When it comes to channeling evil, Graham McTavish gives it everything he has.
From Castlevania's fearsome and hopelessly misunderstood Dracula to Preacher's vicious Saint of Killers, McTavish has long towered over the competition — literally. That’s due in part to his imposing 6-foot-3 frame, but also his thick, rich accent, both of which seem concocted for the express purpose of on-screen subjugation.
The Glasgow-born actor has brought his Shakespearean training with him throughout stints as fantasy giants in cult classics like Highlander and The Hobbit. But where he's truly shined, whether as the Uncharted video game series' main antagonist, Zoran Lazarević, or Outlander's Dougal Mackenzie, is within the realm of the villainous.
That's what makes McTavish a perfect fit for one of The Witcher's most commanding roles: Sigismund Dijkstra. Sometimes known as Sigi Reuven, Dijkstra is interested mostly in achieving power and success. As such, he's an intimidating force that, while often aligned with Geralt of Rivia, it's obvious he's capable of anything. Perhaps one of his most terrifying personality traits is that he's also... morally ambiguous. This is a ruthless and self-serving man who'll always choose himself, even when collaborating with those on the side of "good."
As such, the man who was needed to bring the gravitas and swagger of Dijkstra to the small screen needed to be larger-than-life. Considering Dijkstra’s important role in the series, and the dry wit required to bring Dijkstra to life, McTavish is a no-brainer.
McTavish will no doubt lean on his Shakespearean roots to bring this character to life. He’ll need to if he wants to maintain the charm and Old World knowledge that Dijkstra possesses in the books. He’ll also want to call upon his acting chops to summon the bullish, no-nonsense attitude Dijkstra has in both The Witcher's video game installments and novels.
With The Witcher Season 2, we'll see McTavish coming into his own as the same arresting, impishly deviant Dijkstra, a role that appears to be what he's been building up to for some time: the culmination of bringing a variety of conniving characters to life. From the king of all vampires to the Redanian Intelligence head, this Scottish talent knows the good side of evil. And much like our favorite pop culture deviants, there’s no telling what he’ll cook up next.
