The long-awaited Amazon original series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is finally here and is giving longtime fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary fantasy property an opportunity to return to Middle Earth after what seems like ages. But, unlike Peter Jackson’s groundbreaking The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, the new series won’t focus on Bilbo Baggins or his nephew Frodo going on epic quests equipped with the all-powerful ring, but instead a story set thousands of years earlier in a much younger Middle Earth.
Though we will see a few familiar characters (played by new actors), the 2022 TV schedule entry will focus on characters never before seen on screen (or in Tolkien’s various books and encyclopedias), meaning we’re in need of a handy guide. That being said, here is a breakdown of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast and where you’ve seen the actors before…
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)
Galadriel was famously portrayed by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but this time around, the powerful and wise elf is portrayed by Morfydd Clark, who has been building up a nice legacy of her own in recent years.
Throughout her career, Clark has landed roles in movies like Pride and Predjudice and Zombies, The Man Who Invented Christmas, The Personal History of David Copperfield, and Saint Maud, to name only a few. Fantasy series are nothing new for Clark, who has also appeared on His Dark Materials and Dracula in recent years.
Nazanin Boniadi (Bronwyn)
Nazanin Boniadi shows up on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast as Bronwyn, a human character who doesn’t appear in any of Tolkien’s texts but was instead created specifically for the Amazon series.
To some, Boniadi is best remembered from her brief recurring role as Nora in the How I Met Your Mother cast, while others will recognize her from shows like Homeland, Scandal, and Counterpart. Boniadi has also popped up in movies like Iron Man, Passengers, and Bombshell throughout her career.
Peter Mullan (King Durin III)
Taking on the role of Dwarven King Durin III on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Peter Mullan, who has done a little bit of everything throughout his legendary career.
Whether he’s playing characters like Corban Yaxley in the Harry Potter movie franchise, Mother Superior in Trainspotting, or Syd in Children of Men, Mullan has long shown off his tremendous range. And an epic like The Rings of Power is familiar territory for Mullan, considering he’s popped up in films like Braveheart and War Horse as well as appearing in the Ozark cast and other recent shows.
Robert Aramayo (Elrond)
Hugo Weaving played Elrond, the half-elven figure who played a large part throughout The Lord of the Rings, but this time around it will be Robert Aramayo playing a younger version of the wise and noble character.
This is the second time Aramayo has played a younger version of a character made famous by one of the members of The Fellowship of the Ring cast, as he previously played a young Ned Stark on Game of Thrones. Aramayo’s other credits include the Netflix true crime show, Mindhunter, where he portrayed serial killer Elmer Wayne Henley Jr, Behind Her Eyes, and Nocturnal Animals.
Benjamin Walker (High King Gil-Galad)
Taking on the role of High King Gil-Galad, leader of the elves on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Benjamin Walker, who brings with him experience in film, TV, and on the stage.
Throughout his career, Walker has appeared on shows like Jessica Jones, on which he portrayed Erik Gelden, The Underground Railroad, and Traitors. Fans of The Ice Road will also remember Walker from his turn as Tom Varnay in the 2021 Liam Neeson Netflix movie. His other film credits include In the Heart of the Sea, Love is Blind, and Flags of Our Fathers, to name a few.
Cynthia Addai-Robinson (Queen Regent Míriel)
Cynthia Addai-Robinson shows up on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as Queen Regent Míriel, the leader of the island kingdom of Númenor.
Prior to landing a major role on the new Amazon series, Addai-Robinson made a name for herself on shows like Spartacus, Arrow, and Chicago Med following one-off performances on everything from Law and Order: Criminal Intent to Entourage. Her film credits include Star Trek Into Darkness, The Accountant, and Colombiana, to name a few.
Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir)
Taking on the role of the Silvan elf Arondir on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Ismael Cruz Córdova.
Throughout his career, Córdova has landed roles on a variety of shows, including Sesame Street, The Mandalorian, The Undoing, and Ray Donovan to name only a few. He has also shown up in movies like Mary Queen of Scots, Settlers, and In The Blood.
Maxim Baldry (Isildur)
Maxim Baldry shows up on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as Isildur, a Númenórean sailor with great things on the horizon.
Over the years, Baldry has popped up on shows like Rome, Hollyoaks, and the 2019 HBO drama series, Years and Years, as well as a brief role on Doctor Who a couple of years back. His film contributions include everything from Mr. Bean’s Holiday to Last Christmas.
Ema Horvath (Eärien)
Taking on the role of Eärien on The Lord of the Rings: The Power of the Rings is Ema Horvath, who is a relative newcomer when it comes to the acting game.
Prior to landing a role in highly-anticipated fantasy series, Horvath appeared on shows like Don’t Look Deeper and movies like What Lies Below, The Gallows Act II, and Like.Share.Follow., the name a few.
Lenny Henry (Sadoc Burrows)
Lenny Henry shows up in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as Sadoc Burrows, an established Harfott hobbit living in Middle Earth.
A classically-trained Shakespearean actor, Henry has spent nearly 50 years honing his acting and comedy skills in just about every medium, including film (he was the voice of the shrunken head in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), TV (The Lenny Henry Show), and the stage (Othello, Fences, King Hedley II).
Owain Arthur (Prince Durin IV)
Owain Arthur takes on the role of Dwarven Prince Durin IV on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, though you may not recognize him under all that makeup.
Throughout his career, Arthur has popped up on shows like The Palace, New Tricks, Casualty, A Confession, and several others. In that same stretch of time, Arthur has landed roles a long list of movies that includes The One and Only Ivan, White Island, The Patrol, and Mr. Nice.
Megan Richards (Poppy Proudfellow)
Megan Richards plays another Harfoot hobbit by the name of Poppy Proudfellow on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
A few years into her career, Richards has appeared on shows like Wanderlust, Doctors, and Pan Tau.
Markella Kavenagh (Eleanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot)
Taking on the role of the inquisitive and adventurous Eleanor “Nori” Brandyfoot on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Markella Kavenagh.
Prior to playing the spunky Harfoot, Kavenagh landed roles on shows like Romper Stomper, The Cry, and The Gloaming, as well as movies like True History of the Kelly Gang and My First Summer.
Lloyd Owen (Elendil)
Elendil, the ill-fated leader of men who was seen leading the charge against Sauron in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, is portrayed by Lloyd Owen in The Rings of Power.
Prior to taking on a role previously played by Peter McKenzie, Owen showed up on TV shows like The Young Adventures of Indiana Jones, where he played Dr. Henry Jones Sr., in movies like Miss Potter, and in a variety of stage productions like Hamlet, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and other non-Shakespearean plays.
Sophia Nomvete (Princess Disa)
Taking on the role of Dwarven Princess Disa on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Sophia Nomvete.
Prior to landing a role on the new Amazon original series, Nomvete appeared on The Tempest and Swashbuckle.
Charlie Vickers (Halbrand)
Appearing as the human character Halbrand on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Charlie Vickers, who appears in one of his first roles.
Prior to entering the realm of Middle Earth, Vickers popped up in a handful of episodes of the historical drama series, Medici, which he followed up with the Australian comedy movie, Palm Beach.
Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor)
Charles Edwards shows up on the new Lord of the Rings show as Celebrimbor, the elven blacksmith tasked with creating the titular Rings of Power.
Throughout his career, Edwards has appeared on some of the most expensive TV shows, like The Crown, as well as other modern classics like Downton Abbey. His film credits include everything from The Witches to Batman Begins and Mansfield Park to Philomena, with multiple others dating back nearly 25 years.
Trystan Gravelle (Pharazôn)
And then there is Trystan Gravelle, who shows up as Númenórean advisor Pharazôn on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Over the years, Gravelle has landed roles on shows like A Discovery of Witches, Mr. Selfridge, and The Terror, as well as in movies like One Chance, Beast, and Anonymous.
As long as this list is, this barely scratches the surface of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cast. You can see all these familiar and not-so-familiar faces in action as the show is now available for anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription.
Stream The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video.
