After a two-year wait,The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s second season is continuing to tell the tale of Sauron’s plot to control the races of Middle-earth with the eponymous rings of power.The Rings of Power’s season two is set to feature some major moments from this time period in Tolkien’s saga, as Sauron is now in league with Celebrimbor while the leaders of Middle-earth are primed to accept the power of the rings.
Game Rant sat down with numerous cast members ofThe Rings of Powerahead of its second season and discussed each of their characters' motivations, the changes these characters have undergone since season one, and what it’s like to play a villain like Sauron, an amnesiac like The Stranger, or a long-livedelf like Gil-Galad.This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Charlie Vickers and Charles Edwards Discuss Sauron and Celebrimbor’s Relationship In The Rings of Power
Q: In these episodes and last season, we’ve seen a few glimmers of Sauron appearing almost remorseful or thoughtful. Is Sauron “pure evil” in your mind, or are you trying to bring out some genuine warmth?
Charlie Vickers (Sauron):I think he’s not pure evil in his own mind, right? It wasn’t very useful for me as an actor to approach the character thinking he’s pure evil. Now, I think it’s twofold because Tolkien was pretty unequivocal in thinking that Sauron, at least in this story, played the role of the villain; he represents evil.
But for me, I approach the character in the sense that he’s trying to rehabilitate and heal Middle-earth. Any warmth that I bring forth, yeah–particularlywhen he meets Celebrimborfor the first time–there has to be warmth and that level of charm, because that is how you establish the relationship. Any of that that you’re feeling was intentional.
Q: Suaron’s manipulation of Celebrimbor is a pretty huge moment in Lord of the Rings. How do you approach that dynamic between master manipulator and otherwise brilliant craftsman?
Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor):Well, it’s been a very, very rewarding shooting. This story for the two of us has been so rewarding and so enjoyable and satisfying, because, as you say, it gets very interesting and very psychological and challenging.
The one thing we tried to maintain was that with both of them–that it’s not justSauron leading Celebrimbor–there’s a battle of wits and of power going on between the two for much of it, which makes it much more interesting to play and also more interesting to watch. Celebrimbor is not just a kind of puppet, he fights back when he needs to until he can’t anymore.
Q: Initially in these episodes, Celebrimbor seemed hesitant to meet with Suaron, but soon after, he’s fully on board. How did you approach Celebrimbor’s shifting thought process toward this whole thing?
Edwards:I disagree, I think he’s been waiting to see Halbrand again, and when Sauron presents himself in the way that he does–as a god–yes, he’s on board. I don’t see any moments where Celebrimbor should have seen otherwise, because the circumstances are quite overwhelming, not to say sort of transcendental. You go with it.
Subsequently, the cracks start to show later down the line, but initially, he takes a bit of persuading. He resists for quite a time. Ultimately, his ambition and desire to be on board with this plan, assuming and hoping that, obviously, the motives are noble, which they are according to him. Down the line, it becomes something else, but initially, he’s on board.
Q: Suaron is a complex character, but what do you feel are some important characteristics of his to express?
Vickers:I think his intention, right? And I think any kind of character traits that are evident are all a consequence of what he seeks. That’s such a thing that was really clear to me right back from the earlypages ofThe Silmarillionto Of the Rings of Power, The Akallabeth, all that stuff that he wants–at least at this time period–he wants to heal Middle-earth.
Everything comes from that desire, and it stretches right back. You know, he was a student of Aule who was a master craftsman he is a master craftsman. Hence this relationship is so fruitful because he loves art and he loves beautiful things, and really respects someone who can bring those things to life. So I think that’s a real key part of the character, at least in this time period: making beautiful rings.
Q: Ismael, your character went through and saw a lot in this last season. Do you feel he’s felt some changes in season two as a result?
Ismael Cruz Cordova (Arondir):Absolutely. From season one, I always felt thatArondir is this type of elfthat, if he follows this trajectory and we’re able to follow him for 1000s of years, there’s a potential in him, if it’s possible, of becoming human.
I think there’s a crack within his “elvenness” and this curiosity and this admiration for humanity that is really transforming him, and he is evidently more receptive than many of the other elves to do so. Falling in love with a human and the proximity that he has in the hierarchy to humans as well. He’s like a lower-class elf in a certain way and I think you see that existential human crisis is very human. What he goes through in the second season is quite a bit like there’s that elvenness fighting that humanness.
Q: You guys are both playing elves. What does elvenness look like to you? How do you express that?
Benjamin Walker (Gil-Galad):Well, one of the big hurdles to understanding this Tolkienian world is the amount of time they’ve experienced. It begs the question: When you’ve lived long enough to see everything and everyone you know and love die, and then over and over and over again, how do you muster the strength to continue to love? How do you muster the strength to have hope?
You rememberthese are the elves that chose to stay, so they have that yearning in spades. I really admire the characters in that they have the stamina to stay in Middle-earth, to understand the inevitability of evil’s resurrection, and in spite of that, fortify themselves as a group and protect a bunch of creatures on a big muddy rock. I think there’s something noble about them. There’s certainly something in my opinion that comes across as arrogant, but that’s inevitable. I love playing Gil-Galad for those reasons.
Cordova:I want to add something to that because when I was working and preparing to be an elf, it’s very hard for you to philosophically tap into that abstraction. For me, ehat was very useful is that we do have those among us who can identify with some elven qualities: Indigenous cultures. These indigenous cultures carry this kind of spirit of what they’ve seen, what they carry through generations, and how they relate to the earth. It’s like this 1000-mile stare and their understanding of space, time, life, spirit… look no further than that. I think that that example helps you understand elvenness.
Q: Ben, your character is in a pretty complex situation. Gil-Galad is trying to deal with the corruption at home, and now Sauron is on the loose. How do you feel he’s dealing with this emotionally?
Walker:He’s a little frustrated. I like to think of him as a loving parent, which is, “Now I told you guys, you’re going to break that. Now you’ve broken it. Let’s see if we can put it back together.” You know, “You climbed up that tree. Now let’s see if you can get down.”
I do think it comes from a place of love, but I think when we find him in the early stages of the second season, I think he’s been frustrated because this could have been on some level averted, but hey, you don’t have much conflict if evil doesn’t come back. That’s one of thebeautiful things about Tolkien, he understood in his writing the inevitability of evil and I like that. I think there’s something beautiful about these omniscient or semi-omniscient beings getting duped right out of the gate. It’s a testament to evil.
Daniel Weyman, Markella Kavenagh, and Megan Richards Reflect on The Stranger and the Harfoots' Journey So Far
Q: The Stranger has been gradually discovering himself since season one. How do you approach his increasing lucidity? Does season two Stranger feel different from season one Stranger?
Daniel Weyman (The Stranger):Yeah, that’s interesting. What wasfun about season twois that I felt, not that he had a comfort zone in season one, but just that because there was no language in season one, he could really respond. Things hit him and he could respond physically. In season two, I feel like the rug is more constantly pulled out from under his feet, so there’s not much time to get caught up in the words and what the words are doing. He just has to respond.
Now that when he makes a sound it comes out as words, it’s relatively easy, so I think we were plunged into this landscape that was like nothing any of the characters had ever seen before. We had no water, we had no food. Then there were the whole other communities that we met. They were terrifying, or they were inspiring in different ways, and that constant being on the back foot made the language thing sort of fade into the background. I had to just respond, and thankfully, there were words there to help me, if that makes sense.
Q: We’ve been talking about the Stranger’s growth this season, but do you feel like the harfoots have been seeing some as well?
MarkellaKavenagh (Nori Brandyfoot):Heaps of changes! For the first time in their lives, they’re away from their harfoot community. That in itself is huge for them, but you get to see how it affects them as the season goes on.
Megan Richards (Poppy Proudfellow):I think there’s a really lovely growth thatI can speak for Poppythat she goes through, and that’s sort of a continuation of what you’ve already seen through season one, which is quite nice, but you get to see different avenues that she explores in her life that she never even knew was a potential that could exist. So that’s really wonderful that the audience will get to experience that with her. And yeah, there are so many changes constantly. It’s exhausting.
Q: How do you immerse yourself in a role like the Stranger? Is it challenging to portray a character who doesn’t even know himself?
Weyman:Weirdly, I think it’s actually easier, I’ve realized, because you don’t have to worry about anything that came before the first scene that you film. I just sort of woke up in this crater in season one, and just saw Nori and took it from there. Each scene I just had to deal with what was there and that gives me a character in the audience’s mind, but I never had to manufacture it. I was learning it all the way, so I thought it was a real privilege of a part to be given and I’ve loved it.
Richards:That’s a good challenge for staying in the present.
Q: What are some key differences you notice playing harfoots as opposed to a typical human character? Do you feel that they see the world differently or behave differently than a human might?
Kavenagh:Oh, that’s a great question. I think they do.
Richards:I think because their circumstances are so different to that of a typical… well actually, then again, the human race is so vast!
Kavenagh:I feel like theharfoots are like a showreel of human experiencebecause they all have a range of emotions and experiences. They’ve lived many, many lives in their short lifespan. So I do feel like there’s something that humans can relate to in each of the harfoots and other halflings we meet.
Richards:Especially with relationships, I think that’s definitely a key one. It’s an interesting question.
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