri can make it through their own personal baptisms of fire, perhaps they can find their way back together and in doing so, unite us all. It’s a season of glorious misfits.

How would you summarise season 4?

Love, loss, and the cost of survival. It feels like the gloves are off.

How would you describe Fringilla, and what is it like playing her?

What’s really interesting is that we’ve just finished filming season 5, which is our finale. These last two seasons feel like one long story to me. They were written in tandem, and there was this hot-potato energy on set – you never wanted to drop the ball. Season 4 is a lot about the unspoken; Fringilla carries guilt and is disillusioned by what came before. Yet she still believes in more. It’s about what’s repairable and what’s forever lost. Also the collective power of sacrifice. We ask what it means to choose your own path and what’s predestined. I adore her. There were days on set when Mecia [Simson, who plays Francesca Findabair] and I couldn’t even look at each other without tearing up.

How did you get into character?

For me, I go home, if I can. It’s the only place I truly switch off, where I can exhale and get back into alignment. It sounds indulgent, but the heart of our job is to stay open enough to freely receive and respond while looking after ourselves holistically. 

Practically, I rewatch previous seasons, read, mind-map and vision-board. Every character I explore has their own scent and playlist, which evolves over time. Fringey even has her own birth chart (Capricorn Sun, Scorpio Moon, Virgo Rising). She’s also in her season of green. In the books, she has green eyes. Green represents dominion, renewal, and resurrection. Also life reborn through endurance. Biblically, it’s the mark of divine mercy. Over time, it became linked with envy. To understand envy, you need to first understand lack. I could go deeper, but that’s a podcast.

My ethos with creating is: explore it all and lose what isn’t useful. The more you know, the less you need to perform. I love it most on set when you can simply trust the call and response.

What does season 5 have in store for Fringilla?

I can’t say too much, but for the first time, she’s truly choosing for herself. Not out of fear. That’s a powerful place to be.

Any standout moments from rehearsals or filming?

Yes! I can’t reveal details, but it involved a Sunday afternoon phone call with our incredible showrunner, which resulted in a script edit and a whole new visual arc for my girl. One that our hair and makeup team executed brilliantly in days. [Make-up artist] Deb Watson is fearless when it comes to serving the story. We have such an incredible team. 

What about standout moments from your Witcher experience so far?

Playing Fringilla all these years has been such a gift but more than that, it’s the people I’ve been blessed to tell this story with. As I said, we’ve just completed filming the finale, and emotions are high. Saying goodbye doesn’t quite feel real yet. Over these past seven to eight years, we’ve seen marriages, divorces, deaths, babies, new homes and ventures. For many of us, this was our baptism. I’m excited to share it with everyone. When you play a character for this long, you start marking your life events by seasons. The biggest standout from this has been the people I’m taking with me.

What is the cast dynamic like?

It’s beautiful. There’s a lot of love, generosity, and shared history now. Some days feel like reunions, others like stepping into new worlds. My favourite thing to do on set is just observe. I love watching creatives create. Often I would go in on days I wasn’t filming just so I could observe. There’s so much to learn from how others explore and express themselves. The Witcher world continues to be a masterclass in that. From Freya Allan’s transformation to Mahesh Jadu’s precision and Liam’s sheer class. It’s fertile ground.

This is the first season with Liam Hemsworth and without Henry Cavill. Did that change the vibe on set?

You can’t be led by someone for that long and not feel it. When MyAnna Buring’s Tissaia died, coming back on set felt like relearning a new normal. Inevitably, there’s a tonal shift, neither better nor worse, just different. Much is new this season. A lot of faces have gone. Sir Laurence Fishburne has joined us. Don’t tune in expecting the same – we’re always evolving. I mean, Cahir got a haircut!

Who’s your favourite person to work with?

I can’t choose one, that would be impossible. I’ll give you three.

Eamon Farren, as a person, is sunshine and gold. His wit is sharp, his heart is huge, and he holds space for everyone. Then, when you call ‘action’, he’s a one-take wonder.

Mecia Simson – I may cry with her forever. She’s intuitive, questions everything, and sees beyond the surface. Working opposite her is sensory. I almost kissed her once, that’s how much I adore her.

And Anya Chalotra, incandescent. The epitome of a leading lady. People often speak about her beauty, but that’s insufficient for who she is. She’s extraordinary, centred and fearless. Yen breathes because of her. I hope to work with her again, next time with her directing. Visionary.

Oh, and did I mention Sir Laurence Fishburne? Yeah, that happened.

Anything you can tease about season 5?

Nothing at all, I think it would give away how far she gets! Even I was surprised. People forget, we’ve been dropping like flies, this season more than ever.

‘Don’t tune in expecting the same – we’re always evolving.’
Photographer: Jemima Marriot
Make-up: Amalie Russell Art
Hair: Flora Masaya

Any roles in the pipeline you’re excited about?

What I’m most excited about right now is finishing my book. It’s been four years in the making, and I’ve set a February deadline to complete the manuscript.

What’s been your favourite project to date?

Honestly teaching, especially back home in South Africa. I want to return to it.

Who have been your favourite actors to work with?

So many! Olivia Darnley, Mariah Gale, MyAnna Buring, Sir Laurence Fishburne, and Paapa Essiedu. I also loved working with Alexander Skarsgård.

Which co-star did you learn the most from?

Probably Anya Chalotra, Cate Blanchett and Lars Mikkelsen.

What’s your dream role?

To have the book I’m writing about my family history adapted into a film.

What genre would you like to explore more?

Something contemporary: I haven’t done much rooted in the present day.

Who is an actor, writer, or director you’d love to work with?

I’d love to work with Tera Regan again, she’s a writer and exec on The Witcher and I can’t wait to see what she does next. I like her mind. Also Sophie Okonedo; just one of the greatest to ever do it.

Do you get to spend much time at home, and what do you enjoy doing there?

Yes. I’m actually getting ready to go back for Christmas. I see my family, sleep in my own bed, read books on the sofa with my dog, and simply exhale. I create, explore, and soak it all in, I write. Then I come back refreshed

Do you live in the town or the country?

Country. I’m a Surrey girl. I did a few years in London, but it wasn’t for me. In South Africa, I’m more of a town girl.

What’s your interior design style?

At home it’s quite bohemian: lots of plants, wood and open indoor-outdoor spaces. Everything feels lived-in and organic. Here in the UK, it’s cosy country living, creams, soft carpets upstairs, oak floors downstairs, layered rugs and abundant artwork. My kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s a no-shoes house unless you’re out back.

How do you find balance between personal and work life?

I don’t know if I do. We do. I guess the closest is being intentional in taking time off after a busy season. In our profession, you don’t always want to do that. My family is very involved in what I do so in that way, my world isn’t too compartmentalised. My agency is incredible: they host them, and have done dinners and functions with them. When I’m in theatre, they join socials with the cast, spend time backstage and send snacks during tech week. Even my dad, who is in his 80s, will travel to support me when he can. Set visits, red carpet events. My parents even came to Venice Film Festival with me. I’m very lucky. I have a lot of support both professionally and personally. That means when the scales begin to feel imbalanced, I have others to help me navigate that.

How can we all live a little better?

People. I think the most fulfilling part of life is centred around the quality of our relationships. Every experience can be enriched or belittled based on who you have around you. Embrace the good ones and be intentional about pouring into them. At home we have uBantu – look it up because it’s beautiful. Fundamentally it’s the heart of humanity shown and demonstrated through how we live and give. The heart of it, is the joy that comes in communion. It will make your bright days so bright, you need sunglasses and your darker ones more bearable. So in short, uBantu. 

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

I’m most excited about finishing my book and holding a written record of my family’s history. One day, my kids will read it and know where they come from. It’s so easy for things to get lost over time, I felt that when my mum died but with this, sooner rather than later we’ll have a capsule.

‘The most fulfilling part of life is centred around the quality of our relationships.’
Photographer: Jemima Marriot
Make-up: Amalie Russell Art
Hair: Flora Masaya

What Is Mimî M Khayisa Loving Right Now?

I’m currently watching… The Celebrity Traitors

I’m reading… The Man Who Created the Middle East by Christopher Simon Sykes

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… The Witcher season 4

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Season 5!

Mimî M Khayisa stars as Fringilla Vigo in The Witcher. All four seasons are streaming now on Netflix.

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