Lord of the Rings: Who plays who? The cast of Amazon series 'The Rings of Power'
The series based on J.R.R Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' is streaming on Amazon Prime with one new episode every week. The story takes place in an era before the book and film trilogy.
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The Amazon series features a whole cast of new faces - which makes sense considering the timeline. The cast list is exciting - names we have heard of, and names we haven't. We take a look at the actors and actresses in the new series and the characters they are going to play.
The unfolding story of Galadriel and her quest to prove herself is one many look forward to in 'The Rings of Power.'
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Trying to warn others, avoiding history repeating itself and fighting for a world she believes in, the heroine tells us, “The enemy is still out there. The question now is where.”
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The new Galadriel, as previously played by Cate Blanchett. The Elven royalty will be played by this young star, most recognised for her role in 'Saint Maud'; but she is feeling the pressure. She said to Esquire: "It is very expensive. There’s a lot going on. And you do feel the pressure of that."
How expensive you ask? The 5-season series will come in at a whopping $1bn.
One of the best things about the series is the surprise of how all these old and new characters fit together as we recognise some more characters from the original films. Robert Aramayo plays the younger version of Hugo Weaving's Elrond, another elf to have received a ring of power. He looks like he means business.
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Yes, it is young Ned Stark from the Game of Thrones saga. Last year, he starred in the Netflix psychological thriller miniseries 'Behind Her Eyes'. We are excited to see what Aramayo brings to this role and it seems he is in each episode of at least the first season.
We saw a glimpse of this character in 'The Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.' The actor was excited to expand on this role further, with lots about Gil-Galad in the books. The Elf leader foresees the impending doom as the world around him feigns peace. The character is also a kind of mentor for the young Elrond.
Benjamin, recognised for his roles in 'Jessica Jones', 'Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter' and 'Flags of Our Fathers' is excited to be in the cast. He spoke to Collider about keeping the secrets of the show under wraps. He said: "I really can't say a lot, and here's the thing. It's usually annoying when they tell you not to talk about it. On this one, I kind of agree with them."
The Queen regent of Númenor, Míriel oversees the region but is threatened by her cousin - a man named Pharazôn - who also has a claim to the throne. The usurper will eventually take over...
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Born in London, Addai-Robinson is perhaps best known for her role as Naevia in the Starz television series 'Spartacus'. She has also appeared in DC Comics' 'Arrow', playing Amanda Waller and then taking over the lead role in 'Shooter'. She boasts quite a full CV. Surprising fact? Navy Seals gave her special forces training.
Pharazôn is Muriel's cousin. In the books, Pharazôn becomes the last king and causes the demise of the kingdom. Could he be the end of Númenor?
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A welsh actor with RADA and Royal Shakespeare Company credentials. On screen, he is probably most recognised for his role in the ITV series 'Mr Selfridge', in which he plays Victor Colleano, assistant manager of the department store's restaurant. He already has work lined up after 'Rings of Power' and will be in the Great Expectations miniseries.
Now we all remember the name Isildur. The one who famously cut the ring off Sauron's hand. Obviously, he then got consumed by the power, but he wasn't always been under the spell of the One Ring. He previously was a young man who lost his mother and tried to live up to the name of his father.
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Another Brit on the cast list who has experience in the world of theatre. But his big break came in 2007 when he received a nomination at the Young Artists Awards in the category of Best Performance in a Feature Film for his role in 'Mr Bean's Hold' opposite Rowan Atkinson.
Another character created for this series. Bronwyn is the village healer of a village called Tirharad. She is also Theo's mother. The interesting thing about this character is how she falls for the Elf Arondir. We expect to see the complications of her loving a man from a different race.
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Born in Iran and raised in London, Boniadi is more than just an actress; she is also an activist, an Amnesty international spokesperson and a board member for the Center for Human Rights in Iran. She said on her Twitter account: "My portrayal of Bronwyn in @LOTRonPrime is inspired by the brave women of my homeland Iran who risk everything for a better tomorrow & is dedicated to every woman on the frontlines of change."
Arondir is another character created for this series. He is a Silvan Elf of the second age who falls in love with Bronwyn and does a lot of fighting.
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Puerto Rican actor Ismael Cruz Córdova is widely recognised for his role as Mando on Sesame Street. He has also had roles in the hit series 'The Good Wife' and a brief appearance in 'The Mandalorian'.
Not much is known about this character as it is one of those created specifically for this series. What we do know, however, is that Poppy Proudfellow was an ancestor of the Harfoots, living in the Second Age.
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Just 23 years old, Richards trained at both West London Drama and The Brit School. Her first role was in the British television series Wanderlust, released in 2018 and after a few small roles in series, but the series will surely propel her to stardom.
Another Harfoot who doesn't appear in any of the books but will obviously have a large role in this story. "Have you ever wondered... what else is out there? There’s wonders in this world beyond our wandering. I can feel it." These are the words that accompanied a shot of Elanor 'Nori' Brandyfoot in the series' trailer.
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As far as rumours go, Kavenagh's role as Nori is set to be one of the leads in the series. At just 21 years old, this actress only started out a few years ago but you can see her in action in 'The Cry' and 'Picnic at Hanging Rock'.
Sadoc Burrows is another Harfoot, one of the subspecies of the Hobbits. In fact, he seems to be an elder, also predicting the pending doom. In the trailer he warns that "the skies are strange" as it seems Sauron's evil draws ever-closer.
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The wonderful and comical Sir Lenny Henry is playing a Hobbit. Sir Lenny spoke to the BBC about his role: "A hundred people on set [are] glaring at you and trying to work out what you’ll look like four feet tall... I’m a Harfoot, because J.R.R. Tolkien, who was also from Birmingham, suddenly there were black hobbits, I’m a black hobbit, it’s brilliant... we’re multi-cultural, we’re a tribe not a race, so we’re Black, Asian, and Brown, even Maori types within it."
Alongside Princess Disa, they are the rulers of the great Dwarves city of Khazad-dûm. Like his father, he bore a Ring of Power. About his role in the series, it seems the alliance between the different realms of Middle Earth will see him most definitely needed.
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Owain Arthur is a Welsh actor and played Francis Henshall in the National Theater’s production of 'One Man, Two Guvnors' at the Royal Haymarket theater before James Cordon took over the role. He is well known in Wales for playing Aled Shaw on S4C's soap series, Rownd a Rownd for nine years.
You can also see him in British TV shows 'Casualty', 'Death in Paradise' and 'New tricks'.
Unlike her co-ruler, Durin IV, Princess Disa does not appear in the Tolkien books. Actress Nomvete spoke with Collider about her character, saying "Disa knows exactly what it is that she wants, and that she thinks is right for her and her husband and her kingdom. You know, she is a female dwarf for the people."
The actress worked on 26 episodes of game show, 'Swashbuckle' before landing her big break in 'The Rings of Power' series. She has made a big name for herself in theatre, however and played the leading role of ‘Miss Sofia’ in the European premiere of ‘The Color Purple (Menier Chocolate Factory) for which she was nominated for a WhatsOnStage ‘Best Supporting Actress Award’ and ‘Best Supporting Role in a Musical’.
Could this be how the Orcs first came to be? Many believe Oren (codename for the character's real name Arden) is a fictional character created for the series and is the first corrupted elf, making him the father of orcs. He is projected to be the main villain in the show, possibly working alongside Sauron?
Photo: Unnamed Orc from 'Rings of Power' trailer, Amazon Prime
You may recognise this face looking slightly more dishevelled and his body in a black cloak. Mawle played Benjin Stark in the 'Game of Thrones' hit show. He was a loveable uncle in the series; but it seems 'Rings of Power' has him as a villain.
After the new trailer was dropped, many believe that the Eminem lookalike who appears to be up to no good in a grey cloak could, in fact be Sauron. Why do we think that? Well, the creative team behind 'The Rings of Power' has revealed that Sauron (who is also a shapeshifter in the books) might well be shown in multiple forms. Could this be one of his characters?
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The actor has been identified as Anson Boon by fans but this has not been confirmed by Amazon Prime. The young British actor has appeared in a few roles in TV series and played the character 'Jonathan' alongside Sam Neil and Susan Sarandon in 'Blackbird' in 2019.
'12 Monkeys' and 'Good Omens' star, Merrells, has a wonderful look that is both engaging and otherworldly - a perfect fit for a Middle Earth show. His character is the elf Trevyn.