Anya Chalotra

Anya Chalotra’s biography

Anya Chalotra is a British actress most commonly known for her roles in a television drama series Wanderlust (2018) and a mystery thriller series The ABC Murders (2018). Anya was cast to portray Yennefer of Vengerberg in the upcoming Netflix fantasy drama series The Witcher.

Pictured: Anya Chalotra

Childhood and adolescence

Anya Chalotra was born in 1996 in Wolverhampton to parents of Indian descent. Anya is an ancient Sanskrit girl’s name which literally means inexhaustible and that which is not exhaustible, different, or strange. The name is quite often found in Hindu mythology and folklore. The actress follows Hindu practices and beliefs just like her parents and other relatives.

Anya spent her entire childhood in a small village in South Staffordshire. After graduating from high school she enrolled into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama famous for its celebrity alumni including Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor, Lily James and countless others.

Anya Chalotra’s childhood photo

Chalotra was a true theater kid in high school – she made sure to perform in every play staged! Her parents, as well as her classmates, knew: Anya was a future actress in the making.

Young Anya Chalotra

In order to refine her acting skills and make her performances more nuanced and believable, Anya attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). This drama school is the oldest in the UK and is the alma mater of such notable actors as Benedict Cumberbatch, Sam Claflin, Kim Cattrall, the star of extremely popular romantic comedy-drama television series Sex and the City, and many others.

Acting career

Anya Chalotra began her acting career starring in several theater productions in London. She appeared in Great Expectations based on Charles Dickens’s novel of the same name, The Crucible by Arthur Miller, William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, and numerous other plays.

Anya Chalotra at the very beginning of her acting career

The critics were particularly impressed with her work in The Village production, where the young actress portrayed a strong-willed Indian woman who inspired others to stand up against the authorities. The British daily newspaper The Guardian continuously praised Anya, stating that she was very convincing in her role – isn’t that the best compliment an aspiring actress could get?

Anya made her film debut in 2018 after being cast in a supporting role in a television drama series Wanderlust. The plot of the series revolves around the married couple, Joy (Toni Collette) and Alan (Steven Mackintosh), who get bored of the same routine and eventually find themselves attracted to other people, all while trying to salvage their marriage. The first episode of Wanderlust aired on BBC One in September 2018.

Anya Chalotra in Wanderlust

That same year Chalotra appeared in a 3-episode mystery-thriller television serial The ABC Murders which tells a story of a retired legendary detective Hercule Poirot and a mysterious murderer who writes him cryptic messages simply signed “ABC”. By the way, Poirot was portrayed by the one and only John Malkovich, while the stars of the Harry Potter franchise, Rupert Grint and Shirley Henderson, were cast in the supporting roles.

Anya Chalotra in The ABC Murders

In 2019, Anya had a chance to try her hand at doing voice-over acting. She gave her voice to the main protagonist, Robin of Sherwood, in the animated series Sherwood. The series is loosely inspired by and based on the legendary English folklore character – Robin Hood and his life story. However, the plot of the 10-episode futuristic series takes place in the 23rd century.

In 2019, Anya Chalotra voiced Robin Loxley in the animated series Sherwood

Robin Loxley, Anya’s character, is a teen hacker from Sherwood, joins forces with a group of renegades in order to defeat the mad Sheriff of Nottingham on the streets of the much-changed 23rd century London. The cast also includes Tyler Posey, Aneurin Barnard, Jamie Chung, Joseph Fiennes, and many other high-profile actors.

Career takeoff. Witcher

Anya Chalotra starred in the fantasy drama Netflix series The Witcher, based on the book series of the same name by a famous Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. The novels first gained huge popularity back in 2007 when video-game developers released a role-playing game for personal computers based on the saga.

On the set of The Witcher

The premise of the show follows a so-called witcher and monster hunter Geralt of Rivia (portrayed by Henry Cavill), a young princess Ciri (Freya Allan), and a powerful sorceress Yennefer (played by Anya). Anna Shaffer was cast to portray Geralt’s close friend and a witch named Triss Merigold. The general audience knows her for playing Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter franchise.

Yennefer of Vengerberg in the video game and Anya Chalotra as Yennefer

The fans were ecstatic upon hearing the news about the long-awaited The Witcher adaptation. However, no one was expecting so much controversy surrounding the casting. Many believe that Anya is too young to depict Yennefer – after all the age difference between her and Henry Cavill (14 years) just might be inappropriate as she’s supposed to play his love interest. The Witcher fans joked that Cavill looks more like Chalotra’s father than a lover.

Interview with the cast of The Witcher

Many hoped for Eva Green, Cobie Smulders, Megan Fox, Liv Tyler, Evangeline Lilly or literally any other alluring beauty to be cast as Yennefer and deemed Anya too inexperienced for this role. The fans went as far as to create a Change.org petition to recast Chalotra.

Trailer for The Witcher

However, Lauren Schmidt’s (writer of the series) decision was non-negotiable. She even stated in one of her interviews:

“In casting Anya and Freya [Allan, who is playing Ciri], the cool thing was we were open to anyone and both of them, to me, embody the spirits of the characters.”

Anya Chalotra’s personal life

Anya Chalotra is currently dating a Honduran writer and journalist Juan F. Sanchez.

Anya’s heart is taken

The actress enjoys reading, shopping, and traveling in her free time. Her favorite place to visit is Miami.

Anya Chalotra today

The launch of the Witcher series was extremely, so the television project was immediately renewed for a second season. In November 2020, it became known that Chalotra would reappear in the role of Yennefer. The shooting of the new season will take place in the scenery of the destroyed fortress of Kaer Morhen.

The Witcher Season 2 Teaser Trailer

In 2020, the premiere of No Masks was expected, where Chalotra appeared in Dr. Anuja. In addition, Anna worked on the TV series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas with Vanessa Hudgens. Chalotra also excelled in voice acting - she worked with Lena Headey on the New-Gen project.

Lawrence Nichols

Damn, well, it`s worth a lot to play a young actress in The Witcher itself :) She`s great

2021-04-27 09:55:23
Susan Collins

Nice couple - Anya Chalotra and her boyfriend Juan Sanchez!

2021-04-02 15:53:47
Matthew Brooks

It is too early to judge the talent of the girl Anya... For me, she has not yet revealed herself so well.

2021-03-26 23:36:16
Maria Wilson

I love the TV series with Chalotra «Wanderlust», fascinating

2021-03-18 08:25:44
Deborah Ruiz

What big expressive eyes the actress Anya Chalotra has! A lovely sight...

2021-03-12 10:31:49

Photos: Anya Chalotra