Severe racist backlash against The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power prompted Amazon to hire an on-set therapist for the cast. Debuting on Prime Video in September 2022, The Rings of Power features a diverse cast, a decision that almost immediately garnered racist backlash against several actors of color. Some took issue with the notion of people of color existing within Middle-earth. Shortly following the premiere, Prime Video posted a tweet condemning the threats, harassment, and abuse directed at the Rings of Power cast, saying that they “refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”
In an interview with Variety, The Rings of Power star Ismael Cruz Córdova, who plays the elf Arondir, says that the backlash was so severe, the studio hired a therapist to support the actors on-set. Córdova praises the therapist, saying that even when he didn’t need to speak with her, having her on set was a comfort. Read Córdova’s full comments below:
“You need support when this happens because the voices are so loud and they’re coming at you from so many places… I loved seeing her there, even if we didn’t speak. I knew there was someone there seeing me completely. It wasn’t just as an actor… It hurt. It had a psychological and mental health impact. That’s something that I’m very, very open about so that people understand that what they do and say online really hurts people, really has an impact on us… 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 Rings Of Power Racist Backlash Explained
While there was more support for The Rings of Power than hatred, the racist dialogue against the series was loud and harsh. Amid the wave of backlash when the series first premiered, Córdova said that he had anticipated receiving hate, but that he had fought hard for the role, and that it was important for him to enhance “visibility and representation.” Many major voices spoke up to lend their support to The Rings of Power cast, including Whoopi Goldberg, the Star Wars franchise, and original Lord of the Rings actors Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and Sean Astin.
Unfortunately, The Rings of Power is only one of many major franchises in recent years to receive racist hate for diverse casting. Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Moses Ingram faced similar vicious attacks for being cast as Reva, even revealing that Lucasfilm had told her prior to the series that she might be subject to potential harassment. Like Prime Video, however, Lucasfilm offered Ingram support, and spoke out against the abuse. House of the Dragon also faced similar issues at HBO Max.
Though Córdova expected some backlash to his casting as Arondir, the magnitude faced by the actors was overwhelming. However, it’s a positive sign that the studio offered support to the cast and publicly condemned the backlash. Despite the racist hate, The Rings of Power has been renewed for season 2, proving that no amount of hatred can stop the series.
Source: Variety