Keep reading for a behind-the-scenes look at the latest episode of Merlin, entitled “Witchfinder,” airing tonight on the Syfy Channel!
From Press Release:
In his determination to rid Camelot of all magic, King Uther enlists the terrifying Aredian, a witch hunter who’ll stop at nothing to uncover sorcery in the kingdom. When suspicion falls on Merlin, Morgana and Gaius, the race is on to prove everyone’s innocence before at least one of them is burned at the stake.
The episode, entitled “The Witchfinder,” puts a bright spotlight on the internationally renowned acting talents of Richard Wilson as Gaius and Charles Dance as Aredian, much to the delight – and sometimes fears – of the Merlin cast.
On the flipside of Wilson’s loyal, fatherly character in “The Witchfinder” episode is Charles Dance in another of his trademark villainous roles. Dance gave such a convincing performance as the Merlin episode’s villain, even the cast felt a wee bit uncomfortable in scenes with the actor.
“He created such a sense of menace and a strange, twisted sense of fun about approaching the suspects – it was very unnerving,” Colin Morgan (Merlin) explains. “You’re sitting there being interrogated, and he’s looking at you. I was genuinely intimidated.”
“Charles Dance – the scariest man ever!” Katie McGrath (Morgana) adds. “I was petrified to work with him, and my first scene was when he interrogated me. I’m sitting down and he’s about to interrogate me, and he just starts messing with all these torture instruments behind me. So the bizarre fear you can see on my face in the scene is completely real. He looked so natural with those props, I thought, ‘You’ve tortured people before, haven’t you?'”
Dance appreciates the actors’ compliments. “Well, I’m glad they genuinely felt scared – that means I was doing my job properly,” he says with a laugh. “It’s fun to take rolls like this, because I can just play.”
“The Witchfinder,” an all-new episode of Merlin, debuts at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) Friday, May 14, only on Syfy. Follow the latest news on Merlin at the Official Merlin page on Facebook.
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