For Kristofer Hivju, world-building is a regular part of the job. Best known for playing a Free Folk warrior in Game of Thrones, Hivju has played consistently challenging and intriguing roles, laying the perfect foundation for his part as a cursed loner in The Witcher.

The Oslo-born actor got his start as an actor in 2001 in the Norwegian series Fox Grønland and spent the following decade building up his career in other Norwegian shows like Six Like Us and Largest of All before breaking out with a memorable role in 2011's The Thing, in which he played a polar ice researcher who ends up meeting a grisly fate.

While The Thing helped Hivju break into Hollywood and would lead to roles in films like M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth and the dark comedy Force Majeure, his biggest break came in 2013 when he began his multiple season arc as Tormund Giantsbane in the mega-hit Game of Thrones. Hivju became an instant fan favorite, thanks to the actor’s spot-on portrayal of a character equal parts fierce and funny.

In retrospect, all these roles feel almost like a warm-up for Hivju's most recent role. He plays Nivellen, the cursed Redanian whom locals call "Fanger" or "Degan" in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher. This supposedly monstrous being is actually just misunderstood but has had to resign himself to a life of loneliness until he meets Geralt of Rivia and learns that the Witcher might be someone who can see beneath his veneer.

The same fans who fell in love with Hivju as Tormund in GOT will undoubtedly love him in The Witcher, where he’s been given the chance to do the same thing — embody another iconic fantasy role making the leap from page to screen.