“It’s not a big problem”: New ‘The Rings of Power’ Actor Promises His Character Won’t Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb in Season 2 After Replacing a Fan-favorite From Season 1
- Sam Hazeldine talks about taking over Adar in Season 2 of The Rings of Power.
- The actor got some lines of his character rewritten in Black Speech to add gravitas.
- Joseph Mawle exited the show to explore more opportunities.
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s history of Middle-earth and appendices of The Lord of the Rings. The fantasy adventure series is set thousands of years before the events of Middle-earth’s Second Age and is leading up to the creation of Sauron’s ring.
The viewers will witness how the great kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin. It also involves witnessing heroes being tested and how the scattered remains are haunted by the Ringwraiths that they created through their greed and malice. The series first season premiered in September 2022 and received a positive response from the audience. Ahead of season 2’s release, a new face has not only taken over a character but also clarified what the audience can expect from him.
Sam Hazeldine talks about taking over Joseph Mawle’s Adar in The Rings of Power Season 2
In December, it was reported that actor Sam Hazeldine, who has appeared in Peaky Blinders, will be taking over the role of Adar, played by Joseph Mawle, in Season 1 of The Rings of Power. The reason for the replacement was not disclosed, but earlier in June 2024, Hazeldine spoke to EW about taking over the role and said,
For me, the appeal was that he’s a dark character, but he doesn’t see himself as a villain. He’s just trying to protect his children, the Uruk. So he’s doing what he feels he has to do to save them from the genocide, whether that would be from Sauron, who sees them as cannon fodder, or from the elves.
The actor further explained that Adar, at the beginning of the season, comes off as someone in an existential crisis because he does not know what to do next as he is finished with what he went out to do. Season 2 is going to be about his adventure. Talking about Joseph Mawle, Hazeldine added that he knew Joseph as they had worked earlier, adding that he is a fantastic actor and did a fantastic job in season 1.
The Peaky Blinders actor noted that it was indeed a pleasure to take the baton from someone he knew who had done a brilliant job in portraying the character. He, however, clarified that they do not look alike, but the character they are attached to is instantly recognizable.
In his interview with ScreenRant at the San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Hazeldine once again addresses the concerns of the two of them not looking alike but playing the same character. He said,
I had a lot of conversations with J.D. and Patrick before we started about how we wanted to approach that. I really enjoyed what Joseph did in the first season, and Adar was probably my favorite character. We don’t look alike, but it’s very clearly the same character. It’s not a big problem for an audience.
The actor also mentioned that they wanted to make the change as seamless as possible, hinting that his character has a lot to do in the upcoming season like the audience will get to see his origin story.
Joseph Mawle addresses his exit from The Rings of Power
Actor Joseph Mawle, who was highly appreciated for his work as Adar in season one of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, took to his social media in December 2022 to address his exit. He wrote,
I loved my time exploring Middle-earth and diving into Tolkien’s mythology. I am so honored that the character was liked. He cared deeply about telling you his story. Though as an actor it remains my wish, my job description is to explore new characters and worlds. Wishing all the best to the cast and crew for Season 2. I’ll be cheering you on from the sidelines.
Hazeldine, while talking to EW, shared about his first day on the sets of The Rings of Power and mentioned that there were about 200 orcs in the room, and all of them were grunting. The actor added that it’s quite unnerving for him to see that many orcs in one place, pointing out that it was helpful to remind himself that they are just people and he is not insane.
The actor also noted that it took him 7 hours to change into the orc leader, but it has now been cut down to 5 hours. Upon asking further, he revealed that speaking Black Speech on day one was the hardest thing he had to do. He explained that it is hard on the throat and hard to remember because it does not follow the Elvish languages.
Hazeldine took that as a challenge, and with the support of the show’s Tolkein lore expert, he had a few lines rewritten from English to Black Speech to give his character the gravitas it needed.
An official trailer for Season 2 premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 26th, 2024.
Season 2 of The Rings of Power will premiere on August 29, 2024, on Prime Video.
