As a fan who has grown up reading and re-reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic masterpiece, I must admit that the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has given us an insightful perspective on the power and corruption of the rings. Their candid responses reflect not only their understanding of the characters they portray but also the human condition itself.
In a hypothetical scenario, it’s likely that many individuals, upon encountering a Ring of Power, would wish to destroy it by throwing it into Mount Doom. Regrettably, these rings possess an overpowering influence capable of corrupting even the noblest souls, causing them to exclaim “My precious.” With the Season 2 premiere of Rings of Power scheduled for 2024 and the rings being part of the storyline, I was curious about which LOTR character each cast member would embody if they came across one. Interestingly enough, all of them seemed to identify with…Gollum.
Initially, that answer left me stunned, but upon reflection, I can see why each one chose that destination. Let’s delve into the reasons behind their choices.
Basically Everyone Answered With Gollum
Right when I asked the question, Celebrimbor actor Charles Edwards’ immediate response was:
Probably Gollum.
In our chat, Charlie Vickers, known for his role as Sauron, shared his thoughts, mentioning he’d likely succumb to the power swiftly – an idea I wholeheartedly agreed with. At first, he playfully suggested he might embody Sauron due to his character, but then, in a humorous twist, he compared himself to Gollum instead. This sparked a friendly banter between us as we reached our amusing conclusion.
Charles Edwards: Like Gollum.
Charlie Vickers: Yeah. The answer is both of us.
Charles Edwards: We’re both Gollums.
The pervasive feeling that power can corrupt was evident among the characters. Moreover, Markella Kavenagh, who is known as Nori Brandyfoot, shared her belief that she might eventually resemble Andy Serkis’ character in this aspect.
I believe I might find myself resembling Gollum due to the struggle of resisting its allure, as the Ring’s power seems incredibly hard to resist.
As a fellow gamer, I found myself resonating with Daniel Weyman’s character, The Stranger, in the game we both find ourselves. Although he didn’t explicitly name a character, his words echoed within me. He mentioned that if faced with a mysterious ring like the one in our game, he’d likely “regrettably” succumb to its enchantment. In other words, just as I would be, he’d be “unfortunately corrupted by any ring.”
Similarly, Benjamin Walker, portraying High King Gil-galad, promptly addressed Gollum as well.
Initially, several members assumed the ring was dangerous and would lead them to exclaim “my precious” while trapped in a cave. Yet, two performers from the group initially proposed different theories before acknowledging the ring’s immense power.
Even The Actors Who Had Different Answers Admitted How Tempted They’d Be By The Ring
As a gamer putting myself in the shoes of these characters, I must admit that Morfydd Clark, known as Galadriel, and Sam Hazeldine, who stepped into the role of Adar for Season 2 of The Rings of Power, initially had contrasting responses to a certain question…at least, at first.
Initially, Hazeldine compared his own actions to those of Boromir, as portrayed by Sean Bean in “The Fellowship of the Ring.” To clarify, he went on to explain why he made that comparison.
I mean, I love that in the world and in Tolkien’s world that the power of the Ring, you just don’t know what it’s going to feel like ‘til you get it. And you think, ‘Oh, well, I’m just going to take it and carry it to somewhere.’ But it’s got you in its clutches already, you know, it’s so powerful.
In “Fellowship,” Boromir becomes tempted by the ring and shares his desire to utilize it for the purpose of saving lives with Frodo. His expression, hinting at a mix between curiosity and potential corruption, is captivating. Yet, the actor portraying Boromir, Sean Bean, admitted that one can never truly predict how they’d respond to something so powerful.
Meanwhile, Morfydd Clark name-dropped Rings of Power’s latest addition Tom Bombadil, saying:
I find myself identifying with the idea that perhaps we should entrust it to Tom Bombadil since he appears to be unaffected by it. However, I fear that I might lose control in a similar situation, which is unfortunate.
However, she also quipped at the very end:
Or Gollum.
It appears that all paths converge towards Gollum. It’s somewhat surprising that they didn’t mention Frodo, Isildur, or even some of the other ring bearers who were heroic despite their flaws. Yet, I understand why they picked this cave-dwelling character, and two other characters provided a deeper insight into the reasoning behind this choice.
Why The Rings Could Turn Anyone Evil According To Benjamin Walker And Ismael Cruz Córdova
Behind every response lies an underlying cause that ultimately shaped Gollum, and this is what Benjamin Walker elucidated. Upon suggesting he might portray Smeagol, he delved into the rationale behind it, sharing his insights with me.
The truth about… If you truly understand the story, it feels like, ‘In Tolkien’s world, there but for fortune go I.’ Evil exists in such a powerful and ingrained manner within us all. And I believe… It’s haughty to think that we, too, would be capable of discarding it into the flames. This is particularly evident with elves.
Ismael Cruz Córdova, portraying Arondir, shared a similar sentiment. He stated that the rings’ true power is so potent that it feels “almost unavoidable” to succumb to “darkness.” The actor continued by explaining that the most sinister characters are those who believe they’re resolving issues, which is a belief held by many of the ring-bearers.
The concept of evil can be tricky because it seems to share some qualities with good. You might find yourself believing that you’re always doing what’s right, but inadvertently moving towards wrongdoing. For instance, having the power to act, to guide, and to protect can eventually lead to tyranny if not carefully managed.
In essence, the characters from the series The Rings of Power demonstrated to me that the influence of the rings can be erratic and profoundly corrupting.
It’s likely that we’d all aspire to act like Frodo, successfully throwing the ring into Mount Doom. But unforeseen circumstances can arise, and even the bravest characters may falter. So, though I was taken aback by their actions, it does seem plausible that they ended up behaving like Gollum.
As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that starting August 29, we’ll witness how various characters respond when they get hold of the rings in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Season 2! You can stream this exciting season, as well as Season 1, if you have an Amazon Prime subscription. If the recent Gollum discussions have left you yearning for “my precious,” you can revisit the original trilogy with a Max subscription.
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2024-08-28 03:07