Actors Charles Edwards and Robert Aramayo had quite different shoes to fill in The Rings of Power as Celebrimbor and Elrond, respectively. While the former plays a role that has scanty references in the Tolkienian world including The Lord of The Rings, the latter plays a fan-favourite lead character that has immense importance in both the book and the Peter Jackson trilogy.
Aramayo states that Elrond is a different character in the new prequel, as he is young and curious to learn more from life, as opposed to the laid-back version portrayed by Hugo Weaving. Edwards, on the other hand, feels that playing an important character that created the rings of power with meager information is his biggest challenge.
Excerpts:
How do you think the lively Elrond in The Rings of Power becomes jaded in The Lord Of The Rings?
Aramayo: Elrond witnesses many defeats and equally fruitless victories in his long life span, I guess that makes him indifferent to everything around him. But my version has just begun and he hasn’t lived the numbing phase of his life.
How was Celebrimbor fleshed out as a complete character?
Edwards: I have to thank showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay for it. Since they have a deep understanding of the Tolkienian world, it came in handy for them to fill in the gaps in my character. There is little information about him in the books. Everyone knows that he is the one who forges the rings, but nobody knows the path he crossed to reach there. It is a very unique character to play.
Aramayo, you are a part of both The Game of Thrones and The Rings of Power. Did you notice any similarities?
Aramayo: Both series are fantastic fantasies, which accommodate intriguing long-format storytelling. They are unique in their own ways. As an actor, I had very different responsibilities in both projects, so it would be hard for me to compare them. But I am just extremely glad that both the shows exist.
Do you relate to Celebrimbor in any way?
Edwards: Yes, I do. Celebrimbor is at a crossroads at the beginning of The Rings of Power. He isn’t satisfied with his creations and seeks a project to fulfil his thirst for excellence. I have been in a very similar space as an actor.
Do you have a favourite scene from the episodes that premiered so far?
Aramayo: I would pick Elrond’s first conversation with Prince Durin in Khazad-Dum. As we know, elves are taller and dwarves are shorter than average men. Fitting both Elrond and Durin in the same frame was quite a challenging task. Usually, in such cases, they shoot it with dummies instead of the other person using VFX. But Owain Arthur and I were present during our individual shots maintaining eye contact to make sure the emotions were real.
Edwards: Thankfully, our directors asked us to focus only on emotions and not on the technicalities. So it becomes easy for us to be in sync with the character as much as possible. The entire cast shared great chemistry on the sets and we worked with the happiness of creating something beautiful. I guess it has translated well on screen.
Why do you think The Rings of Power warrants a watch from the non-fans of the book?
Aramayo: It is an accessible fantasy series that requires no knowledge of Tolkien to get engrossed. Apart from men, it has other beings and it is quite interesting to see the world through their eyes.
Edwards: The Rings of Power is a very inclusive and hugely diverse series, both in terms of its characters and actors. Tolkien often speaks touchingly about the human condition of being alive and its purpose in his books. I see this is a universal theme and it is prevalent in our show. Such explorations are timeless.