British actor Morfydd Clark tells Katie Ellis about stepping into Cate Blanchett’s shoes to play Galadriel in The Rings of Power, her fascination with elf ears, and how her Welsh roots helped her learn Elvish
How did you feel about playing Galadriel in The Rings of Power?
It was just beyond my wildest dreams. I grew up reading the Lord of the Rings books. I was 11 years old when the films came out, so this world has been a part of my life for a really long time.
We have had conversations about Galadriel and now this is my job. So yeah, it was amazing to find me suddenly on the set as her.
Cate Blanchett played Galadriel in the Lord of the Rings movies. What was it like to follow in the footsteps of someone like her?
Overwhelming. I think for all of us in this cast, it’s beyond what we ever dared to imagine could happen. It’s a case of just accepting that it’s not going to feel necessarily normal or natural at first, but then just try to enjoy it all. Doing all of the amazing things we did made it easier.
Did you speak to Blanchett about playing Galadriel?
I didn’t talk to her, but I thought about her all of the time. Honestly, I was obsessed with those films, so it still feels very surreal to be here now.
What do you hope this show and your performance will bring to the character that we have perhaps not seen before?
My intention was always to explore the serenity that Galadriel has. I wanted to show how it is hard-earned and it comes through trials. Hopefully, the audience will see that and more.
Tell us about Galadriel’s armour.
First of all, it’s like a Rubik’s Cube in terms of getting it on. There would always be at least four people working on me at one time to put it on me, but her armour is amazing. I really felt like some kind of medieval queen and that I was being prepared for something huge.
It was wonderful. I got to know that costume very well.
What about the elf ears?
Everyone asks me about the ears (laughs). I never thought the ears were going to be the topic of so many conversations. The truth is that there was a whole team of people behind my ears. There was an amazing prosthetics artist, Irina Strukova, painting them day and night with beautiful tiny veins. I love my ears. The first time I got them on, I was shocked at just how flattering they are because they elongate your cheekbones. I was like, ‘This is a look’.
Where do we find Galadriel at the beginning of this prequel series?
At the beginning, Galadriel is convinced that there is an evil rising in Middle Earth, but no one else agrees with her. So she is on a quest to be believed in, even though she is one of the oldest elves. She has seen a lot of terrible things. She has lost so many members of her family and is grieving and homesick. She can’t believe that life could ever be peaceful and good. She turns out to be right.
How hard was it to learn Elvish?
As soon as I picked up The Hobbit as a child, my mum was like, ‘You’re reading that? Did you know that Elvish is based on Welsh?’ I have always been so grateful for talking in and respecting the language of my country. So I felt lucky to be Welsh while learning it.
Of all the skills you had to learn for the show, which one was the greatest challenge?
I thought the greatest challenge for me was just generally to believe that I could do those things. In the first few weeks I was like, ‘I can’t actually do any of this’, but we had amazing teachers who got us over that hump with the climbing, the free-diving and everything else.
What message do you have for the fans of the Lord of the Rings?
I would just encourage people to have an open mind and try to take the opportunity to enjoy the show. We had a wonderful group of people working on this and I’m really proud to be part of it.
Finally, how would you sum up your time playing Galadriel?
It’s been an experience like no other.
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