When most people reveal what got them into Lord of the Rings, it’s usually the Peter Jackson movies. Less known is a 1978 animated LOTR movie. However, that’s just what got Rings of Power star Charles Edwards into the franchise.
In ROP, Edwards plays the crafty elf, Celebrimbor, and in an interview with Collider, he revealed he’s been in love with the franchise since he was a kid.
“… I was obsessed with it all when I was a kid. Everyone obviously talks about the Peter Jackson movies, but when I was little, I had the animated Ralph Bakshi version from 1978. That was my total obsession, at the time. So, to be returning to this world, you walk on set, and of course, the little nine-year-old in you starts jumping up and down and remembering the excitement when you first encountered Tolkien. To be involved in it now is really very special.”
Edwards also revealed that the audition process for the show was so secretive that he didn’t even know who he was auditioning for in the show. “… I did know it was The Lord of the Rings. I knew that, but I think some didn’t. But I had no idea of the character. You can imagine, when I finally got the role and was told what role it was, a couple of weeks later, and looked it up, I was very excited about that.”
Even once he found out he was playing Celebrimbor, Edwards said, “I knew he had a story arc within Tolkien, so that is him. But for those that don’t know what becomes of him, I don’t tell them. And for those that know him, they know what happens to him. I would hope and assume that’s the vague direction we’re going in.” I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say Celebrimbor goes through some difficult things in LOTR lore. Whether or not his fate will be determined by the source material or the showrunners have different plans for him remains to be seen.
Edwards, who’s appeared in a number of hit shows including Downton Abbey, The Crown and The Girlfriend, said he was blown away by the sheer size of the set for the new show. “What I found most rewarding was my workshop, which is a big set. There’s space. You don’t have to constantly move the camera around because it has been built in its entirety. You don’t have to stop, move the camera, and then shoot that bit over there. “
Because of the camera preparation, Edwards also shared he almost felt like he was in a play. “You can play the scene just as if you are in a scene in a play. You can play the scene from beginning to end without interruption because there is room for everyone to maneuver around you. That is very satisfying because you get to play the whole scene, and you feel like you’ve done it justice. There’s not a lot of chopping and restarting.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.