Dive into our exclusive interview with the cast of Rings of Power Season 2! Join us as Charles Edwards, Charlie Vickers, Charlotte Brandstorm, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Trystan Gravelle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Ismael Cruz Córdova, JD Payne, Markella Kavenagh, and Megan Richards discuss how they’re catering to both old and new fans. Hear from Oneindia’s Puja Talwar as she engages with the stars about their roles, the excitement of returning for another season, and what fans can expect. Don’t miss out on this in-depth conversation with the talented ensemble bringing Middle-earth to life!
#RingsOfPower #Season2 #ExclusiveInterview #CastRevealed #OneindiaExclusive #FantasySeries #MiddleEarth #NewSeason #FanFavorites #PujaTalwar
~HT.178~PR.274~ED.102~GR.125~
#RingsOfPower #Season2 #ExclusiveInterview #CastRevealed #OneindiaExclusive #FantasySeries #MiddleEarth #NewSeason #FanFavorites #PujaTalwar
~HT.178~PR.274~ED.102~GR.125~
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Lovely to see you. You know, it's almost serendipity because our names are so similar and you both are having a face-off also in the show
00:06But Charlie and Charles I was like for a moment. I was a little confused
00:11So, but I'm gonna ask you, you know, the fact is you didn't know you were
00:16Yeah, you know what to play Sauron just like the rest of the people in the middle earth. What was that like?
00:22It was crazy. I I didn't know
00:26When I was auditioning and then I filmed the first two episodes and I still didn't know
00:30So they told me right before the third episode
00:33Began which was it was actually a relief more than anything because we all got to New Zealand
00:39For the first season and we were all guessing because we looked down the cast list and you're seeing original characters
00:45But you're not seeing Sauron and we know that Sauron is the villain of this time period
00:50So we were all guessing where he might be hiding and then and Hal brand was just definitely a suspect
00:58so I was relieved when they finally told me how brand is Sauron because it just meant that I could focus on all the work
01:04And not all the speculation
01:06Did they then say to you but don't tell it when they told you? Yeah
01:10Yeah, I think they said the best-kept secret literally real Andrea. Yeah, I think people slowly started to find out though amongst the cast
01:17Yeah, I don't know how
01:20So, I mean putting the good into being really bad
01:23What is that one thing that you picked up about him that you knew that I'm going to play up on this aspect
01:28I think his desire for control and order. That's the thing above all else that he
01:35Seeks he seeks to heal Middle-earth and that's kind of the whole character to me
01:41I mean, it's not the whole character, but the core of the character. Yeah, and I just thought if I can focus everything on
01:47Healing Middle-earth and me thinking it's for the good of everyone else
01:52Then I have something to hang on to amidst all his reputation, I guess for being incredibly evil
02:00You thought he was your you know
02:04Savior well, that's how he presents himself to me as my savior literally
02:08Yeah, and religious said, you know, you're the one who actually is now the central protagonist who's really got very sadly manipulated
02:16But what was it like coming back to visiting him and also?
02:20What's this journey being like with this universe?
02:24It was first firstly it was Charlie and I both knew that we this storyline was going to be
02:29Our storyline in season two. So we were both very much looking forward to that because we're both feel very
02:36Pleased to be the ones who are putting on screen for the first time. Mm-hmm in any adaptation. So that was
02:44Really excited we knew that from the beginning that we would be doing that
02:47So so season one season one ended
02:50I just really wanted to start season two again and now I don't know how many
02:54How long the gap was between one and two it was a good year and a half something like that. Maybe it's so hot
03:00I know it's all sort of malt blends into one but
03:04But yeah, no very much looking forward to getting back to it and to be part of it and it's at times like this at
03:09these
03:10press sessions and
03:12screenings and traveling around the world promoting the show that you sort of step back and see quite the effect that it has and
03:20And it's very, you know, it makes us very proud to be to be part of it
03:23Awesome, and also caging to fans old and new, you know, yes, you have the
03:29Loyalist and you have those who are being I would say
03:33ushered into this force
03:34what would you have to say as actors and creators who are also bringing a world that
03:40Not many know about it was just like they've created this out of their own imagination. Yeah
03:45Well just as we were when we first came across talking that anyone who comes across anything magical like that
03:51about about which so many people are fanatical and
03:55You know who absolutely devoted to it
03:58It's a very exciting thing to be part of something that could introduce people to it for the first time
04:03Yeah, you know and there's a reason it's you know
04:06Talking is loved by millions of people around the world is because it's so enduring and timeless and the more people we can
04:13Introduce to it the better. I think do you also somewhere feel as artists this pressure because it's your interpretation and the creators but
04:21Those on the other side the purists are like no it should be like this. It should be like that
04:26But you are just doing a creator's job
04:29Yeah, yes
04:30But there is always that's that's the nature of adaptation and creation
04:34yeah, it's always gonna be you cannot please everyone all the time and all one can do as a performer as a creator is to
04:41present your version
04:43Exactly. Yeah, ultimately, I think that's what we would we do is we just have to approach it with love and and
04:51Commitment and that and every that's what everyone in this show is done. Yeah
04:55So someone is the shape shifter if you could shift shapes, who would you rather be inclined towards?
05:02Albron or Sauron yourself
05:05It's gotta be Sauron
05:08Hal brands a cool guy. He's just a citizen of middle-earth. He's just a villager
05:13It's just a it's just a middle-earth man the kind of guy you meet at the market square. Yeah. Yeah. He's just out of the market
05:23Lastly if you were to get the rings of power, what what is the one thing that you would do manifest with the ring of power?
05:29Well, if we're talking the scale of world peace then of course, I think we all would however if it was just for individual
05:39Individual gain gain I would probably choose. Well, we had this I would probably choose invisibility
05:46But then we also had flying. Yeah flying I think is hard to beat. Yeah flying would be great
05:51I guess and you had your avocado thing as well. Yeah
05:55Well, I thought it could produce not avocados but like smashed avocado, you know that you have on toast
06:00It'd be like all the ring up and it out of it just comes smashed
06:03I don't have to manipulate the seed and
06:06Cheaper it's avocados are expensive
06:09Dispenser wouldn't it an avocado dispenser? Yeah, but I want to ask you it's interpreting this vast world of
06:17Tolkien and I see in the middle earth the women are extremely strong. Hmm
06:21What was I would say
06:24Subconsciously or consciously at the subliminal level
06:27What was your interpretation and your perspective point of view that you brought in into this narrative up?
06:32Well, I guess it was to respect a woman, but they were already very well written by our showrunners
06:38JD Payne and Patrick McKay
06:40They had really I mean they loved strong woman and they wrote them that way
06:45so when I read the script the first time that was a joy because I loved that way and
06:49I mean here is you very strong woman
06:52Yeah
06:52And and then I what I do is that I just give very very small notes to the actors to is to make sure that we
06:59Stay on that level. So I remembered we spoke about that earlier. I remember saying to
07:04Cynthia when she discovered that she was blind in season one that the most important that she doesn't feel sorry for herself because she's
07:12A strong woman because she could have cried at that moment
07:16And it would have made sense then we decided that she would not cry that she would just remain very I mean
07:22Very dignified by sitting on her horse and not showing any feelings because she was strong and I'm so happy
07:28The season has been directed by women, you know, so it's a it gives a different perspective
07:32I would say the feminine gaze. That's what I meant to ask you. How different is the feminine gaze?
07:36I don't know
07:38It's like I feel like we all directors because I would say how could you the fact that three women gets trusted with this?
07:44Huge budget. I always say why not? Well, why wouldn't we be able to right? We might have a female president soon. So
07:52So, I mean look at Mexico as a female president. Yes, of course
07:56So why not right and since I like your character, but you somewhere also feel sorry for her for the decisions
08:01She's taken and then there's the push and pull between the two characters
08:05When you got her
08:06What was that one thing that you picked on about her saying that this is what I'm gonna work on and then the rest will
08:11Follow, uh, it's interesting because you know at the beginning of the casting process
08:15I always think back to it where we actually didn't know initially. Yeah, you know when I was auditioning
08:21I didn't know what the journey of this character was ultimately gonna be and then when I did find out
08:26you know, she existed in Tolkien's lore, but then the showrunners were gonna sort of
08:31fill in the blanks as it were and I too had some some room to kind of interpret and think about things and I
08:38Think for me like the one of the biggest challenges was this blindness aspect of things because obviously
08:45You know, we're in a fantasy world
08:47So I think there is some room to sort of consider how that
08:53What the reality of that is within the context of this story, but I just wanted to make sure that medial never
09:00appeared
09:01Diminished in the sense that she's you know flailing around. I felt like here's a woman who is
09:07Assured in certain ways and then uncertain in others, but I didn't want that to manifest by her kind of fumbling and and really being
09:15Weakened and disabled that was never my take and so I thought what an interesting challenge to sort of have this blindness
09:22But still have her move through the world in this sort of assured way
09:26So that was like a big thing that I appreciated being given, you know being entrusted with as an act
09:32Interesting your character I
09:34Kind of feel bad for him also
09:35but then I feel that this whole sense of pride that he has a very twisted sense the character has a very twisted sense of
09:43pride and you know, what was that like because
09:46Maneuvering this character because some way you feel bad for what he's been through and but then his whole
09:53Yes. Yes. It's a very interesting. It's a very interesting conversation to have you know, which could I mean you could spend all day talking
10:01But I think as well that he typifies a people that have had to overcome nature
10:07Yeah, and have had to ask themselves very hard questions. I don't think they've had the answers yet
10:13Yeah, but they have definitely become very disenchanted over many generations and it's coming to a head with him
10:20I think he's got a lot to
10:23Everything that Muriel has done up until now. Yeah, I think he's got to answer for yeah, I think as well
10:30So there's a lot of responsibility and accountability and things that he didn't do
10:34I mean this so he's showed some impulse control and yet by proxy he has to sort this mess out
10:41So it is a lot of responsibility. It is those it's not as cut-and-dried as oh, you know
10:45Some people say he's Machiavellian which of course Nicola Machiavelli that was
10:49He wrote that as a kind of survival guy didn't he in very precarious times he gets a bad rap as well
10:54Yeah, so it's you know, it's a very I think a deeply misunderstood character
10:58Totally I understand the politics of Middle-earth and but I want to ask you is catering to the old and new fandoms
11:04Because there's that loyal Tolkien fandom. They're also the new ones who are being ushered in
11:10How do you balance that? Also, this is a world that you're ushering in this new fantasy world
11:15So what is like I think it's always to find like an edge, I mean like
11:21To balance a fine line between everything and yeah, you you know
11:25You pay attention to the fan base to to everything that's being said and then you try to do you something that really works
11:32That's really good. I think you have to serve the story first and foremost
11:36I mean, I think it's easy to be distracted by
11:39You know what?
11:40Everyone wants it to be or thinks it should be yeah, but I think you have to serve both audiences
11:45so absolutely
11:47we have all of the the the characters that are known the Easter eggs for
11:52Loyalists and and fans who know this intimately
11:55But I often think to be honest about my mother my mother watches the show and my mother has never read the books
12:01And she has never seen the movies and I want her to be able to also understand and follow along and enjoy
12:06So I think you can service both audiences
12:09But I think first and foremost it's it's honoring the story that Tolkien
12:13Sort of or the the world that he created and it's staying true to the characters. Absolutely
12:18And I think we can all you know, everybody can relate
12:21Every species in it's a very heterogeneous world. Yes
12:25It's also a fantastical world as with fantasy that you can not only lose yourself
12:30But you can imagine yourself as being a better version of yourself, you know
12:34So you can maybe write some wrongs in your own imagination
12:40Kind of created history also because you're the first act of color as an elf
12:45Also when you started you said when you had first read the Lord of the Rings you were like I can relate to this world
12:52What was that because that statement of yours really intrigued me, you know, I I come from a very
12:59Humble poor community in Puerto Rico in the mountains
13:03And when I was growing up, this is pre tick-tock pre Instagram for everything and even on top of that, you know
13:08I was very poor. So we really didn't have a TV or anything like that. So I spent a lot of my time
13:14And we had like we there was electricity rationing
13:17So we get like three four times a week that they would take electricity away
13:20So that forces you to be interacting with nature all the time
13:23so I had this beautiful relationship with nature like one of my like truly that I
13:27Still think of my one of my childhood friends was this big mango tree
13:31That I would go and like at the end of the day climb and I get emotional
13:36it's like I still visit when I go back home and I visit my tree in that relationship of
13:42reverence to nature and
13:44understanding my place
13:47Of in within the ecosystem of it all because I think us humans we have this illusion that we are above
13:54Things but we are within yeah
13:57Yeah, that is something that when I saw Tolkien is it this deep in that message, especially the elves, you know
14:03The nature is paramount nature in his mother. Yeah, you know
14:07So I I found there a lot big kinship with these beings and I felt
14:13Represented in that like spiritual
14:16Ideological way yet not in a visual way. So it became a life mission
14:23You've managed to manifest it also like yeah and just because just like I don't do I'm gonna tell you I
14:29Know not taken off for an answer
14:31Life is very short and very fleeting and I have very strong convictions and I believe that I could do it
14:36And I've shown you that I could do it and there's still more
14:41Absolutely
14:43Theo you're a singer and a bro. I hope they'll make you sing
14:46I
14:48Don't know that'd be great. That would be great. I don't know if Theo would get up to that kind of thing. I mean
14:54He's just he's too mad at everything to maybe just calm down in the forthcoming season
15:00Yeah, actually there was a there was a scene that was originally in the first season and they got cut and as there's a scene
15:06of Theo sleeping and one when singing him a lullaby and
15:10And
15:11but I think you would because I think you're growing like like a very like you're growing in leadership and like
15:17All these leaders like sang battle song
15:20Yeah, I'm giving
15:23Yeah, we need to get him singing. I mean maybe I mean I love it in real life
15:27So, I mean what but what was it like revisiting your character because you know first when you started no one knew because these were
15:34Characters created for the show. Yeah, then you have no references
15:37I mean, this is for both of you, but then you find your way your own interpretation of what these guys would be like
15:43So what was it like for you? I mean
15:46JD and Patrick make it so easy for us. You know, they've they've given us so much depth
15:52yeah, just in the writing that there isn't too much more that we have to get into but I
15:58think being
16:00it takes a long time to shoot a TV show and you can't help but fall in love and
16:08Really respect your character deeply when you spend so much time with them. So just naturally without effort
16:15It gets to a point now where it's like we could be away from our characters for a year a year and a half
16:20But that moment we step on set we are so deeply connected
16:24That it just it just turns on. I think the one of the biggest things for me is I've been acting I
16:30Since just about the same time that he started acting like 40 instead of 12. So I think I started at 14
16:36And I think one of the best one of the biggest assets that I've received as an actor is the
16:40Compassion that you have to have for your characters
16:43It doesn't matter what they've done what it's not your responsibility to judge morally
16:47Your character is to have compassion and empathy and ask why why why?
16:52So that you know coming back and being able to ask more why why what and what you're talking about the aspect of
16:59Representations and we're talking about that
17:00We don't get often chances to go deeper and deeper and deeper and show characters people that are like us
17:06I look like us in the most human ways
17:09So coming back for a second season and having that opportunity to even show you more of what we are
17:16Like in all the layers mistake because we both make a lot of mistakes our characters like we have such what such complexity
17:23It's been so great. It's been so great for people to see me and be inspired by that
17:28But she's a young person also coming up and showing all the colors and you'll see a lot more of this one
17:35Hopefully we're manifesting that he sings as well. Yeah
17:38I wish we're talking about
17:40Manifestation and we just spoke that how I was from India you've as he said you've shared screen space with one of our national
17:47Treasures, I mean tell us a bit about that Priyanka Chopra. What was it? Like it was everything and more
17:54She is just one of the most incredible actors actresses artists
17:58I was a fan. I'm telling you like because I'm also I mean, I I I have a whenever I do a long-haul flight
18:05I try to at least to sneak in what Bollywood movie really? Oh, I love it. I mean you should see my youtube search
18:11What's on top of it?
18:12I mean one of one of my favorite one of my favorite like dance sequences that I like with my friends that one of my
18:18first one I obsessed with is being up that that that
18:22Priyanka does like 10 years ago. I was like, what is this?
18:26And suddenly I ended up doing a movie also with Amazon and prime video Amazon MGM
18:31I called a bluff with her and she's the ultimate lead and she just I can speak for ages
18:37But she is the epitome of an artist of a leader
18:42The charisma the
18:44The the humanity but also she's just like ready to go for it. She does all her stunts
18:50She doesn't care and she like makes you mix everyone feel welcome. So I'm very grateful. I'm very grateful
18:57I hope that the the tour takes me to India so that I can
19:01She can dance to they see girl or maybe we will done, you know
19:05Someday, I think I listen. I I'm available. I would love to be one movie like that
19:12But coming back to the Lord of the Rings have you learned Elvis what was it like learning?
19:17I wish I was wonderful. I wonder actually I did not know that I was gonna be so good at it. I'm good
19:22I'm sorry, I have to be
19:27Because it's a phonetically my first language is Spanish so phonetically actually allows me to to code read quite a bit there's some
19:36minor changes here and there but it's just beautiful and it's one of those languages that
19:40Lyrically what it sounds the sound gives you the feeling so you don't have to be understanding exactly what it is
19:45You feel you feel?
19:48What the message is carried? So what the message carries? So it's a beautiful beautiful
19:56Do I speak any Elvis I mean no, I mean I think the
20:03We did it we did a little game the other day and I was horrible
20:07It just said a bunch of words. I'm like Elvis. You lost each question
20:12I think maybe I think I got maybe one
20:15Yeah, that's not me. So my last question. What if you had the ring of power? What is that one thing you would do?
20:23Sell it
20:28No, I I am transparent I think I think that that ring is way too strong
20:33I think I would it wouldn't go. Well, I don't think it will go. Well, I think I don't there has the ability to maybe go
20:40evil
20:42So, what does it mean like this mammoth task at season two, which I thoroughly enjoyed
20:47Oh, thank you. You know, basically just just think it's a very daunting task because you're recreating a world where there's no reference
20:54Just creating a world of your own. What has it been like, you know, you take it on one day at a time
20:59my
21:00My co-showrunner Patrick often says, how do you need it? How do you eat an elephant one bite at a time?
21:06I mean not that I've ever had the experience of eating an elephant
21:11But um, so every day we look at the task in front of us and we just say what can we accomplish that day?
21:17And sometimes it's you know, writing a storyline. Sometimes it's conceiving of a whole arc. Sometimes it's you know, choosing one person in terms of casting
21:25Oftentimes, it's many different things that day
21:26But each day is its own challenge, you know filled with all kinds of different interesting creative opportunities
21:31I'm sure and Nori and Poppy. I'm gonna call you by your screen names
21:35Yeah, I mean you were characters that were written for the series now having lived them over
21:40Say, you know two seasons. Have you understood them more and how do you relate to them?
21:47Yeah, definitely. I think what's so amazing is I've never done a season two of something
21:53and so I've never had the experience of coming back to a series after a period of time and I kind of found that I
21:59Really had to learn how to trust myself and that the work that I'd done for season one still remained within me
22:05And sort of refinding her and actually realizing that she was still within me somewhere
22:10And also, I mean the love that I have for Markella, you know, it's still there and was always there
22:16So, you know that that side of things was very easy to pick up and what about you Markella?
22:21I mean, yeah, I mean, I think something obviously it's been a few years
22:25So I've we've grown as people as well
22:28So there's a certain amount of life experience that you can bring to the characters now as a second season
22:33Which is really exciting too and the characters are in a completely different place. So it was also I
22:39Think we got asked like what was a challenging part of it?
22:42And I've just realized this now as well
22:43Just mapping out where the character is when we pick up with her and building that backstory of what happened in between
22:50was also really important and
22:53Yeah, I heard that it resonates and so much of each of them is in their characters too, you know
22:57We had some ideas for what they would be that but as soon as we cast them and the characters changed again
23:01You know like Megan brought bring such a fun dry humor. Yeah to populate like that that shifted from our initial
23:08Interpretation then once we saw like exactly what her interpretation was just like oh wow
23:12That's such a cool register to put her in so we really leaned into that
23:14I know it's funny that I know you all by your screen names
23:17I'm like, I'm just talking to everyone like you know, hi Theo, you know
23:22It's interesting in Tolkien's worse. The women were a little underrepresented, you know, but I find here
23:27There's a very strong representation and you've also got Charlotte on board
23:31Do you think there was a change in perspective in terms of her vision? These are we say had you directed it?
23:38Well, I mean, I don't have Charlotte's skill set or
23:44But she's wonderful to work with me we had her for two episodes in the first season episode six and seven which we ended up
23:50Absolutely loving and so he said yes more of that
23:53Please and brought her back as a producing director season two to direct four episodes
23:58which would stretch any human being and Charlotte handled the
24:01pressure with enormous grace and poise and
24:04It was able to deliver
24:06Both the beginning of the season and at the end of the season in a way that was absolutely spectacular
24:10We can't wait for people to see it. Awesome. And what about you the women, you know, as I say in Tolkien's worst
24:15So what was it like playing these two adorable?
24:18Half-foot girls were absolutely I think that I love the duality to them both
24:24I just think that they're very dynamic and they don't they're not one or the other they're not like just very sweet and then that's
24:30it they're sweet, but they're also resilient and stoic and
24:35Challenging and irritating and irritable
24:38but very loving and very caring so I just love that they're multifaceted and
24:43It feels very if it feels very truthful and that's a credit to the show and isn't directors
24:47Yeah, I completely agree. They're sort of well-roundedness is a
24:52real testament to the writing and the character creation as well and you know, it's as sort of JD said already like the
25:01Because there's also elements of us within the characters, too. I really feel I can really feel that whenever I play Poppy
25:07obviously, she is her own entity, but yeah, and it's it's it's a real honor to
25:13Be part of this project and to be working in this industry and also to be supported by the people that we're supporting with
25:21We're in such great company. Yeah, and I can't thank everyone enough
25:26Some lovely chatting with you. I can see that in the work and
25:32Can't wait to see season two, yeah, thank you so much and all the very best
25:38Don't miss out log on to one india.com for more updates