‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Cast Interview | Hollywood | Entertainment

lodr season 2 rings of power season 2 is coming how excited you both I I can't wait I can't wait because we we this has been years yeah but the whole thing has been 5 years you know it's such a big part of our lives but the season it's been like two years and we we don't get to see much so we're going to we're as excited as you guys are you know yeah I mean it's it's the story is really moving now it's it's it's nice to see that like we are just pumped as fans of the like just so how was the experience shooting experience like costumes Prosthetics everything it's it's such a it's such a an immersive experience to be in the show you know a lot of what we do it's you know it's a resources and and and you can do with very little but when you have some studio like Amazon uh and GM like and Prime uh backing a project like this and you absolutely get every toy you know every resource to be able to portray something like this it it kind of it's almost like spiritual because it's everything's there so your imagination just kind of explodes yeah you how was your experience I mean it's just like it's just so fun like just you know what I mean they make it so fun like it's Lally just we're playing play pretend for like 12 hours like that's just like when people say that when you love your job you don't work a day in your life it's so true the amount of times like I will just talk to is and say be like I can't believe in being paid for this I'm having so much fun like it's I'm just so grateful like it's such a blessing to be able to do what we do and um look where we are like absolutely you know according to me the beauty of the show is diverse cast but I really want to ask you like you know like I have read somewhere like Amazon like the cratos also hired onset therapist for the welfare of the cast and I guess you talked about it in detail if you can share like what actually happened and about the onset therapist that's the best thing right it's wonderful it is wonderful I think for any show um regardless of the the the subject matter was diversity in terms of ethnicity and whatnot I think I mean you as an actor you're dealing with emotions yeah and and it is it is a is a very specific kind of art because you are it can be fragile to to carry handle The Human Experience like on screen in front of people it's extremely vulnerable so I think in general the resource of somebody that's neutral there that even you can see them and feel grounded um it's an important important thing and that that that the therapist onet therapist came out of conversations that I had with the studio which I'm extremely grateful they were very receptive to that um suy Vernon all of these amazing peeps XX over there because there was there were a lot of lot voices you know in terms of uh being opposed to us existing in these characters and we need a support and um you know and I vocalized that and they been hurt and and they helped us out um so yeah I I but in general I must say that you know the profession that we do it may be glamorous and this and that from the outside in but it can be a little isolating you know so it is very important to have um people that you feel safe in life and that you can ask for help when you need it and this goes for any profession and sometimes you're a little scared because your employer is there and you don't want to be seen as weak yeah or you know or or anything like that so someone that you can shoot a look to or that can notice your energy changes um and it can come in many ways like Tyra's mom is often with us and also his big brother and and they're people that are not necessarily in they they're not part of the cast on on on camera but they're part of the cast and I mean she's somewhere here behind the cameras and even I get emotional because even shooting her a look um grounds you yeah you know and and makes you feel safe and you know yesterday she kind of noticed that I needed a hug and I nobody else has she like I think you need a mama hug and I sure did you know so I I appreciate the question because it helps expose also like a little bit of the vulnerable reality of what we go through you know absolutely it's important to understand your like beyond Behind camera also the emotions behind the camera we all need to understand yeah thank you for that so like you are so young right starting at such young age like what do you have to say about this industry so far like how's your experience I mean Mar has been great like you know what I mean Amazon has been so accommodating and and and really just made sure that I'm in comfortable in every sense all the way up up until at this point and it's it's it's been great but doesn't mean that I haven't had my own struggles too it's like as an as an actor in general there are things that we deal with that are hard to explain or for people to relate to and so being a young person in that it's hard you know none of my friends can relate because they're all just studying at Uni and things like that but it's it's it's those moments where I can sit down and have a talk with my classmates you know and and really just let stuff out and so it's like I feel like I'm I'm I'm at a point now where I'm super open with everything and and I'm just having a good time just enjoying life absolutely one last question before I wrap up you would like to visit India soon like you work with pra choa like anything you would like to share about the experience working with her oh every time I get ask I get super excited you know there's the that there's the working with the great is is always something that you never know how it's going to be I remember one day I was working ni I was going to work with NI kid man I just didn't know what that was going to be like and uh and but it's an experience that kind of is repeated like they're great because of yeah how incredible beings they are and when I met prian she's up there um incredible leader so generous I mean to the beginning was is so cool also you know yeah I mean I just I mean I am still a huge fan I don't know maybe she be like this just being weird he's too much of a fan of m i I told her I was like I'm such a fan man I'm such a fan she's such a great leader uh so charismatic so loving made everybody on set feel great um keeps her culture so close to her you know her mom is also uh she's on set with us quite a bit her daughter husband like that whole family Dynamic same we're talking about it really grounds you and everybody's looking up to her because she's the lead you know and so and she's leading in the in the in the greatest of ways doing her own stuns um like what do you need you know extremely generous I can go on and on and on I was it was a a dream come true a beautiful example and I can't I can't wait to work with her again truly lovely so like we are wrapping but like one thing like uh message for lot fans if you have to describe lot in a few words how would you describe season two big bang boom you um Ian I like that um I would say it's hard it's um raw and it and it's fast yeah so yeah we all are waiting for season 2 thank you so much for your time so speaking of lotr first of all congratulations for the second season uh I want to start with you uh before starting with the second season did you revisit uh first season and check the feedback audience feedback what worked for them what didn't work for them uh what factors you kept in mind while creating the second season um well so we actually wrote the second season during our covid Hiatus during shooting from season one okay so we had written the entire second season before season one came out um so really didn't have a chance to have much audience feedback but i' say we're always open to critics um you know and and you can tell pretty quickly if someone has a genuine criticism that they want to give in a way that's really thoughtful and respectful and when people engage with it like that you know you're like oh gosh that's a really good thing to keep in mind I you can also tell when people just want to kind of like you know throw throw axes or whatever have an A to grind um and when they do that you you know you can see pretty quickly just in the tone of it and you're like okay that's not you know as constructive and useful but Constructor criticism always welcome yeah and speaking of you both we loved your bond on screen Bond I want to know your offscreen bond offscreen friendship What bond you both share yes I mean we're really close friends we're really we uh kind of instantly hit it off and we didn't have a chemistry test so very fortunate that that's the case yeah lot of fun lot of fun to be had yeah but we uh it's really lovely to get to work with someone who you get along with naturally um it sort of it makes that process uh just sort of more easeful um and more fun as well yeah we we film a lot together so you know it's fun lotr is a big project right uh like if like children have grown up reading books so like what was your reaction when you both were approached for this project if you can recall the moment when you were approached when I was approached I mean when I first got the audition I was in the back I was in like the back of a store I was I was working at at the time and I got the email and I couldn't believe I really couldn't believe it I was like well I'm so grateful to just audition and then when I found out it was completely surreal I was so jetlagged first time in LA and I just really I mean yeah I mean I I totally remember like you know then there was another project that was sort of in the the mix that like you know we we thought for a second we might lose marel because we told she was already down the line with something else and you know we called a friend of a friend to see like would we be able to possibly find a way to like connect with her and I still remember the first time we met and you know she just knocked the audition out of the park um and we were so excited about her vory and then and then making oh yeah I I mean I I got the audition I was on another job and then I got the audition through uh and which was great cuz I was warmed up um so that was nice um but it was Untitled Amazon Project so um I didn't know what it was um and also I wasn't aware of talking's work before either so um I kind of just approached it with my sort of very fresh eyes um and I mean here I am yeah absolutely you all uh traveled to India 2 years ago we uh I met you there also in India what Memories you hold like from India like you still have um it was a a lifetime experience it was amazing um you know I remember going there and just being overwhelmed by the the sights and the colors and the sounds and the smells and the people and the and the joy um you know I walked on the street for just a few minutes and um there was a I don't remember what religion but there was a holy man who came and and sort of blessed me um even just having been in the streets for like 10 seconds like he just like walked up to me and gave me a blessing and I instantly felt blessed by the entire land so to speak and uh it was the most welcoming spiritual experience being there and I I it took that with me from from then there forward what about you Bo just the warmth the warmth of the people and how lovely everyone was and welcoming and we really you know I think it was like the second stop on that tour and it everyone was just so kind and and with such interesting questions about the show and and our process and yeah incredible it was an incredible few days yeah it's wonderful to be surrounded by a culture I think full stop really U that is not your own um and especially one that's so welcoming and vibrant um and the people were just so wonderful you kind of you couldn't help but get blasted by the sort of love and community and warmth um but you know it's it's really I really hope that I can go and actually explore it you know on my own time and because it really is wonderful yeah one last question before I wrap up uh was a challenge ing to create such big budget project um I mean yes every single day is a challenge um if you would take any frame from the show I could tell you a thousand decisions that that went into that frame in terms of the hundreds of actors that we saw for audition for the role in terms of the dozens of different costume designs that we looked at for the character in terms of the 15 locations we scouted to see which would the be best would be or all the different designs we considered for the set and what V effect you know when into augmenting the set and the stunts that happens to get I mean you know every single thing uh is is challenging but it's the right kind of Challenge and we're so fortunate to have a crew uh and a group of department heads I mean Jason Smith our VFX producer is a legitimate wizard um Christian Milstead our production designer is so amazing um you know charlot brandstrom who directed four of our episodes producing director is also just has amazing film making item so I mean and also our our cast of actors each one of whom sort of inhabits these magical creatures and and brings them to life I mean uh it's such a talented group of people and so yes it's it's challenging um but it's the kind of challenges that helps you grow both as an artist and as a human being yeah so when we can expect season three um no comment but I can say we are working on it we are deep in the process creatively of of a sort of Hing the boulder from the mountain and and you know figuring out exactly what it's going to be um but stay tuned how does it feel to be a part of a lot of rings uh world it's a it's a huge privilege and I think all all of us in the cast feel an enormous sense of responsibility as the current torchbearers of the Tolen universe and to be able to tell this story Charlie and I in particular we're incredibly lucky to have an amazing time filming our section of the story this season and um we think that's I we've only seen three episodes but we think that's reflected on on the screen what about you Charles very similar it's it's these these trips that we we we get to make to come here to come to Mumbai two years ago to we've been to Mexico Berlin London in the last month yeah it's a busy time but it's but it's a real treat for anyone to have that opportunity to travel especially on the back of something that we've put so much of our time and love into this show and it's to be part of Lord of the Rings I mean it's it's a it's a wonderful it's very cool yeah it's very cool so like uh one question for you yeah you just pull your back yes sure uh if you get power in real life to create Rings uh how would you utilize that power how would I utilize that power if you get real power in real life so is it so we've had this we've we've we've talked about invisibility we've talked about flying both of which are good good but I think we can do better I'm put other than other than you know ensuring World Peace all those kind of things you know putting those taking those as a given um yeah I mean there was something with avocados I'm not sure if we're going to stick with that though maybe we should leave that well no the avocado one no it's always a good answer but I think we can I think we can be a bit more creative this time um you so is the question about like what kind of power you would have if you put a ring on yeah flying flying's good what about like um oh you you said invisibility yeah what about uh uh laser vision like homelander in the boys you don't watch the boys do you no not yet it wouldn't be that useful apart from like I will watch the boys however because it's on Amazon Prime Amazon Prime I've watched all four seasons oh well done Charlie and all the um special features very good cast interviews excellent maybe ex um not exell like laser vision absolutely so that allows you to see what into through all no you shoot laser beams out of your eyes oh my God yeah it's not to attack people just give them a shock show show off does it affect how does it affect the person do they just go a what's that is it like a rubber band no it would kill them if you laser beamed them but you just have to walk around like that the whole time otherwise you just be causing around going around causing mass m they're not constantly coming out oh you turn you can turn it on or [Laughter] off do you burn things anyway got more question you got the idea so yeah you are one of the main leads right so I'm sure like you must have received a different kind of Fame after lot so what you have to say about the fame you received after the first season uh to be honest it's like it's my life hasn't changed that much you sometimes you get noticed and and people talk to you about the show but I've only ever had positive interactions in person like people are very kind they'll give you thought they'll give you their thoughts and um normally it's just like oh thanks thanks for um putting such hard work into it and a a version of that but in terms of like I don't know going to get milk or whatever um nothing has changed yeah which is good and long may it stay like that but was it pressure on you because you are one of the leads and second season mainly revolves around you yeah I mean there is an element of pressure that I that I feel but you kind of learn to let it go being a part of this I I I let it go a while ago and I just feel like um I feel incredibly lucky to be able to tell the story and have this job so I think that far outweighs any sense of pressure and and it's more a sense of excitement I think um because now we've been in this for 5 years it's kind of like the pressure has dissipated now but certainly at the start yeah absolutely the best part about this show is like it has a diverse cause so like when you sit and work with a different kind of actors like do you like to take inputs from them like Do You observe them oh yeah very much so can I just say what Charlie was was talking about there the x-ray vision the the pressure the pressure that you asked about it becomes you kind of use it yeah you kind of convert it into an enthusiasm rather than it's like when you when you're doing a play or and you you you transform your nerves into into energy to do the show it's that's how it's yeah kind of it now fuels us um you know what what many people think the expectation is and the responsibility all those things are there but they are like the fuel under us and um and I think particularly in season two um it's really sort of propelled us forward because we're very excited about um our storyline yeah and the whole show but that completely avoided your question which was I'm sorry it's okay like when you work with the diverse cars different actors do you like to observe them and take inputs from always always whoever you're working with I always like to absorb and learn always learning yeah um and taking tips and you know just watching that's a beauty I would say yeah very much so that's what makes this job so so wonderful absolutely one last question to you uh you also talked about costumes and like Prosthetics and you were scared why like I read Because I guess your wife was pregnant and because of the Prosthetics and costumes if you can talk about that yeah well when I was filming I mean Charlie was a huge part of it as was everyone in the makeup truck and in the Prosthetics bus we were my wife was 9 months pregnant while we were filming so there was a world in which I would have to have gone to the hospital dressed as Sauron because I wouldn't have had time to take any of the Prosthetics off and that my baby the first thing he would have seen as me waiting for him dressed as sour and he'd be scarred for life but luckily it didn't happen he was born on a day off it was close though it was very it was it was close yeah yeah yeah it was really close so how is Father treating you it's fantastic it's it's the greatest joy of all I think how does it feel to be a part of Lota family feels amazing yeah it feel sural dream a gift and you are the queen yeah yeah queen of our family feels good to be the queen yeah I think I think all of us are very much excited and ready to share because we know what we've been working so hard on for for many many months and and we've you know stepped away or some of us have stepped away sure it's been working still um but when you know what you have and what what people are going to experience you're just excited to finally get it out there so I think the audience they they've waited a while and the wait is going to be worth it for sure and you are the captain of the ship was it challenging to carry forward the lotr Legacy I mean yeah but I have I mean collaborating with two great shunners and I have the scripts so for me it's really about finding the right visuals and we have like a huge team an incredible team to collaborate with for and it's very creative it's very collaborative and it's it's actually and a dream come true every it's it's amazing to be part of it and also to do the prequel to pet Jackson stom because it's a different world we're creating it's it's an earlier world so and it's a lot of different as you saw it's a lot of different worlds a lot of different looks yeah so it's it's a lot of work but very exciting and but when you're doing it you don't realize how big it is you're sort of full focused on the work and it's now that you start promoting it that you start see that it goes everywhere yeah you don't think about that when you're working absolutely so like I really want to know one thing like you directed Shogun also right it was based on novel it's also D it's also link with books so what's your approach when you direct projects which are linked with books because they are different fan yeah I could I mean I have read both books but I didn't reread them I had read both books I have read Shogun many years ago and same for Lord of the Rings uh the the third age I haven't read every Lord Rings books but I loved the the ones that pet jaction adapted you have read even more than me the S Maran you have read the somewhere yes yeah like yeah yeah but what I do is that I look for references because I have the scripts yeah and I'm not I'm not coming in to rewrite the scripts based on the books I'm coming in to really find to visualize the world that the shess created to make it dramatic to make sure that we portray it the way also they had imagined it so I look at a lot of visual references at films and and I try to find my the looks there and uh and then I also like to look at Art and paintings and museums so I I we find different lighting we we we always go around so different approaches yeah different approaches yeah yeah your character has a different approach a different charm your character thank you very much yeah so like uh what kind of preps you do like before getting into the character well I like I I do enjoy reading I like climbing a tree tree with a book and just staying up there and reading a book kind of thing um I would say um there was a lot of geopolitics I I like that I think I'm a big Tim Marshall fan oh I believe that you know leaders of countries they act sometimes out of what they believe is necessity what can be fear desperation with regards to the resources of their country and the parameters of their country and stuff I believe we're all sculpted by our environment and that rang true to me with with numor yeah is that you know we're on this island Kingdom we seem to have everything it seems to be the Garden of Eden but there's a touch of Blue Beard there you know don't go west yeah of course all of a sudden your freedom is curtailed and you start thinking well are we living in a zoo or some sort of simulation or whatever have you so all of a you start getting disenchanted and it says this in the books as well is that numenorians start getting just a their lifespan just tiny bit shorter they get uglier as a people yeah and they start all of us nature they start to try and Commander nature and to sort of put resins on it and everything and the Animals everything there is to serve them and it becomes more of just purely a celebration of them rather than a celebration of the island and you see it get narrower and more mechanical and um yeah that's what's stuck and I I think reading a lot of Tim Marshall and a lot of other books and stuff help me I guess get into the Mind space of that absolutely one last question before I wrap up uh you're also a fan of John Wick franchise do you like to bring that kind of action in L yes you will have some have lot of I like the action I like what is epic and cinematic and I like the scope of these films and I enjoy watching them so I try to recreate actually I try to do what I like watching so thank you so much news nation of whatpp news Nation