In Tolkien’s world, one does not simply watch Lord Of The Rings once. Instead, we devour it multiple times until finally, we’re treated to an entirely new batch of content straight from Middle Earth.
We are, of course, talking about Amazon Prime’s all-new series, The Rings Of Power.
Premiering with a double episode on September 2 in Australia, there’s no doubt Tolkien’s legion of die-hard fans—and a whole generation of new ones—will be jumping on the bandwagon.
While the LOTR trilogy largely focussed on the third age of Middle Earth (with a brief insight into the fourth), The Rings Of Power focusses on the second age (some several thousand years before Frodo’s time), and specifically, how the 19 Rings of Power came to be.
Of course, some beloved elvish characters return (hello, younger Galadriel and Elrond), while new faces also bring a whole new narrative to bury ourselves in.
But if you’re confused by who’s who (and fair enough, lack of intricate detail simply doesn’t exist in Tolkien’s vocab), fear not. Below, we’ve uncovered everything you need to know about the cast and their characters.
You can watch ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ in Australia on Amazon Prime, sign up for a 30 day free trial here.
Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark
Character’s race: Elf
Welsh actor Morfydd Clark is best known for her work on The Personal History of David Copperfield. In The Rings Of Power, she plays Galadriel (thousands of years before she became the Galadriel we knew from LOTR, played by Cate Blanchett). Galadriel is a royal Elf of both the Noldor and the Teleri, per Tolkien’s stories. She was the grandchild of both King Finwë and King Olwë.
Elrond is played by Robert Aramayo
Character’s race: Elf
British actor Robert Aramayo (previously of Game Of Thrones infamy) tackles the role of Elrond, who was originally played by Hugo Weaving in the LOTR trilogy films. Elrond was an elf-ruler who lived in Middle Earth between the first and fourth ages. His parents were half-elven, which means Elrond has both human and elvish ancestors.
Arondir is played by Ismael Cruz Córdova
Character’s race: Elf
Puerta Rican actor Ismael Cruz Córdova (known for The Undoing), plays Arondir, a Silvan elf tasked with watching over a small village in the second age. Arondir’s character was created especially for the series, and his love story with Bronwyn, a Southlanders human, will no doubt be an interesting sub-plot to the story.
Bronwyn is played by Nazanin Boniadi
Character’s race: Human
Speaking of, Iranian-born British actor Nazanin Boniadi (known for her role in Homeland) plays another newly created character, Bronwyn in The Rings Of Power. Reigning from the village of Tirharad, she is mother to a son named Theo and works as the village healer.
Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot is played by Markella Kavenagh
Character’s race: Harfoot /Hobbit
Australian actor Markella Kavenagh first broke onto the scene in homegrown series, Picnic at Hanging Rock. Now, she has landed the major gig as a loveable hobbit, informally known as Nori in Rings Of Power. Her character is also non-canonical, so her character was obviously created for an important reason.
Poppy Proudfellow is played by Megan Richards
Character’s race: Harfoot /Hobbit
British actor Megan Richards (known for Wanderlust and Doctor Who) plays Poppy Proudfellow, an acquaintance of Nori Brandyfoot. She is also non-canonical, so little more is known about her background, though we’re sure she’s likely to get up to some Merry and Pippen-level mischief.
Isildur is played by Maxim Baldry
Character’s race: Human
If you’re a fan of Tolkien’s work, you’ll no doubt be intrigued to see the origins of Isildur’s rule play out in The Rings Of Power. The character is played by British actor Maxim Baldry, who is best known for his appearances in Years and Years and Hollyoaks.
Theo is played by Tyroe Muhafidin
Character’s race: Human
Tyroe Muhafidin is another Australian up-and-coming actor who portrays Theo in Rings Of Power. He’s the son of Bronwyn and grew up in the village of Tirharad.
Elendil is played by Lloyd Owen
Character’s race: Human
British actor Lloyd Owen (Apollo 18, Miss Potter) plays the famous Tolkien character Elendil, the man who led survivors of Númenor to Middle-earth, where they founded the realms of Arnor and Gondor, per Tolkien’s works.
Halbrand is played by Charlie Vickers
Character’s race: Human
Australian actor Charlie Vickers (known for Palm Beach and Medici) scored the role of Halbrand in The Rings Of Power, a newly created human character whose fate is yet to be revealed.
Disa is played by Sophia Nomvete
Character’s race: Dwarf
British actor Sophia Nomvete (previously in Swashbuckle) plays the Dwarf princess, Disa. Her character was also created especially for the series.
Eärien is played by Ema Horvath
Character’s race: Human
Slovak actor Ema Horvath began her career when she scored a role in the 2017 film, Like.Share.Follow. More recently, she starred in The Gallows 2 and The Mortuary Collection, before landing a role in The Rings Of Power. Eärien, also a non-canonical character, is a woman from Númenórean. Her name translates to “Daughter of The Sea”, if that’s any indication as to what’s in store for her.
