In the new four-part limited Netflix series The Witcher: Blood Origin, the Continent is ruled by elves in a prosperous era, long before their ruin in 2019’s The Witcher. The prequel offers fans a look back in time, before monsters plagued the world, and before the catastrophic “Conjunction of Spheres.” Adapted from the novels of author Andrzej Sapkowski, Blood Origin will also explore the very first proto-Witcher, paving the way for Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and Ciri’s (Freya Allan) stories to be told.

In addition to seeing Joey Batey’s Jaskier, fans will be introduced to an all-new cast of unforgettable heroes and villains, including Sophia Brown as Éile, Michelle Yeoh as Scian, Laurence O’Fuarain as Fjall, Francesca Mills as Meldorf, Lenny Henry as Balor, Jacob Collins-Levy as Eredin and more.

With The Witcher: Blood Origin hitting Netflix on December 25, Collider’s own Steve Weintraub was able to sit down and talk with some of the show’s cast, including Academy Award-nominee Minnie Driver, who plays the mysterious, shape-shifting Seanchaí. During their 1-on-1, Driver discusses her role in the prequel series, what she’s been able to share with friends and family, and what it was like behind the scenes. She also reveals which of her past characters has been her favorite to play, and why. You can watch the interview in the video above, or read the full transcript below.

COLLIDER: So I like throwing a curveball at the beginning. If someone has actually never seen anything that you’ve done before, what is the first thing you want them watching and why?

MINNIE DRIVER: Ooh, I’d like them to watch The Riches because that is my favorite character that I’ve ever played, and it’s probably as far away from who I am as a person. A meth-addicted traveler/murderer, I would like people to know that that’s not who I am and then be pleasantly surprised when they meet me.

So talk a little bit about The Witcher. You play a key role in this. I don’t know how much you’ve been telling people about it. What have you been telling friends and family about your participation in this Witcher prequel?

DRIVER: Well, I mean not much up until quite recently because it has all been quite under wraps. But I’ve definitely told them that I was playing a shape-shifting elf, which got some happy raised eyebrows from my son, and all his cabal of friends are very excited. I mean, just to say that I’m going into The Witcher Universe has made every single person I’ve told very, very happy, which just shows how far-reaching and much beloved the show is.

When you got on the set of The Witcher, was there anything that surprised you, or anything about the production that was unusual to this? I’m just curious what it was like, the behind-the-scenes.

DRIVER: I know, I wish I could tell you that there was something different, but the truth is a film set is a film set. A film set is a film set. It is full of cables and really hardworking people, and there is this magic when the camera rolls. Everything is sort of suspended, and it’s really beautiful how everyone is there in service of the storytelling. So it’s always magical to me no matter what set I’m on, but it was so great that this was about a magical story-teller. So there was something matter about how much I enjoyed shooting this.

The Witcher: Blood Origin premieres exclusively on Netflix on December 25. For more, check out Collider’s interview with Lauren Schmidt Hissrich and Declan de Barra.