Pop-Culturalist.com

Robert Aramayo, Sophia Nomvete, and Owain Arthur are three of the stars of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to talk with Robert, Sophia, and Owain about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, joining the Lord of the Rings franchise, and more.

PC: Robert, I wanted to start with you. The Peter Jackson films and Lord of the Rings played a huge role in your life. What has it been like for you to revisit this lore and universe from an actor’s perspective?
Robert: It’s very different actually! Thank you for that question because it’s a great one. I had a moment when I got the job where I knew that this world that I love was going to be different now for me. That’s a great thing, but it’s also a complicated thing. Now I’m going to go from somebody who loves watching and reading this stuff to somebody who’s involved in creating it in a visual way. It’s a double-edged sword, but I’m glad I did it.

PC: Sophia, you’ve said in the past that this project gives you all the opportunity to depict Middle-earth as the world that we live in today. What has it meant to you to be a part of a project that’s shining a light on diversity and inclusion?
Sophia: It feels really exciting. I spent my life thinking that what we need to do is look at the reality of the world and put it into the arts. I think I’ve discovered on this job that it’s the other way around. Art and entertainment inform us as a society whether it be what we’re wearing or things like that. Now I’m a part of a world that will inform and introduce Tolkien to a new generation. We’re all painting a picture that will ricochet over time. That’s what this fantasy world looks like. Suddenly people like me who do exist and have existed since the beginning of time can also exist within a franchise of this scale. That’s been really, really important, particularly for my parent in the show. It’s iconic and necessary.

PC: Owain, you’ve teased in the past that we’re going to see your character experience a lot of varied emotions throughout this series. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into those particular emotions?
Owain: Great question again. I think the key is to find your inner child. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but children will go from one extreme to another. There’s a childlike quality to this character. It’s a big playground. I don’t have to imagine Middle-earth because it’s right in front of me. It’s brilliant.

Make sure to follow Robert (Instagram), Sophia (Instagram), and Owain (Twitter/Instagram). Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime today.