One of the big points of discussion on the 2022 TV schedule was the Lord of the Rings prequel series Rings of Power, and its diverse cast. From the jump, the show was review bombed, because fans were claiming it wasn’t faithful to Tolkien lore, specifically in the description of characters. The cast, specifically the cast members of color, have faced racist backlash, however now that the first season has come to a close, they are talking about the “shift” in the conversation surrounding the fantasy series.
Three of the show’s cast members, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Sophia Nomvete and Ismael Cruz Córdova did an interview with Variety where they talked about the backlash the show received, and how they have dealt with it. They were then asked if the conversation surrounding the racist backlash had subsided a bit, and they all weighed in on where the conversation is now. Specifically noting that there truly has been a “shift,” as Nomvete said.
To answer your question, we still get a ton of controversy, but there has been a shift. You know what there has been? It feels like there has been a sit-down. It feels like we had to prove ourselves, almost. We had to defend ourselves. But it’s undeniable that these people are in the position that they are in deserve to be there and should be there. There is nobody else that could have played the role. I genuinely feel that there has been a shut down. I’ve even had apologies, which I love, even if it were just one person acknowledging that that frame of mind was wrong.
Nomvete who plays the dwarf Princess Disa, noted that some people have actually apologized for what they said, and have come to accept the actors of color within the ROP cast.
One big criticism viewers had was they felt the characters were not representing J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision. However, Nazanin Boniadi, an Iranian actress who plays Bronwyn, explained that the series is not only a reflection of the world we live in today, but also one “of Tolkien’s image of fellowship, of overcoming differences, of forming bonds with the other.”
Cruz Córdova added to this idea, explaining that “there will no longer ever be a day in which people can say that elves don’t look a certain way.” The actor who plays the elf Arondir also opened up about the “vicious” backlash he’s received since his casting was announced. He then elaborated on how the conversation has evolved over time in the Variety article, saying now that the show is out, he can feel the love from the fans:
At the beginning there was a lot of: “Tell us what you do.” The show wasn’t out. Now the characters are living in their own right. We’ve created these characters that, with the help of an entire team, live on their own and have their own impact. And as the conversation and the noise continues outside, these characters are undeniable. We’ve felt a lot of love.
Addai-Robinson, who plays the Queen Regent Míriel explained that she was not going to let the backlash define her experience working on ROP, she said:
I’ve been pretty adamant, just on a personal level, that I was never going to let the controversy define the role or define the experience. There is a certain amount of tuning out that you have to do when people are attempting to get to you. I had to try as best I could to take control of this experience for myself. It’s bigger than me; it’s bigger than us. You can have your personal reasons for being a part of something, then it sort of extends beyond. People will take from it what they take. But at this point we feel quite free and happy to just talk about the story and the characters.
Now, that Season 1 is out, and people can watch every episode with an Amazon Prime subscription the conversation has noticeably shifted. Rather than talking about the backlash a lot of discourse has been about questions fans have for Season 2, like is that character really Gandalf? Or what will Sauron do now that we know who he is? We'll have to see how the conversation continues as we prepare for Season 2 of this epic fantasy series.
