As Published in CLAUDIA

When I spoke to actress Freya Allan for the first time, in 2020, she was about to debut in the ultra-hyped series The Witcher, on Netflix. Smiling, she was practically a newcomer, but she had one of the most relevant roles in history, that of Princess Cirilla of Cintra, or Ciri. Having seen her just months away from becoming an actress recognized in all corners of the world, it was very interesting to meet her again, via Zoom, at the beginning of 2024. Now she is a 23-year-old woman and it is easy to see her maturity, without changing your sympathy.

Freya decided that she wanted to be an actress when she was just 11 years old, and today she is already a star with no less than TWO major franchises in her filmography, this is because, in addition to The Witcher, she is in the new phase of Planet of the Apes, with great emphasis on the film Planet of the Apes: The Reign, which premieres in Brazilian cinemas in May 2024. It is about this film that she sat down for an exclusive chat with CLAUDIA/MISCELANA.

Freya’s simplicity and transparency are contagious: she doesn’t hold back in detailing the arduous and long audition process where she tests for roles and spends years without hearing back, talks about The Witcher, the expectation of the next season, and even Internet rumors. about her character in the film Planet of the Apes: The Reign, which took social media by storm.

Yes, she is called “Nova”, like the character in the 1968 film, but it is an Easter egg more than a big secret. In the original 1968 story, humans are considered inferior forms of life and are hunted and enslaved by monkeys, something that happens again in The Reign. The plot unfolds almost 300 years after the 2017 War for the Planet of the Apes when most of humanity was wiped out by the original simian flu, and those who survived are primitive, no longer the planet’s dominant species. Mae, Freya Allan’s character, is different and only the last scene of the film will really reveal who she is. Having said all that, the conversation with the actress is spoiler-free, there is nothing that reveals the film’s secret. But it might make you more curious…

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: I spoke to you two years ago, at the launch of Witcher. It’s great to see you again and I’m going straight to the movie. What can you share with me about Nova? A lot is going on and people trying to figure out if she’s the little girl from the last movie, or if she’s a ‘new’ Nova?
Freya: She’s not the girl from the last film. It’s 300 years after the last movie, so she’s a new girl. [laughter]

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: A “new” Nova is a good thing.
Freya: Yes! Yes! And what can I tell you about her? I can tell you that she has a great arc and an incredible story. I feel very grateful to be the representative of humanity in this film, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m so excited for people to find out where this girl came from and who she is.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Yes, and are you aware of how many theories are circulating on the web about her? [The interview was BEFORE the film’s release and social media was going crazy with the trailer]. They talk about time travel, connections with other films…
Freya: Yes, I have been following it and it is very interesting, there are many different theories.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Which was your favorite? Did anyone come close? You don’t need to tell me which one.
Freya: I saw one that was really close.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Wow.
Freya: But we’ll have to suppress the details in our chat. [laughter]

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Yes, let’s avoid spoilers. You’ve probably been asked before, but what do you know about the Planet of the Apes franchise? I knew the TV series, which I saw in reruns, but the films I also only saw when they were on TV, I wasn’t born at the time of the original and I grew up with an idea, I had another perspective with the reboots and now the most recent ones. Since you’re not old enough to have seen them [laughs], what did you know about the films, the book, and the story?
Freya: Yeah, I was 12 years old when I went to see Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, from 2014, which is the second in the last trilogy. I went with my father and I remember being confused by the time, by how it was done. So when I got the audition for the role, I went back and rewatched the last trilogy and the two original films. When I was cast in the role, I was already intrigued to read the book! So I also read it, which is close to what the first film [from 1968] was. So now much more inside the world of Planet of the Apes, but it’s crazy to think about when I saw the film when I was 12 and now it’s here.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: There is a whole sequence in this one that is exactly the same as the one in the film from 1968 and fans are seeing all the Easter eggs. What was it like working with CGI again? Is it still challenging?
Freya: I tell you it was very different and definitely more challenging because in something like The Witcher, I’m fighting monsters, but surprisingly, it’s much easier to fight in the air. [laughs] Much easier than fighting with people throwing things at you. [Laughter]. In fact, it’s like a dance routine.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Do you have to use your imagination?
Freya: Yes, the difficulty is also because I’m almost always looking at a setting that isn’t there, but I hadn’t yet had to do scenes where my partner wasn’t there. So I had some unfortunate occasions where I had to act with a tennis ball [laughs] when the actors weren’t there. In this film, it was more constant.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: What was it like?
Freya: I would record the scene with the actors dressed in their clothes with CGI equipment, then they would leave and I would have to redo the scene without anyone there. The trick was to try to find a place in the distance with your eyes, so that it was at the correct angle, especially when you are physically interacting with the “monkeys” and have to repeat the physical interaction, only with the wind!

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: I’m going to insist a little: what will the relationship be like between Nova and Noa, the new leader of the monkeys?
Freya: Their relationship is very… [pauses]. I feel like the heart of this film is that relationship because they discover a different perspective on everything through themselves. They are redefining the space between apes and humans and realize how many crossovers there are between the two universes, and how they are not as different as they thought they were.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Was the testing process very difficult?
Freya: First I received an email, as you do before the test, and I saw the theme, which was Planet of the Apes, and I thought, my God, this is a great film! I called my mom and said, I have an audition for Planet of the Apes, and she also said, “This is huge!” [laughs] So I made a self-tape [a recording at home, reading the text], and I didn’t hear anything for years! That’s why I thought I hadn’t gotten the role. I accepted and moved on with my life. One day I got a call back when I was on the set of Witcher, and my agent said that the casting director, Debra Zane, wanted to do a new audition now via Zoom.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Years later?
Freya: Yes! So I auditioned over Zoom, where I was asked to do a reading to test the chemistry with Owen [Teague, who plays Noa]. Wes [Randall, the director] was also in the group. The other actresses who auditioned did the reading themselves, so I thought “Oh my God, this is so bad! Having to do it via Zoom!”, but Owen and I clicked, even through a screen. It was the same thing with Wes, I just loved his direction, even in the audition.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: And did you choose right away?
Freya: No, and I kept wanting more!! [laughter]. Then I got a message saying it was between me and another girl, but they wanted me to go to Australia [where they filmed The Witcher] to audition in person. As soon as I finished my scenes in season 3, I got on a plane to Los Angeles where I shot a lot of scenes, including one with Owen, from there I went to Germany to do new takes for another project and I arrived less than 24 hours ago, and I was waiting for an Uber when I finally got a text from my agent saying in all caps that I got the role. I screamed and my friend asked me what had happened, all I could say was that I was on the Planet of the Apes. I got into the Uber alone and cried. I was alone in Berlin and processing this whole moment.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: It’s the second major franchise you’ve been part of! In fact, your name was even circulating among fans who wanted you as a Targaryen in the Game of Thrones series!
Freya: Oh, I’m in this show too? [laughs at her surprise]

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: Apparently the fans would like it, so fingers crossed! Returning to Planet of the Apes, the whole story takes place in a hopeless scenario for humans and is a metaphor for much of what is happening. There is hope?
Freya: That’s what I feel is so unique about this film. There is a sense of hope throughout the story, there is youth at the center of the story, with Noa and Nova, and with this learning and their evolution, growing up and gaining a different perspective on this world, there really comes this sense of hope. But that being said, there is also a sense of tragedy, which I find very interesting. Obviously, it still has very deep themes, but it’s definitely not a dark film. It’s visually so luxurious and rich, so I think it will feel really refreshing to see this new feeling in our film.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: I’m going to take advantage of the fact that we’re here and ask you about Ciri and The Witcher! You grew up – literally – with the franchise. How did she change your life?
Freya: I’m very lucky because my family lives in Oxford, England and as it’s not exactly Hollywood I managed to stay very grounded. Genuinely, when I come home, my life is very normal. I’m still with all my friends that I’ve known since I was 11 years old at school. I feel very grateful to have this back. But, of course, there are times when I look and can’t believe that at 14 years old I was being part of this kind of project. In that sense, it’s a big change and a blessing, but I’m lucky to have the circumstances to return to a normal life in England.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: What can you say about the next season?
Freya: Season 4 will be denser, Ciri will feel very different and I think that’s really exciting, you know? There really is a dramatic shift in her that will be exciting to play.

CLAUDIA/MISCELANA: And it comes with differences in the cast! [The interview was before Netflix announced that The Witcher will be discontinued]
Freya: Yes, I hope that people still want to see these characters complete their stories, because there is a good story for them and, yes, to see Liam [Hemsworth, who replaces Henry Cavill] as a new face and a new interpretation. Because he changed, but we also still have the rest of the original cast! It’s worth keeping an eye on these new stories.

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