The Rings of Power cast condemn ‘relentless racism’ against fellow actors: ‘We refuse to tolerate it’

Series’ diverse cast has sparked intense online backlash

The cast of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has condemned the “relentless racism” against its fellow actors in a strong statement.

The new prequel series, set thousands of years before director Peter Jackson’s trilogy of films, features many actors of colour, in contrast to the all-white cast in earlier depictions of the fictional Middle-earth.

Black British actor Lenny Henry, for example, appears in the series as a hobbit.

The show’s diverse casting has sparked intense online backlash, with some branding the endeavour an attempt to “woke-wash” the series.

Elijah Wood, who plauyed Frodo Baggins in the film trilogy, Whoopi Goldberg and author Neil Gaiman are among the celebrities to have already spoken out against the racism targetted at some of the show’s actors.

Now, the cast of The Rings of Power have issued a joint statement “in absolute solidarity against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of colour are being subjected to on a daily basis”. They have said: “We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”

Posted on Wednesday (7 September), the statement read: “JRR Tolkein created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together, in the fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil.

“Rings of Power reflects that. Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay.

“Finally, all our love and fellowship go out to the fan supporting us, especially fans of colour who are themselves being attacked for simply existing in this fandom,” it continued, adding: “We see you, your bravery, and endless creativity.”

“Your cosplays, fancams, fan art, and insights make this community a richer place and remind us of our purpose. You are valid, you are loved, and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family – thanks for having our backs.”

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Earlier this week, Wood and his Lord of the Rings co-stars jointly responded to the racist outrage over the show’s casting.

Wood, Sean Astin (who played Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Pippin Took), and Dominic Monaghan (Merry Brandybuck) shared a photograph on Twitter to show their support for the series’ actors.

In the images, they are wearing hats and t-shirts emblazoned with elfin ears in various shapes and skin tones.

Alongside the photo, Wood posted the message: “You Are All Welcome Here” – the English translation of the Elvish writing marked on the t-shirts.

Henry spoke out against racism within the fantasy genre, ahead of the release of The Rings of Power, which is the most expensive show to ever be made.

The actor said that an effort was being made to make the genre “more inclusive”.

Recalling a conversation he had withSteve Toussaint about the actor’s casting in House of the Dragon, Henry said that “the purists were saying things” about a Black performer starring in the HBO series.

“God bless them,” the actor said. “They have no trouble believing in a dragon, but they do have trouble believing that a Black person could be a member of the court. Or that a Black person could be a hobbit or an elf.”