These 2 Rules Landed Paul Bullion His Big Role on ‘The Witcher’ Season 2

The following Career Dispatch was written by Paul Bullion, who stars as Lambert on Netflix’s hit series “The Witcher.” Season 2 is streaming starting Dec. 17. 

I learned quickly when I joined the cast of Netflix’s “The Witcher”—which is such a globally recognized title—that it is important to block out all the noise. I’ve been in the industry for over a decade now, and I work by two very simple rules: Don’t let the compliments go to your head, and don’t take the unfavorable judgments to heart.

Admittedly, the latter hasn’t always been easy to remember in the course of my career. However, a couple things have helped me to do so: staying in the moment and enjoying being a part of something—of telling a story. When I am on set and filming, bringing a character to life is all about the story. What serves the storyline best? Can I drop a line and make the same impact with only a look? 

What’s also been helpful is remembering that there is no place for ego. Nothing creative is achieved when an actor is thinking only about themselves. This mattered enormously when I joined “The Witcher,” which already had an established cast and fan base. That said, I immediately felt at home. Sophie Holland and her casting team did a brilliant job of bringing together a group of actors who were up for creating something special heading into Season 2. Everyone was serving one another, which meant there was so much detail to be found on every single page. 

I often describe my time playing Lambert in the height of a global pandemic as a dream in the middle of a nightmare scenario. My days and weeks on set were moments of bliss in a world where we were limited to Zoom hangouts and baking. We had six months away from production before returning with tons of health and safety measures in place. (Netflix thought of everything.) I was reminded during this time that I can only control the things that are within my control. 

We as humans often make the mistake of living “in the future.” Getting the greenlight to film with each negative COVID-19 test result reminded me that I had to take things one day at a time and enjoy each opportunity as it came. 

Filming this show also reminded me to trust the process. Every department had creatives with bundles of experience. I was often asked if I felt the pressure of taking on such a popular character within the “Witcher” world, but I had trust in the creatives who had put me there. So my answer was always no. I was excited; I understood Lambert. 

I don’t see acting as “taking on a character.” For me, it’s always about finding elements of the character that resonate with me, then bringing myself to the character. Even in a fantasy world full of magic and monsters, the characters have very human reactions and emotions. And I loved looking for those moments in Lambert, as well as having discussions with my cast mates and creatives.

There is no right or wrong when it comes to making choices. It is best to try something out knowing the worst thing that could happen is getting one step closer to the best way of telling the story.