The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power actor Sophia Nomvete discussed how she handled the harassment she faced after beng cast in the Prime Video series.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Nomvete appeared at the second annual "Raising Our Voices" luncheon to talk about her experience being cast as the first Black dwarf in The Lord of the Rings universe. While she was initially thrilled by the opportunity, certain Lord of the Rings fans were quick to attack her. "When the announcement came out and pictures went up about just our faces of who we were playing, I was statistically the most attacked cast member of the entire show," she said. "There were N-bombs, I had no place here. 'You’re too fat, you’re too black. Why are you here?'"
Nomvete claimed that she knew she had to stay on the show, which quickly became the top show on Prime Video. "I realized that my place in this show is not just a celebration, it is an act of defiance against a reality that is simply not true, which is that we have no place on screens or in fantasy spaces," she said. Additionally, the actor revealed that she further realized how important her role was when her husband sent a photo of their daughter pointing at Nomvete on a billboard in London. "I realized that for her, and for the future of our industry and the generation, it is a must that I stand in my power and my light and do as much as I can with this character." She then went to the showrunners and asked them not to make her "subservient" or a comedic relief character. "I begged them to make her quite a sexual titan."
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Is For Everyone
Actor Ismael Cruz Córdova recently revealed he faced similar obstacles when he was the first person of color to ever appear as an elf in The Lord of the Rings universe. Reportedly, the show took extensive steps, which included hiring a therapist, to protect the actors from abuse on social media and in person. "You need support when this happens because the voices are so loud and they’re coming at you from so many places," he said. Delving into specific details of what he had to deal with, Córdova said, "My phone got hacked. I had bank account attempts of being hacked. My PayPal got hacked. My friends got messages. I got death threats. I got things mailed to me. People found out my address. It was a lot of that."
The show's producers and even stars of The Lord of the Rings trilogy were quick to show their support for the actors. Ahead of the show's release, J.D. Payne, one of the series' showrunners, argued that J.R.R. Tolkien described elves as "creatures of dull and lumpish nature that had no more language than beasts," pointing out that he never mentioned their skin color. Additionally, Frodo Baggins actor Elijah Wood shared a photo of he and co-stars Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd wearing shirts that read, "You Are All Welcome Here."
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter