Therica Wilson-Read: The Witcher opened doors

Therica Wilson-Read knows that living your dreams demands constant work, but you get to a point at which you see the fruits of your constancy. As she said, The Witcher opened doors, and she always will be thankful for embodying Sabrina Glevissig, but there is so much she will bring in the future.

So now, knowing the widely expected season three of The Witcher is here, Therica Wilson-Read came by to talk about the new adventures we are about to explore in one of the best seasons of the worldwide popular Netflix show. Also, she spoke about her plans and gave us a hint of her role in the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic. Therefore, do miss this exclusive interview only here on Vanity Teen!

I always came back to acting!

JV: What aspects of your life and origins would you like to share with our readers?

TWR: I have always lived in London. It has always felt very much like home. It is full of memories from growing up, but I think I am happiest when I am by the sea! My favorite places that I have been lucky enough to run away to when, at times, I need to escape are Italy, Greece, and New York. My mother’s family hailed from County Mayo, Ireland, and that is where I would love to visit next.

JV: What do you enjoy the most about acting?

TWR: I didn’t grow up thinking that I would be an actress. In fact, there was a time that I was interested in going into law or psychology; however, I always came back to acting!

I constantly think that putting yourself in someone else’s shoes makes you more empathetic toward other people.

One of the most beautiful things about acting is you have to immerse yourself in the character to understand and sympathize with why they make certain decisions. This is not without dilemmas, as the decisions made may not be consistent with my own social or emotional beliefs.

It is a privilege to take someone else’s story or words and bring their personal history to life in a play or on screen!

JV: When not acting, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

TWR: I am a homebody at heart, but London is wonderful for exploring, so I try and spend my time going to exhibitions and trying new restaurants! One of my favorite museums is the V and A.

I am also a great lover of desserts, so whether it be Bread Aheads doughnuts in London Bridge or Zafferanos Tiramisu, I try and search them out. I am also hooked on group workout classes, so you will frequently find me being worked into a sweat by India Bailey in a spin class on a Tuesday afternoon.

The Witcher opened doors

JV: Being part of The Witcher is a milestone in your career. So, how has this production changed your life?

TWR: The opportunity changed the whole trajectory of my life! I have Faye Timby, Sophie Holland, Lauren Hissrich, and the Olivia Bell team to thank for that. Before The Witcher, I primarily worked in theatre with limited contact with the film industry.

I spent my weeks doing casting director workshops and agent panels in the hope that someone would recognize my potential. The Witcher opened doors to roles I dreamed about when I first started.

It also introduced me to a group of people that I am lucky enough to call a second family. Without being too sentimental, I owe a lot and am forever thankful to the people on that production who believed in me and offered me the part.

JV: Since The Witcher is a global phenomenon and Sabrina Glevissig is a fan favorite, how do you deal with the responsibility of portraying such a character?

TWR: It’s important to me to keep as close to the character that the fans know and love from the books and the games but also show her development into that character. I try to go back to the source material before every season starts and revisit Andrzej Sapkowski’s Sabrina Glevissig and see if there are traits of her that I can highlight more in each season.

In Season One, you watch Sabrina turn from the girl who never was able to get her mother’s love and consequently turned her mother fat through Magic into her ideal version of a powerful woman. In season two, you see her after a battle in which she stabbed Yennefer, a woman who, despite the rivalry, is probably the closest thing to a sister she will have; and in Season Three, you see her as nearly a hundred years old.

She knows who she is now and her place in the political spectrum. She is happy to speak up against people when she believes what she is doing is right. I know I show her vulnerability in certain situations as well as her fieriness and rivalries with other sorceresses, but I hope the fans will be open and responsive to it.

JV: Season 3 of The Witcher is premiering. So, What can you tell us about it and our beloved Sabrina?

TWR: I am nervous about giving any spoilers away, but there are so many exciting events happening in Season Three!

To name a few things already mentioned by others: Jaskier falls in love, there is a battlefield of political corruption and a heroic sendoff of Henry Cavill’s Geralt. Also, Sabrina! She is a powerhouse for the most part of this season and battles with what she thinks is the right thing to do and the potential fallout of losing people she deeply loves.

You watch her going through life-threatening challenges, see her seductive side, her capacity for deepening friendships, and her cutting comments.

A massive thank you from the deepest depths of my heart!

JV: What would you like to share about your upcoming projects?

TWR: I was fortunate to recently work with Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell on Back to Black, directed by Sam Taylor Johnson.

To participate in a film about Amy Winehouse was incredibly moving for me. In the trajectory of Amy’s career, I could perceive the variety of ways in which she was hounded by the media. Participating in the film enabled me to develop an understanding of her personal journey and struggles.

I felt that the photos I had access to enabled me to feel that I “knew” her journey emotionally.

It is wonderful to play a part in spreading awareness of the issues she was battling with the hope it will help others as well as being respectful and kind to her memory.

There was also Stop Motion! This was an exceptional debut feature film from Robert Morgan, who directed and wrote it alongside Robin King. I played the role of Polly, who was constantly misreading the emotional content of the room and may or may not come to a grisly end. Working with Tom Tork and Aisling Franciosi was a dream and incredibly inspiring.

Finally, Coyote was an independent film I did last year and was set in a dystopian future in which I played a refugee.

Each project has been extremely interesting in different ways, from the genre to the issues they look into, whether that be depression, persecution, drug abuse, and eating disorders.

JV: Which words do you have for those who appreciate and support your work and cannot wait to see the new season of The Witcher?

TWR: A massive thank you from the deepest depths of my heart! I really do hope that they continue to support The Witcher and ‘Sabrina,’ and I am incredibly excited to show them what we have been up to. I think this will be the best Season yet!

JV: Anything else you would like to share with Vanity Teen?

TWR: Thank you so much for your support and for this opportunity to talk about my career and aspirations. It has been such a pleasure!

Before we go

Sometimes we expect magic to solve our problems; others, we use media as the magic that takes us away from them, so we cannot deny books, films, video games, streaming shows, and other media are like portals to dimensions we want to reach when we need to escape from daily life.

So, we are pleased Therica Wilson-Read is part of this magic of the entertainment world and shared with us how The Witcher changed her life (as well as ours), so let us enjoy season three of the Netflix show, streaming everywhere, and stay tuned with the forthcoming projects of this beloved actress!

Love!