The Rings of Power: Sauron actor didn’t realize who he was playing until filming

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has kept many of their revelations in secret from the audience until the last episode, with one of the biggest ones being Sauron’s whereabouts. Since the first couple of episodes, viewers began to craft theories about who was hiding his real identity amongst the cast as the Dark Lord of Middle Earth.

Could it have been the mysterious man who fell from the sky? The corrupted elf Adar? The mysterious Halbrand? Or perhaps an entirely new character that hadn’t yet been introduced? As it turns out, the answer was a mystery even to the actors and most of the production team, since none of them knew the truth.

Who is Sauron in The Rings of Power?

Charlie Vickers, the British actor who plays Halbrand the human in the series, didn’t know of his true identity until the production was well underway. Specifically, it wasn’t until the third episode wrapped its production. His audition for the series had nothing to do with the franchise, which he admits was very confusing. And even though he suspected something he only got confirmation when the showrunners told him in private after filming was halted during the pandemic.

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“I didn’t know for sure until the beginning of the third episode,” said Vickers to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. “We filmed the first two episodes and then the show went on hiatus because of COVID. Toward the end of the hiatus, the showrunners sat me down and told me. I filmed that sequence on the raft not knowing. I filmed it as Halbrand wholeheartedly. But I did have an inkling, if I’m honest with you”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’s first season is now available in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video.

Source | The Hollywood Reporter