Following In Hugo Weaving's Footsteps For The Rings Of Power Was A Dream Robert Aramayo Didn't Expect To Come True
Imagine taking on the daunting challenge of following up Peter Jackson's definitive "The Lord of the Rings" adaptation with another story based on author J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novels. Anyone confident (or foolish?) enough to dive headlong into such an enterprise with a show like "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" would inevitably have to contend with several different factors. There's the passionate (and sometimes downright toxic) fandom armed with sky-high expectations, the internal obligation of justifying such immense resources already committed to the production, and especially the idea of providing the streaming service answer to HBO's "House of the Dragon" juggernaut.
However, it can be easy to forget that few have had to deal with greater pressure than the cast themselves. "The Rings of Power" not only features a wide spread of brand-new characters freshly introduced into the lore, but a few returning characters from the previous movies (in name, at least, if not in the exact same continuity) have also been brought back to play significant roles in the new series, as well. In addition to Morfyyd Clark stepping into Cate Blanchett's shoes as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo embraced the responsibility of portraying the half-elf, half-human Elrond.
Not every actor would be eager to put his own spin on the role that Hugo Weaving made his own in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but Aramayo never once shied away from it. In fact, as much of a pipe dream as it may have been, he insisted on the opportunity in the first place.
'I feel very, very, very lucky to be here'
In an interview with Variety, Aramayo shared his insights about stepping up to inherit the role of Elrond in "The Rings of Power" after actor Hugo Weaving first portrayed another version of the character in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies.
Not surprisingly, Aramayo grew up with "The Lord of the Rings" movies and knew exactly how big of a deal it was to embody the character for the new series. When he actually got the official call that he had been cast — which, if you remember, was as a replacement for Will Poulter – even he had trouble believing it: "I had one of those moments where everything in your body feels like you're on electricity. I was shocked and surprised and felt really, really honored that they [would] consider me for him."
Of course, Aramayo did all he could to secure the role to begin with.
"My manager said to me once that I'd said that if 'Lord of the Rings' ever was a TV show, I'd love to do it. When I heard about the show, I sent an email to my agent, saying, 'Please, can I get an audition for this?' A combination of my deep, deep, deep love for his work and for Elrond just makes me feel really honored and really gifted to play him and be a part of it. So as long as I can play him, I'm just excited about that prospect. I feel very, very, very lucky to be here."
Given how much praise Elrond's storyline has received in the early going, Aramayo's efforts are certainly paying off.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" streams on Prime Video every Thursday night.