"Making sure these people feel real": When The Wheel Of Time's Rosamund Pike broke silence on audition days and certain BTS moments

The Wheel of Time, a grand fantasy series on Amazon Prime, might have a lot going on, but for the show's lead, Rosamund Pike, its success depends on one key thing: being real.

In an interview with Stream Wars on November 29, 2021, she talked about how important it is to have characters that feel true to life rather than just focusing on building a huge fantasy world.

Pike believes that for a story like The Wheel of Time to work, you need more than just an epic setting:

“Making sure these people feel real to audiences.”

During the same interview, she discussed the grueling audition process and backstage struggles that influenced the cast's performances.

The casting audition for The Wheel of Time was secretive, with actors sometimes having no idea what role they were auditioning for.

“I was aware it was The Wheel of Time, but not what character I was auditioning for,” one actor recalled.

In spite of these challenges, the cast was carefully chosen by Kelly Hendry and showrunner Rafe Judkins so that every actor naturally fell into their respective roles. In addition to rigorous training in horse riding, sword fighting, and dialect coaching, the immersive sets—constructed rather than depending on CGI—allowed actors to inhabit their characters fully.

From the sprawling sets of Two Rivers to Prague's fortress-like Jordan Studios, Pike and the stars of the production embraced the physical realism of the show to give life to Robert Jordan's cult favorite.

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The Wheel of Time auditions led to secretive casting

The auditions kept actors guessing. Unlike typical casting calls, they used code names for the scripts. Actors only received a few scenes to perform. These scenes were not straightforward. They were chosen to be vague and confusing. This approach helped maintain secrecy around the plot.

“You had very limited information and just a few scenes to go off,” one cast member admitted.

Amazon's big-budget fantasy show was kept under wraps. This was a clever move to protect their investment. They wanted to keep who was acting in it a secret.

Rosamund Pike brought a sense of importance to it. Even she had to go through the audition carefully. According to her, the way characters connected on screen was a key part of The Wheel of Time audition process.

“When [our characters] enter the screen, you can feel that they've been on a journey together for the past 20 years.”

The casting directors were looking for more than just actors. They wanted those who could convincingly portray a strong bond and shared past.

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Bringing Jordan to life needed physical & dialect training

The Wheel of Time had more in store for its cast than just auditions. They needed training to make the high-fantasy world feel real. For a whole month before shooting, the actors went to a strict training camp to prepare for their roles.

Daniel Henney, who played Lan, spoke about his experience with the sword. It was like a katana and tough to handle.

Here's what he had to say:

“A light sword is harder to balance with—it moves quicker, so mistakes happen that much faster.”

Dialect training was really important. The actors worked with dialect coaches. This helped them make sure everyone talked the same way in The Wheel of Time:

“There was a lot of debate about how we were going to say these words,” Pike revealed.

The balance between what fans expect and keeping the language true to the original is essential.

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You can watch The Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime Video, including new episodes from Season 3, which started to drop on March 13, 2025.