Where You've Seen The Cast Of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Before

Exploring the Second Age of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Amazon's much-hyped "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" takes place long before the events of Peter Jackson's movies. The big budget series (the first season alone cost over $450 million to make, according to The Hollywood Reporter) gives viewers the chance to see some familiar characters in action during their formative years. The immortal Half-Elven ruler Elrond, played by Hugo Weaving in Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, features heavily in the series, as does the future Lady of the Woods Galadriel, memorably portrayed by Cate Blanchett on the big screen.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" also introduces plenty of new faces, but the actors portraying them will probably be familiar to film and TV fans. Where have you seen the cast of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" before? We've got the lowdown right here.

One of the first characters cast for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" was Tar-Míriel, with American actor Cynthia Addai-Robinson landing the role. The rightful heir to the throne of Númenor in Tolkien's work, she is mentioned in both "Unfinished Tales" and "The Silmarillion." Following the death of her father, Tar-Míriel should have become the leader of the Númenóreans, but she was usurped by Ar-Pharazôn when he forcefully married her and took the throne for himself. As pointed out by Bounding Into Comics, the character in the television show appears to be slightly different to Tolkien's version, as she has been described as Queen-Regent of Númenor.

Addai-Robinson is a pretty well-known television star, having appeared in a number of high-profile shows over the years. She played Naevia in the historical drama series "Spartacus" between 2012 and 2013, and DC fans will no doubt recognize her as Amanda Waller from The CW's "Arrow." The actor had a recurring role in "Chicago Med," playing Dr. Vicki Glass, and she also appeared as Nadine Memphis in 31 episodes of "Shooter" between 2016 and 2018. Earlier in her career, she popped up in the likes of "Law & Order: Trial by Jury," "CSI: Miami," and "Entourage" before being nominated for two Women's Image Network Awards for her performance in the History Channel miniseries "Texas Rising."

Elrond is one of the characters in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" who was also present in Peter Jackson's film trilogy. The character, portrayed by British actor Robert Aramayo, plays a central part in the Second Age of Middle-earth, during which he helped lead the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against Sauron in battle with Elendil and Gil-galad. The Amazon show deals with Elrond's traumatic past during a period of time when he was far younger, before he founded Rivendell. "Right now, he's definitely in a moment of 'Who am I?'" Aramayo told Looper in an exclusive interview. "He's closer to being an orphan than he is to being a Lord, but he's trying so hard to be the Herald of Gil-galad."

Aramayo studied at New York's Juilliard School before he was cast in "Harley and the Davidsons" in 2016, playing the titular Bill Harley for three parts of the television miniseries. That same year, Aramayo was cast as the young Eddard Stark in "Game of Thrones." He was seen fighting the Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy to free his sister in a flashback during Season 6. Since then, the actor has been involved in the 2021 television show "Behind Her Eyes" as the character Rob and played Sergeant Major Atkins in "The King's Man," the third film in the "Kingsman" franchise.

Welsh actor Owain Arthur plays the Dwarven ruler Durin IV in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." According to the appendices of Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" novels, Durin IV was a great king of the Durin's Folk clan (aka the Longbeards) and was the leader of the Dwarves at Khazad-dûm. Eventually coming to own a Ring of Power that he inherited from his father, he greatly resembled Durin I and was widely thought to be a reincarnation of the legendary figure, who held the moniker Durin the Deathless.

The vast majority of Arthur's work has been in theater, where he won praise from critics for his work in plays such as "One Man, Two Guvnors." He took over that role from James Corden and made it his own. "His hilarious monologues to the audience about his gnawing hunger and mounting confusion somehow seem even funnier when delivered in a Welsh accent that combines lugubrious self-pity with a singsong jauntiness," said The Telegraph. In terms of television appearances, Arthur has had roles in shows such as "The Palace," "Babylon," and "Death in Paradise." More recently, he provided the voice of Lofty in the video game "Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom" and held a recurring role in the long-running medical drama "Casualty."

Although he only appears very briefly in "The Lord of the Rings" films during flashbacks, Isildur is arguably one of the most important characters in the history of Middle-earth. During the final battle with Sauron at the end of the Second Age, Isildur defeated the Dark Lord but decided against destroying the One Ring. Maxim Baldry plays this vital character in the Amazon show. The actor has revealed that Isildur will be a vulnerable character in the first season, due to the loss of his mother and his fraught relationship with his father.

Baldry remains relatively unknown in the acting world, though he's actually been around for quite some time. His first onscreen roles were in 2007, when he landed parts in the epic TV series "Rome" and the comedy film "Mr Bean's Holiday," starring Rowan Atkinson. In 2016, Baldry became a series regular in the soap opera "Hollyoaks," playing Liam Donovan. He has also had recent roles in the likes of "Years and Years," "Doctor Who," and the Emilia Clarke-led rom-com "Last Christmas."

Bronwyn is an entirely new creation for the show. Played by Nazanin Boniadi, this human character seemingly hails from the Southern lands of Middle-earth. These areas are not well described in any of Tolkien's writing and so any action there is likely to feature brand new individuals who are not part of the canon of the literary works. A post on the show's official Instagram gave fans their first glimpse of the character, while The One Ring confirmed that she is the mother of a boy named Theo.

Boniadi has been a regular fixture on television screens for many years. After making her debut in the film "Gameface" in 2007, she popped up as Amira Ahmed in "Iron Man" and landed a regular role in "General Hospital," playing Leyla Mir in over a hundred episodes. By 2011, the actor had become a recurring character on "How I Met Your Mother," in which she played Nora. Other notable TV credits include "Grey's Anatomy," "Suits," and "Homeland."

In Tolkien's fantasy world, Galadriel is possibly the most powerful of all the Elves — at least by the time "The Lord of the Rings" takes place. While the character is much younger in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," she's still a formidable force. The younger Galadriel (portrayed by Morfydd Clark) plays a more physical role in the fight against evil, wearing armor as opposed to the flowing white robes she's known for. According to Clark herself, she fainted shortly after she found out that she had been cast as the famous character.

Clark has had a varied acting career, despite being a relative newcomer. Her first credits came in 2014, when she had roles in the television miniseries "New Worlds" and the movie "The Falling." She appeared alongside Sam Riley, Lily James, Matt Smith, and Charles Dance in "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" in 2016, and later had a recurring role in "His Dark Materials," playing Sister Clara in four episodes. More recently, she plied her trade in the BBC's "Dracula," a miniseries from the minds of "Sherlock" co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.

Although he doesn't appear much in the novels, Celebrimbor is still an important figure in "The Lord of the Rings." Played by Charles Edwards in Amazon's adaptation, he is a Ñoldo Elf and a descendent of Fëanor, a master Elven craftsman who created the Silmarils. He's known for creating three Rings of Power and the second Elfstone. Celebrimbor's close alliance with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm (also known as Moria) and his relationship with Elrond are likely to be vital to "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" going forward.

Edwards will be recognizable to anyone who has watched "Downton Abbey." He played the editor of the London magazine "The Sketch" and had a romantic relationship with Lady Edith Crawley throughout the fourth season of the hit British show. Before that he portrayed Michael Palin in the television movie "Holy Flying Circus" and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in "Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes." The actor has also appeared in movies such as "Batman Begins" (he played a Wayne Enterprises executive) and the Best Picture nominee "Philomena."

The husband of Tar-Míriel and the last King of Númenor, Ar-Pharazôn is a legendary figure in the mythology of "The Lord of the Rings." Following advice from the Dark Lord, Ar-Pharazôn set sail to attack Valinor, resulting in Eru — who is essentially God in Tolkien's world — sinking his massive fleet and plunging Númenor into the sea. Trystan Gravelle plays the character in the Amazon series.

Over the years, Gravelle has become a familiar face in the United Kingdom. His earliest role was in the television series "Chosen," but his big breakthrough came in 2013 when he was cast as Victor Colleano in "Mr Selfridge." He played that role for some 34 episodes before taking a part in the E4 miniseries "The Aliens." More recently, he has appeared in television shows such as "The Terror," "Baptiste," "Exile," and "A Discovery of Witches."

Played by Ismael Cruz Córdova, Arondir is a character from "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" that fans of the original books will be unfamiliar with. That's because he's a brand new creation for the show rather than someone who appears in Tolkien's work. A Silvan Elf, he travels to the Southern Lands and eventually comes to the village of Tirharad where he meets and falls in love with Bronwyn. It's a forbidden love, but one that both he and Bronwyn are willing to fight for.

A native of Puerto Rico, Córdova first came to the public's attention when he portrayed Mando on "Sesame Street," a role that was sometimes tough as he had no humans to look at while working, he told Oprah.com. In 2016, he portrayed Hector Campos in the television series "Ray Donovan" for a total of 10 episodes and then had a role in the 2017 show "The Catch" as The Hammer. The following year he was cast as Rafael Torres in drama series "Berlin Station." Fans of the "Star Wars" franchise may recognize him from "The Mandalorian," in which he portrayed the Twi'lek mercenary Qin.

Sadoc Burrows, played by Lenny Henry, is another new character introduced to the world of "The Lord of the Rings" in the Amazon series. A Harfoot (one of the three breeds of Hobbit in Middle-earth), Burrows is part of a nomadic tribe that moves around avoiding contact with men to steer clear of any conflict.

Starting his career as a stand-up comedian, Henry was one of the most influential Black comics in Britain during the 1980s. He was so successful that he was given his own series in the form of "The Lenny Henry Show" in 1984. Since then he has been a regular on television and stage, and has appeared in big franchises like "Harry Potter" (he played the shrunken head hanging in the window of the Knight Bus in "The Prisoner of Azkaban") and "Doctor Who." Making his Shakespeare debut in 2009, he was praised by critics for his performance as Othello. Henry is also well known for being one of the co-founders of Comic Relief, a charity that has raised millions for good causes.

Elendil is a pivotal figure in the history of Middle-earth as one of the few survivors of the downfall of Númenor. Leading the rest of the living Númenóreans to Middle-earth, he founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor and is the direct ancestor of Aragorn as High King of the Dúnedain. Elendil was an enemy of Sauron and led the forces of men against him in the War of the Last Alliance with Gil-galad and his Elves. He's portrayed by Lloyd Owen in the Amazon show.

A veteran of television and film, Owen's first major role came in "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles," where he played a younger Professor Henry Jones Sr. (portrayed by Sean Connery on the big screen). Following this, he played Adam in the comedy series "Get Real" throughout 1998 and had roles in several British shows, such as "Casualty" and "Wire in the Blood." He is probably best known for his part as Paul Bowman in "Monarch of the Glen," but has also made high-profile appearances in "Miss Potter" and "Apollo 13."

Elanor Brandyfoot (better known by her nickname Nori) is a Harfoot played by Australian actor Markella Kavenagh. A new character who doesn't appear in the books, she featured briefly in teaser trailers for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," inspecting a meteorite landing in an area inhabited by Harfoots.

One of the youngest members of the cast, Kavenagh only had a handful of credits to her name when she joined the Amazon show. She played Cindi in "Romper Stomper" (a sequel to the film of the same name) in 2019, and she followed that up with recurring appearances in "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and "The Cry." She portrayed Daisy Hart in the Australian supernatural thriller "The Gloaming," and she had film roles in "True History of the Kelly Gang," "My First Summer," and "Furlough." Nori is her biggest role to date and a calling card for the up-and-coming Aussie.

Eärien is another non-canonical character in terms of Tolkien's works. Played by Slovakian American actor Ema Horvath, she's a Númenórean and will play a prominent role as the daughter of Elendil. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Horvath described her as a determined woman who is "still quite insecure and naïve about the way the world works." Her name can be translated to Daughter of the Sea from the Elvish language Quenya.

Amazon states that Horvath was trained in theater acting at the Interlochen Arts Academy before she pursued further education at Harvard University. Her first role came in "Like.Share.Follow." in 2017, followed by parts in "The Gallows Act II" and "The Mortuary Collection." She is perhaps best known for her role in the television series "Don't Look Deeper," where she portrayed Jenny for 11 episodes. More recently, she starred in the 2020 horror film "What Lies Below."

Award winning actor Peter Mullan plays Durin III in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." Although not the father of Durin IV in Tolkien's writings, that is the case in the show, which caused some controversy with readers. A King of Durin's Folk, he was given one of the seven Dwarf Rings and actually possessed the greatest of them. His ring was provided directly by Celebrimbor rather than Sauron and it would remain with his family for thousands of years.

As one of the oldest members of the cast, Mullan also has one of the longest careers in acting. Beginning in the late '80s, the Scottish actor appeared in films like "Riff-Raff" and "Shallow Grave" before landing parts in "Trainspotting" and "Braveheart." He's perhaps best known for his turn in 1998's "My Name Is Joe," winning the award for best actor at the Cannes Film Festival that year. He played a Death Eater in both "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" films, and later appeared as James Delos in HBO's "Westworld."

Largo Brandyfoot is another of the enigmatic Harfoots who was invented for "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." He is the father of Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, another new addition. He's played by Canadian actor Dylan Smith.

Smyth is probably most famous for his role as Sepp in the crime series "I Am the Night," a show based on Fauna Hodel's book "One Day She'll Darken" about the Black Dahlia murder. Other high-profile recent roles include "Maze Runner: The Death Cure" and "Lemonade," although he has also appeared in "Into the Badlands," "Ripper Street," and "Republic of Doyle" since 2013. The actor was part of the voice cast for "Star Wars: Battlefront II" and had smaller parts in "300," "Love & Savagery," and the 2001 TV adaptation of Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," starring Alfred Molina as the famous Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot.

Played by Benjamin Walker in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," Gil-galad is an Elven king and part of the Ñoldor race. Known as the Lord of Eriador and the High King of the Elves of the West, he is a hugely important figure and an influential character in the world of Middle-earth. In Tolkien's writings he plays a significant part in defeating Sauron as one of the leaders of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

His first role came in the Liam Neeson film "Kinsey," where he portrayed a teenage version of the title character. The actor then went on to have roles in movies such as "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "In the Heart of the Sea." However, he is probably most recognizable for his parts in "The Choice," "Traitors," and Netflix's Marvel series "Jessica Jones" as the character Erik Gelden. In 2022, he portrayed Captain Yves in "The King's Daughter."

In "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," Daniel Weyman is playing a character known only as an unnamed stranger. Vanity Fair first revealed that the Harfoots in the show interact with "a mysterious lost man" who falls from the sky as a fiery meteorite. This sparked speculation that he could be Sauron returning in the fair form of Annatar to deceive the people of Middle-earth.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Weyman has appeared in a large number of British television shows over the years. This includes long-running series such as "Doctors," "Holby City," and "Midsomer Murders." More recently, he has had roles in "Gentleman Jack," "Foyle's War," and "Vera," a detective show set in and around the city he hails from. He also popped up in the 2021 film "Great Expectations." Away from the screen, Weyman has contributed to a number of audio projects, such as "Doctor Who and The Butcher of Brisbane" and the Audible podcast "The Sandman."