At San Diego Comic-Con, Prime Video’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power thrilled over 6,500 fans at their incredible Hall H panel. We had the opportunity to sit down with Ema Horvath and Lloyd Owen. They talked about what it was like stepping into one of the most iconic and beloved fictional worlds and what might be in store for the future of Númenor. Ema Horvath (Eärien) and Lloyd Owen (Elendil) are deeply invested in the political motivations of their characters and are intrigued by the more cerebral aspects of the show.

Ema Horvath on preparing for her work on The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power

Horvath emphasizes the immense passion of the Lord of the Rings fanbase, a level of dedication she hasn’t encountered in previous projects. She actively engaged with the community on Reddit and Twitter to understand their perspective. She also delved into Tolkien’s extensive works, including encyclopedic histories, and focused on the portrayal of women in the lore.

“The fanbase and the IP. Like, I’ve never worked on something that has you people who love it this much. The first thing I did is get on Reddit and Twitter to learn about the fan base. Yeah. which I’ve never done for a job. There’s Tolkien’s work. And then there’s how people have interpreted it and how they interact with it, discuss it, celebrate it, you know, argue over it…I looked through all the, the, the family trees I have. I forget which book I have. I’m so sorry that I don’t know the name of it, but there’s, there’s, there’s like encyclopedic, like History of Man books. And my father actually gifted the copy that had us in it. I poured over them and I was looking for women. I did that.” -Ema Horvath

Lloyd Owen discusses his childhood connection to Lord of The Rings

Lloyd, a long-time Tolkien fan, acknowledges the added responsibility of working on such a cherished franchise. He aims to honor both Tolkien’s original writing and the fans’ imaginative interpretations. He also recognizes the challenge of fleshing out characters with limited information in the source material, relying on both his understanding and insights from the fan community.

“I’m a fan of Tolkien, I read The Hobbit when I was a kid. So it’s like, that’s that’s in my life. But you feel this extra responsibility? Yeah. Right. Because it’s precious.  And you want to. You want to make sure you honor, first of all, what Tolkien wrote and to the and and then the imagination that the fans have what they think you will be like because of course. Or if I just take Elendil, there’s very little about him and all of the bits of that. You have to really search for him. And we know there are certain key events that happen in his life. So then the writers have to fill in, and I have to fill in what those key events want to turn him into a fully rounded human being. This is a man who doesn’t know he’s on the hero’s journey who’s like me. And that’s, that’s the great excitement and and the pressure if you know what I mean. But, Elendil is a hero of the title to the fans. You know, the man is a hero. And you just when you, when you read about him, you like, you feel him. I don’t know why…When Christopher Tolkien, his son, posthumously released one of those books, The Lost Road. And there’s so much information in there, but you have to go. You really have to go searching for it. Yeah. and that’s where the fan base helps you. So I go to the Nerd of the rings. He does all these affairs. He takes different characters. And so you can link all this stuff up because initially it’s really daunting. Think about the amount of information here. But as the actor, we’re always going to work with the script because that’s where you get a play and then you go, okay, that’s useful for me, that’s huge. For me, that’s not going to work, you know? And so you in England, we say you’re like a magpie, which is a type of bird that just picks up just a little bit of everything to make their nest. So you’re like a magpie. Just choose the bits. Try and make it super cool, truthful and real so that when you’re watching it, you feel it too. It’s what you hope.” -Lloyd Owen

Life and art often reflect each other, Lloyd talks about Rings of Power’s relevance to us today.

The battle for good and evil is timeless and always relevant. But Rings of Power also deals with the struggle for power in Numenor. There is a sense of government vs religion. Ema and Lloyd talk about how those themes hold relevance today.

“Yeah. Because I think if you ask that question in 1940, the book was published in 1930. You know, everyone would say, yeah, it’s relevant to our time now. So I think because he’s taken one of the condensed, all the great myths into a, into a story that will be everything for us in every generation. I think we’re talking, I think, in 150 years time. That question will be asked and two people will say, yeah, this is so much like today, right? Yeah…I think that’s the function of myth. It’s to hear a story and recognize it. Yeah. Recognize it to connect in your, in your gut what it is. Even if you don’t understand clearly, intellectually what it is, it moves you about what it is to be human and the complications of what it is to be human.” -Lloyd Owen

“I mean, I think especially for Numenoreans at the moment, we don’t know which way that island nation, that country is going to go. Who’s going to be on which side of history?”-Ema Horvath

Middle Earth is a big world to step into Ema and Lloyd talk about what it’s like to step into such lofty roles. 

There are so many elements involved in a fantasy series. Ema and Lloyd talk about what elements go into creating their characters. They also touch on how, as an actor, certain things make their characters feel more real.

“You know, there’s all of the makeup and then and then the clothes, like, how does that transform into this incredibly rich, visually rich and certainly rich world. I have more jewelry this season. And it’s more rich and luxurious. Yeah. The hair. Yeah. yeah. So even I mean, last season too, but, you know, she’s kind of rising in the ranks. It’s really been helpful. I feel more Numenoreans this season, if that makes sense. And in fact when we first did it with costume design, about ten different costume fittings to make sure it’s right it was very unusual. I feel like this job is like, maybe the most frustrating to do rehearsals in, like, your normal clothes and, you know, not really like other jobs saying it’s okay, you know, but this is like, oh, there’s other elements. Yeah. You stand in better working yourself differently. Yeah. Feel the power of it. ” -Ema Horvath

“Your character slowly comes back because you have to feel it in your body. And I find as an actor it’s like there’s something there’s, there’s another slightly different shaped person in there. Once you put the clothes on, it’s funny.” -Lloyd Owen

Ema Horvath and Lloyd Owen are lovers of Tolkien. Their passion for the world shines through in how they speak about their characters. The depth they bring to the screen springs from truly connecting with the material. 

The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power returns for a second season on August 29th

In Season Two of The Rings of Power, Sauron actively reemerges, driven by his own cunning to regain his strength and oversee the Rings of Power‘s creation. Cast out by Galadriel, he stands alone, devoid of army or ally, yet determined to bend Middle-earth to his sinister will. Furthermore, building on Season One’s epic scope, the new season intensifies the stakes, plunging beloved characters into a rising tide of darkness. Each must confront their vulnerabilities and find their place in a world teetering on the brink of calamity.

From Elves and dwarves to orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots, friendships are tested, and kingdoms begin to fracture. Amidst this turmoil, the forces of good fight valiantly to preserve what matters most: their connection to one another.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to life the heroic legends of Middle-earth’s fabled Second Age. Specifically, this epic drama unfolds thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, transporting viewers to an era where great powers were forged, kingdoms rose and fell, and unlikely heroes faced trials. Hope dwindles as Tolkien’s most formidable villain threatens to engulf the world in darkness.

The first season of The Rings of Power achieved remarkable success, captivating over 100 million viewers worldwide. With more than 32 billion minutes streamed. Moreover, the series garnered over 25 million global viewers on its premiere day. Securing the biggest premiere in Prime Video history and debuting as the No. 1 show on Nielsen’s overall streaming chart. In addition to viewership, the show spurred more Prime sign-ups worldwide than any previous content. The season finale sparked a global cultural phenomenon, with series-themed hashtags trending in 27 countries across Twitter for over 426 cumulative hours.

So, don’t miss the season two premiere of “The Rings of Power” on Prime Video tomorrow, August 29th. The first three episodes drop tomorrow, followed by a weekly release schedule for the rest of the season.

For more “The Rings of Power” coverage check out:

Charles Edwards and Charlie Vickers at San Diego Comic-Con

Rings of Power’s Morfydd Clark and Benjamin Walker at SDCC