From a magical fantasy realm to apocalyptic futures, freya allan has established herself as a sci-fi darling. The magnetism she feels for the genre traces back to her childhood when she first visited the worlds she now inhabits. Despite the imaginary context she’s in, freya manages to maintain a sense of humanity. A feat that, according to her, is a by-product of her analytical nature. In defiance of the success she found in the surreal, she’s ready to put her feet on the ground, confessing her desire to play roles that differ from everything she’s done so far. It's not just as an actress that freya manifests this desire, her longing for authenticity is crucial to her artistic identity. As a painter, she focuses on the uglier side of reality, a direct response to what she calls the oversaturation of perfection. Her artworks sit behind her as we catch up on beauty fatigue, stunt work and her latest projects.

Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**

From The Witcher to the Planet of the Apes, all the way back to your first job in The War of the Worlds, you always stay close to the Sci-Fi or fantasy genre. What attracts you to this kind of storytelling?

I feel like it was accidental in a way. With The War of the Worlds, I was just ecstatic, it was one of my first TV roles. The Witcher was, again, a big break for me. I don't think that was necessarily a choice. When I was starting, back when I was 14, I remember feeling very excited by watching those kinds of movies. I think I spent so much of my childhood pretending to be in a sort of fantastical land, that the prospect of actually getting to do it professionally really excited me. But now, I’m at a stage where I’m excited to do something more contemporary, something entirely different.

You mention The Witcher as a “big break”, but you initially had a much smaller role…

I went for Ciri first and the audition went so well. It’s not often that actors have that feeling, but I genuinely felt such a natural connection to the character, it just felt fluid. I then received an email from the casting congratulating me on my audition but, unfortunately, the higher-ups had changed the description of the character. They still wanted me to be in the show somehow, so they offered me Marilka, a much smaller role, which I still found quite exciting. But then, a few days later, my mom showed up at my school. I was like, “What the hell are you doing here?”, and she told me the agent called and I got a call back for Ciri. She knew how disheartened I was to find out that I wouldn’t be considered for that character, so she got excited and decided to show up at my school [Laughs]. I went back to do the call back and I think I even made them tear up a little bit. I then found out I got it on my birthday.

“I think I spent so much of my childhood pretending to be in a sort of fantastical land, that the prospect of actually getting to do it professionally really excited me.”

Why do you think Ciri resonated so much with you in the beginning?

How feisty she was. I felt like I could relate a lot to who I was as a kid. She voices her opinion and knows what she wants for her future. I found that to be very captivating.

Ciri, in more than one way, escapes the stereotypical role of a princess, she’s turned into a warrior. Do you enjoy doing the stunts associated with this shift?

I love it. Alongside acting, I was into dance growing up, so I use some of that training. Stunts are very physical; they require you to be in tune with your body. It’s really a dance, I mean, we’re not actually hurting anybody, so you’re just dancing with the other stunt performers. Luckily, ours are so good that they just allow me to focus on what I’m doing, and they’ll work around that. But, still, you have to know what everybody is doing. I love the challenge of it, it’s like the icing on the cake. I’m a very competitive person, I feel like that comes out of me when I’m doing stunt work.

You mentioned your desire to move to more reality-based narratives. But I find it genuinely impressive how your performances are so human. Do you find it challenging to root real emotions in such unreal contexts?

Thank you, I’m glad you think that. Well, let me start by saying, it's all a challenge, but I do find that side easier. I feel like I’ve always been very analytical of people’s behaviour. Even to myself, I constantly question why I am reacting in a certain way to a situation. I do the same for my characters, you have to truly empathize with what they’ve gone through. I think the harder moments are when you’re having to make believe, especially when you don’t have all the answers yet. As actors, we want to know the details of everything, but sometimes, for jobs like The Witcher, it can be confusing to wrap your head around certain stuff.

I couldn't stop staring at your paintings behind you. When did you first discover your love for art?

Again, it goes back to my childhood. I was an only child until I was 11. I had a lot of years where I had to entertain myself. I would wake up in the morning before my parents and would, ironically, write and illustrate children’s books at the age of five. I was always making up creatures, which is ironic now being in The Witcher. When I got to secondary school, I was fortunate enough that they had an amazing art department. I just continued art from there, the other students were amazing artists, and I just absorbed everything around me. And, you know, all my best friends are artists, they’re all studying at Central Saint Martins or Goldsmiths. I think they remind me to continue expressing myself even as I focus on my career. It’s very meditative. It’s the only thing that distracts me, my brain is constantly ticking but when I’m painting, I’m focused.

Left Full look **Dries Van Noten**
Right Full look **Giorgio Armani**

When I look at your pieces, I feel there’s a certain Paula Rego charm to them. Beyond your friends, what are some of your biggest inspirations?

I have so many. Lucien Freud. Jenny Saville… I’m blanking now. Oh, and David Hockney. We studied him in secondary school, and I almost got a bit sick of his work but somehow, I think it's subconsciously seeping through. People have told me they see it a little bit. But, in terms of what I paint, it tends to be friends and family in candid moments. And, usually, not very attractive moments.

What do you think makes you paint the less manicured version of people?

We're constantly fed so much perfection. It’s constant on social media, in magazines… You see it all the time. I think I was subconsciously bored of it. I don’t want to even stare at it enough to sketch it, it’s just another pretty face. And, technically speaking, there’s something interesting about painting the wrinkles, the moles, the fat, the dark under eyes. It just makes it more alluring, those textures and colours that contrast with a flat airbrushed face. There you go, I never thought of that, but that’s my thought process.

Left Top and skirt **SHUSHU/TONG**, ring **Boucheron**
Right **Dress Di Petsa**, shoes **Jacquemus**, jewelry **Boucheron**

Do you find that there’s some overlap when it comes to acting and painting?

I have always had a creative mind. Anything that isn’t a point-blank answer, like one plus one equals two, has always fascinated me. It’s interpretive, which can be terrifying, but it's individual. Even when it comes to acting, you can’t say you’re doing it 100% right, because you could approach a character or a scene a million different ways. It’s always a fight within your mind over what’s right or wrong. I feel drawn to those kinds of things. There’s an element of discussion around these choices that I enjoy a lot.

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Discover the full story in our upcoming FW23 FANTASY Issue.

The interview & fashion story were conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Interview by PEDRO VASCONCELOS

Photography by GREGORY DERKENNE

Fashion by STEVEN HUANG

Casting by IMAGE MACHINE CS

Hair by PATRICK WILSON at The Wall Group using Hair By Sam McKnight

Make-Up by FRANCESCA BRAZZO

Stylist’s assistant NIAMH MANNION