Unknown 9: Awakening is the latest title from Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Reflector Entertainment, which is scheduled to release on October 18 for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Unknown 9: Awakening is set inside a larger universe, comprised of many entry points such as a video game, podcast, comics, novels, and more.

Ahead of the launch of Unknown 9: Awakening, we got the chance to speak with Anya Chalotra, who plays Haroona, the protagonist of the game. In this interview, we get to dig deep into her portrayal of Haroona, how she prepared for the role, how the video game world differs greatly from on-screen and theater, and much more.

While Unknown 9: Awakening is her first endeavor in the video game world, Chalotra is perhaps best known for her role as Yennefer of Vengerberg in Netflix’s global sensation, The Witcher, where she starred alongside Henry Cavill and Freya Allan.

Chalotra’s upcoming projects include feature Two Neighbours, opposite Chloe Cherry and Ralph Ineson, sci-fi animation New-Gen alongside Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard, and Zack Snyder’s anime prequel Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas with Christian Slater, Vanessa Hudgens, and Nolan North.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Unknown 9 and Anya Chalotra’s Portrayal as Haroona

Media (M): Since Unknown 9: Awakening is your first role as a video game character, how was the experience during the recording process of Haroona, and was there anything that left an impression on you compared to performing in a TV series? How different is it from a movie?

Anya Chalotra (AC): I just had so much fun doing this job and playing this character, but also stepping into that volume and feeling like a kid in an all-in-one with dots all over me and a camera on my head. So, not quite like my childhood days but similar in the sense that I got to play. There was no ego in the space; it would be silly to bring any of it, and I think that was what I had most fun with. That was the difference; I felt like a child, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t play the weight of the scenes. It just made me freer to play with this spectrum of emotions that Haroona has and the complexity of her journey even more.

It feels so charged with fun. You don’t necessarily get that on set. Usually, I’m just nervous. It’s a daunting prospect because I care, and it feels like there’s more freedom to get it wrong. I think that’s just my mental state. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t have a costume on, I’ve got markings on my face, and no makeup; I don’t have to become after I have to fit this body, I don’t have to fit this costume, these shoes, this wig, this makeup. I can strip it all back and figure it out in the most truthful way.

And that is what I love about theater rehearsals. There’s just nothing on you, and there’s no expectation other than finding out what’s best for the scene. I would love to keep doing it.

M: As Haroona, could you tell us a bit about the character’s goal, and did the character resonate with you?

AC: Her goal is to avenge her mentor, Reika, whose life was taken by Vincent. Her goal is to find out why and get more information about the Unknown 9. There’s just so many elements of her character: her resilience, there’s a divide I can resonate with, there’s a curiosity and need to prove herself, and then a need to offer her findings and truth. There’s a real conviction and determination I can resonate with.

Also, the fact that she’s Indian, and I’ve never had a chance to, in a role, lend that side of myself to a character before.

M: Could you share a unique experience while playing as Haroona of Unknown 9: Awakening, and how did you feel as you tapped deeper into her character?

AC: The whole thing was a very unique experience. I’ve never done anything like that before. Part of me getting into character is putting on a costume and shoes, and maybe a wig and make up, but this was none of that. The only makeup I had was dots on my face, an all-in-one, and a camera on my head. It was very bizarre to try and express emotion beyond what I looked or felt like. That was a unique experience as I tried to combat that camera I had on my head every day, but soon you just rely on your imagination, and that’s something I don’t do enough of as an adult, and it was nice to do that.

I discovered it as I went along with Haroona. I think it’s important too, because she was discovering so much as she went along. She started off with very little power but had a great sense of how powerful she was, and the most powerful thing about her is how she has access to that and why she’s chosen to access it. You can have all the supernatural power in the world, but if you don’t know how to handle it, and if you don’t know what it’s capable of, then it’s almost useless to you and to the world.

She’s connected to what’s inside and what’s needed outside of her, and being able to use it for the better.

M: What made you interested in video games, especially with Unknown 9: Awakening?

AC: The escapism aspect of it. Whatever the world is, you forget what’s going on and the responsibilities you have. You can just be this character that’s been so thought of and considered. You can inhabit that person. You don’t have to be yourself. Sometimes it’s so boring to be yourself all the time. You live with yourself every day, so it’s nice to play someone else as well.

In relation to Unknown 9: Awakening, I could be Haroona! Who wouldn’t want to be Haroona: She’s great. She can step, she can peek, she can crush, she can shroud… She has all these powers, but not only that, she goes on such a huge journey from a child to a woman. My interest in the Unknown 9 world was Haroona first, and then you’ve got this incredible world that you can be a part of and all the amazing characters in there too.

M: Did your experience in theater help in drawing out inspiration for this new role? What was your approach to developing your character in Unknown 9: Awakening?

AC: Yeah. Theatre helped a lot. I was trained in theater, so, whatever that means, I suppose that means I was trained not to take myself too seriously and be a fool in a space, and that was what I was doing. It’s quite daunting to do that? There’s always a sense of getting the truth right or the best version.

I still have that with the gaming world. I was a child. It wasn’t about getting it right. It was about exploring. Like really, truly exploring because no one else knew what was going on in your head and you had to imagine everything. So you had real freedom in that. I had real freedom in there. Theater work did lend itself to the process of Haroona.

M: As it is your first time playing a video game character, was it intimidating knowing that Unknown 9: Awakening is just a part of a much larger “universe,” and how was your reaction to that?

AC: It’s not the first time that I’ve stepped into a character that’s had a whole universe created before I took on the role, but this was different because there are so many stories that were established before Haroona’s. I knew the challenges to a certain degree but also knew that none of them had taken on the life of a video game, and Haroona’s journey was in this format, so I knew that there was freedom there and it was going to be different.

I was excited, more than anything. I’ve never done anything like it before. In terms of video game mocap, I knew those would present challenges and take this character and this story to new levels.

M: What makes Haroona of Unknown 9: Awakening special compared to the many roles you’ve played in the past?

AC: She’s an entirely different character, for a start. Which I think is enough. She is her own person; her life, her circumstance… very different. Her supernatural abilities are suited to this world. She’s so strong because, starting from child to woman, we see her make really important choices that determine how powerful she might be, and these aren’t ever selfish.

I might have played quite selfish characters, which isn’t bad because you have to be selfish in certain situations. She might be witty and cutting and blunt, and it might seem selfish, but she doesn’t have time for faff. She’s on a mission, and it’s for the greater good, and even when it comes to Reika, she’s going to have to find out what happens to her, but she also has to make decisions along the way that aren’t just emotional.

M: After Unknown 9: Awakening, is there any type of video game genre that you might want to be part of, and what character do you want to be cast as?

AC: I really am open to all. I’m open to exploring horror, I like horror films and thrillers. I 100% want to be the bad guy; that’s so fun! Why are they bad? Why are they the bad guy? Something must have happened along the way. If I’m going to figure it out and make the audience question that, then I want to be a bad guy.

M: You’ve seen the Unknown 9: Awakening promotions firsthand. What do you think about seeing yourself as a video game character?

AC: It was wild. I mean, who gets to be a video game character? No one, really. I can’t believe that there’s a video game character out there, for the rest of my life, that is of my likeness. My cousins, friends, and family will be able to play this and step into the gaming world if they haven’t yet and play a version of me. I get to play that version as well! It was amazing, and I’m really mind-blown.

M: Is there anything you found difficult to do during your portrayal of Haroona in Unknown 9: Awakening?

AC: Being present with my imagination during that length of time was difficult because there really was nothing in the space. I’ve worked like that before in theater, but it’s not just the same because you have props; you have people to feel connected to. I really had to imagine everything—to trust that and be specific with that. My brain can’t always be on it because I’m not wired like that, so mini-breaks helped, and then reset.

M: Unknown 9: Awakening has a very interesting premise. Does it remind you of any of your favorite films or TV shows?

AC: It really doesn’t. I can’t think of any world that this is like, but I can totally understand why people love this kind of work—which is in a whole other dimension and space, because if it is done well, it ignites something in you, a connection that’s so outside of yourself that you don’t recognize or want to be confronted with every day. These worlds, when done well, grip you and hold your interest and your gaze so you don’t have to keep looking away.

This is what that world does. So intense and enthusiastic.

M: Haroona’s character in Unknown 9: Awakening has a slew of awesome powers to take on the bad guys. Do you have a favorite power and how would you use it in a hypothetical real-life scenario?

AC: I’d say peeking. Peeking is when you can open a window into the “fold” and discover knowledge and secrets you didn’t have before. What is our version of the fold? I don’t know. But knowledge is a gift, and it is powerful… Our fold is maybe the universe? Something outside of what we know? I’d love to take a peek at that and see what’s there.

Lastly, Anya Chalotra had a special message for fans looking forward to the launch of Unknown 9: Awakening:

I can’t wait for you to inhabit this character, Haroona, and see the world we’ve created and be part of this culture. Hopefully, you’ll be as inspired as I was. I hope it meets your expectations!

We would like to thank Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia and Anya Chalotra for this special opportunity to talk about Unknown 9: Awakening.

Unknown 9: Awakening is set to launch on October 18 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.