Rings of Power’s Stranger actor on wizard magic and season 2

Daniel Weyman both has the best or hardest job on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy. Since falling out of the sky like a meteor, Weyman’s the Stranger has spent most of season 1 studying the lay of the land and upending life for Nori (Markella Kavenagh) and her insulated harfoot group, leaving him with only some strains of dialogue and the occasional mystical magic second.

However Weyman’s time on The Rings of Energy press tour has been practically as rigorous — as in, the whole lot he may presumably say could be a spoiler. Is his character Gandalf? Sauron? Saruman? Radagast? Tom Bombadil? Different? The prying has been infinite, however when your character is a strolling thriller field, that’s a part of what you join. The Rings of Energy season 1 finale answered a couple of questions — we all know the Stranger isn’t Sauron, however is an Istar (or wizard), like Gandalf.

How did Weyman, whose earlier work ranges from HBO’s Gentleman Jack to the Sandman audio drama, strategy the paradox? And what’s in retailer for season 2? Polygon spoke to the actor, who was in London the place the following season of The Rings of Energy is at the moment being filmed, to ask the whole lot we may presumably think about him answering in regards to the Center-earth’s largest unknown.

[Ed. note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity, and contains spoilers for all of The Rings of Power season 1.]

Polygon: The Stranger isn’t only a mysterious character; he’s just about a strolling thriller field. How a lot did the inventive staff need you to find out about him, and the way a lot did you wish to know?

Daniel Weyman: Fairly early on the showrunners made it clear that they we had been actually all in favour of following his story within the current. So that they weren’t massively all in favour of overreach of the place this character goes to go or something that we needed to tie in there. I believe they allowed great resonances to seem in a number of totally different scenes and episodes, not only for my character, however for others as nicely, that followers can return and take a look at the supply materials and make up their very own minds. A lot of them are very totally different. Up till this one comes out, I believe there was a wholesome quantity who thought the Stranger is likely to be very darkish.

So it feels prefer it’s ongoing, and it’s truly been fairly joyous to movie as a result of anytime I’ve come to a scene, beginning within the crater, I haven’t had to consider something previous what’s in entrance of me within the script. He is aware of nothing when he wakes up. All I had to focus on was what that feeling is likely to be like in his physique, coming round in a crater with smoke, with hearth, with rock, trying like an terrible warzone, after which this very unusual being in entrance of him, who I believe at first he can’t even separate from nature itself. Is that this factor he’s like hearth or like air or like water? It’s very elemental. The good pleasure is taking the following season to construct on that. However I don’t must challenge into the long run.

Picture: Prime Video

Are you an actor who appears to actual life to construct a personality? Was there something to attract from whereas enjoying an amnesiac bearded wizard from Center-earth?

I discovered that being in New Zealand, the place we had been welcomed to simply unbelievable open arms, and having the ability to expertise among the historic Maori tradition that’s there, one thing in regards to the land and the way in which they use land or respect land, the truth that my character was barefoot, the truth that I grew my beard so it was longer than I’ve ever grown it earlier than, plus the truth that I used to be sporting garments that had been not likely garments, simply issues to maintain him heat, that each one grounded me in the easiest way, which was into nature. I felt I used to be a part of the world.

The showrunners had additionally given me some movie references once we had been doing the audition course of. One of many ones that I held on to most was Frankenstein, the 1931 movie, particularly the place we see [the monster with the little girl]. In that scene specifically, we are able to’t say whether or not the monster is evil or good. We will actually say that among the results of his conduct are horrible. However as soon as that conduct has been accomplished, the remainder of society treats him in a really totally different means and type of turns him into an evil creature. They type of write his future for him, don’t they? However I actually cherished the enjoyment that he has in smelling that flower. I used to be massively excited by seeing the flower float on the water, and when he first sees the kid, and so they have this second you assume that is going to be terrible. You then assume, Hold on, is {that a} snicker? After which he picks her up and also you’re like, Oh, that is gonna be OK, after which, no, he dumps her within the lake and he or she drowns. That was a bit of touchstone for me, for the Stranger, that I discovered actually, actually useful.

Understandably, most of what you would say in regards to the Stranger would represent spoilers for future seasons, so listed here are some burning questions on season 1: How a lot of a ache within the ass was the beard?

I began to develop it in October 2019. I began auditioning August ’19, however by October it was clear {that a} beard is likely to be helpful for the half. And so I began to develop it, and it was solely itchy for a couple of days. However my beard could be very grey, it’s virtually a white beard. However clearly we dyed that up.

Your beard might be neither grey nor white.

So we dyed that and so they saved trimming that clearly to the size that they needed. However after I wasn’t filming, I’d let it develop. After which we had COVID and over the size of time that we weren’t filming, I let it develop, and it was insane. It was probably the most ludicrous beard. Mates wouldn’t acknowledge me. I loved going there with him. It modified my physicality, and who I assumed I used to be.

Picture: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video

You have got a battle in opposition to Sauron’s disciples within the season finale — what’s the key to waving your arms round like you might have magical powers and looking out cool?

The very first thing for me was that we didn’t try to make something look cool. However there was a superb motion coach […] however she had nice insights into tips on how to make bodily actions correctly rooted in one thing aside from “However I actually wish to make it look actually cool and actually magic!”

The rule of thumb for us was at all times that the magic — and we didn’t actually name it magic, we referred to as it the power that flowed by means of him — was at all times exterior. He was at all times channeling power from nature, above himself or under himself, and he was the conduit. He was the divining rod for this power. It flowed by means of him typically with out his actual understanding of why or tips on how to management it. However it meant that his physicality throughout that wasn’t actually his personal both. It was how he responded to this stupidly great amount of power coursing by means of him. And so it was totally different in several moments. I hope that we get to discover that as season 2 goes ahead.

What was it prefer to throw a warg? It appeared heavy.

I’m happy you say that as a result of that was robust. They usually made it robust. Most of that was blue display screen as a result of I clearly was a unique scale to Markella Kavenagh and the remainder of the harfoots, so once we lastly got here to movie that they knew that the shot that they needed had them within the background, so I needed to be within the foreground in opposition to the blue display screen and the animal was held by a bit of blue individual wearing a full blue bodysuit. They usually held this animal up. It had a bit of little bit of fur on its again, nevertheless it was mainly a big blue sack and it was very heavy and so they saved placing extra weight in it as a result of they mentioned I wasn’t making it look heavy sufficient. I can’t bear in mind how heavy it obtained, however I do bear in mind after doing a number of takes saying, “Guys, that is fairly heavy!” And them saying, “Yeah, nevertheless it’s studying!”

Do you assume you’ll get a hat in season 2? Looks like you would get a hat.

What else, huh? That’s actually good query. I haven’t considered it in any respect. Individuals at varied factors requested me about sneakers. “Wouldn’t he have some sneakers by now?” And I used to be at all times like, “No, he simply is with the harfoots.” The one beings that he is aware of are the harfoots and so they don’t have sneakers! Why would he? How would he? The place would he?

Yeah, we’ve been questioning if the Stranger ever placed on underpants.

Sure, it was a stunning pair of underpants he wore.