The Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powertackles the Second Age of Middle-earth, offering viewers the first look at a never-before-seen era in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. Introducing this age on-screen means many characters will be seen by audiences for the first time, but a few immortal beings who’ve appeared in previous iterations will also show up along the way.
Here’s how some of the cast members describe their characters:
Robert Aramayo, Elrond
Robert Aramayo plays Elrond, the Half-Elven Lord of Rivendell who also appeared in the Lord of the Rings films set thousands of years after The Rings of Power. “I was very interested in taking a character we’ve seen in the Third Age and tracing it back to see where he came from,” said Aramayo. “He has a famous past which was exciting to explore.”
Charles Edwards, Celebrimbor
Another character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Celebrimbor, played by Charles Edwards, is the Elven smith who forges the Rings of Power. “There’s more than one blueprint for the character,” said Edwards, referring to Tolkien’s descriptions of Celebrimbor. “There was room to make informed decisions about who he is.” As a true fan himself, Edwards emphasized the importance of making decisions about the character based on the history of Tolkien. “As a kid I was obsessed with Lord of the Rings,” he said. “I was copying his Elvish script as a child—I even wrote my own play of Lord of the Rings.”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Queen-Regent Míriel
Cynthia Addai-Robinson plays the Queen-Regent of Númenor, an Island Kingdom of Men. As a queen regent, Míriel is not fully a queen, and viewers will find out exactly what that means for her character as the series unfolds. Addai-Robinson shared that her character is a “thoughtful woman” who is trying to “do right by her people.” She also noted that there is a “foreboding sense of something about to happen” and that Míriel is wired into that.
Trystan Gravelle, Pharazôn
Pharzôn, played by Trystan Gravelle, serves as Queen-Regent Míriel's advisor. “He’s a true servant of the people,” explained Gravelle. “His job is to marry the relationship between the working people of Númenor and the regency.” Gravelle also shared that his character is “burdened by his mortality,” and focused on the legacy his family will leave behind.
Owain Arthur, Prince Durin IV
Prince Duran IV, played by Owain Arthur, is a prince of the Dwarven city Khazad-dûm. “We see Khazad-dûm at a golden age where it’s thriving,” said Arthur. The prosthetics, makeup, and costuming befitting of a Dwarf in Tolkien’s world made Arthur almost unrecognizable in the show—and, not surprisingly, that meant plenty of time in the makeup chair. “It was a three-hour process each morning, and 45-mintute process to take everything off,” he explained. “The nose was the first thing, and it instantly turned me into an old man with a massive smile.”
Sophia Nomvete, Princess Disa
Prince Durin IV is married to Princess Disa, played by Sophia Nomvete. Princess Disa is the first Black female Dwarf in the world of Tolkien. “It’s a revolutionary moment for cinematic television,” said Nomvete. “It is an honor to be a host of that.” Nomvete describes her character as relatable, and said she hopes women will connect with Disa like she has. “She is a mother, she is a wife, but she also has magical powers,” she said. “She has passion and ambition for her people, for her home, and for her own self-worth.”
Lloyd Owen, Elendil
Elendil, played by Lloyd Owen, is a sea captain and the head of a “known” family in Númenor. He is father to Isildur and Eärien (more on these two in a moment). Owen said that while Elendil’s family is not high in terms of power or prestige, “everything in Númenor is built around the ocean, so if you’re a captain of a ship, there is a certain status that goes with that.”
Maxim Baldry, Isildur
“'I'm an aspiring...” Maxim Baldry trailed off as he laughed about his character's lack of direction. Baldry plays Isildur, Elendil's son and Eärien's brother. According to Baldry, Isildur is at somewhat of a crossroads in his life. He shared that Isildur is a sea cadet, but he “really doesn't want to be a sea cadet and thinks there's something else out there.”
Ema Horvath, Eärien
Ema Horvath plays Eärien, a new character created for the series. Eärien is Isildur’s sister, and Horvath notes that they are both “on the cusp of adulthood.” Horvath also shared that the role required her to learn to read and write some Númenórean.
Markella Kavenagh, Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot
Markella Kavenagh plays Harfoot character Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot. While Harfoots might appear similar to Hobbits you've seen from the Shire, Kavenagh explains there is an important distinction. “They share physical similarities, but the biggest difference is their circumstances,” she explained. “The Hobbits from Shire have their home. The Harfoots are actively searching for that sense of stability.”
Morfydd Clark, Galadriel
Galadriel is a cornerstone character in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. “She’s one of the oldest elves,” said Morfydd Clark, the actress who plays the character in The Rings of Power. “She’s older than the moon.” Galadriel has been part of some of the most historical moments in Middle-earth, and many know her as a wise, stately Lady of Lothlórien. Clark explains that the Galadriel you’ll see in the series will be quite different from the version you’ve seen in the films. “There’s thousands of years between the Galadriel of the Second Age and the Galadriel we all know from the Lord of the Rings trilogy,” she said.
Charlie Vickers, Halbrand
Halbrand is an original character who is a part of the race of Men. While fans will get their first introduction to the new character in the series, Charlie Vickers, the actor behind Halbrand in the show, explained that his character fits naturally into the world of Tolkien. “The showrunners and the writers have done an amazing job creating a character that is built on the essence of Tolkien,” Vickers said. “The themes that Tolkien wrote exist within Halbrand.”
Benjamin Walker, Gil-galad
Benjamin Walker plays Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor, High Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor. Walker explained that Gil-galad is an ideal leader. “He leads by example and with grace,” he said. “He gives the freedom to become who you want to be, and I love that about him. He is powerful enough to pull rank at a moment’s notice, but he chooses not to.”
Ismael Cruz Córdova, Arondir
Arondir, played by Ismael Cruz Córdova, is a Silvan Elf tasked with watching over the people of the Southlands. “The Southlanders were on the wrong side of history, and the Elves were tasked with watching over them and keeping the law in place,” explained Cruz Córdova. Arondir is an outsider, and consequently falls for a woman from the Southlands (Bronwyn) who is also a dissenting voice among her people.
Nazanin Boniadi, Bronwyn
Bronwyn, played by Nazanin Boniadi, is a healer woman and single mother to a troubled boy named Theo. “She is a human Southlander who is in a forbidden romance with a gorgeous elf,” said Boniadi, gesturing to Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir) sitting next to her. Boniadi explained that tensions arose between the Southlanders and the Elves, given the Elves’ role as guardians keeping them from veering to the dark side for a second time. “There is anger towards the current situation,” said Boniadi, “but there is also hope.”
Tyroe Muhafidin, Theo
Tyroe Muhafidin is one of several young actors poised to steal the series. He plays Theo, Bronwyn’s son, and his father is mysteriously out of the picture. He’s growing up in a poor, medieval village. Muhafidin explained that the people of Theo’s village are “hardworking because they don’t have much.” Burdened by his circumstances and the swirling rumors around his mother’s romance with the enemy, Theo grows frustrated, and viewers will see that frustration play out in the series.
Check out Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, streaming exclusively on Prime Video. And stay tuned for the premiere of The Rings of Power Season 2 on Prime Video on August 29.
