Lord of the Rings stars support Rings of Power cast over racist backlash

Dan Seddon

8 September 2022 at 4:57 am·3-min read

Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and Sean Astin have condemned racist comments aimed at The Rings of Power's diverse cast.

Puerto Rican star Ismael Cruz Córdova – Middle-earth's Silvan Elf Arondir – previously opened up about the "vicious hate speech" he's been subjected to online, and now some of The Shire's former cast are keen to show their solidarity and promote inclusivity into the world.

Yesterday (September 7), Frodo Baggins actor Wood tweeted a photograph of himself alongside Monaghan and Boyd wearing Don Marshall's merchandise, which has 'You Are All Welcome Here' printed on in the Elvish language next to a spectrum of coloured ears. Astin meanwhile shared his own photograph wearing a cap with the same imagery.

You Are All Welcome Here @LOTRonPrime @DonMarshall72 #RingsOfPower https://t.co/8txOhlHa2f pic.twitter.com/nWytILT0zG
— Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) September 7, 2022

Meanwhile, the official show account shared a message of support for all of its cast, crew and fans crew: "We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.

"JRR Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together, in 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 fans supporting us, especially fans of colour who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom. 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."

As well as Córdova, The Rings of Power introduces Iranian-born Nazanin Boniadi as the human healer Bronwyn and Lenny Henry as a Harfoot elder.

Reflecting on her character's groundbreaking romantic link with Arondir, Boniadi told Digital Spy and other press at this summer's San Diego Comic-Con: "You're looking at [an] Afro Latino man and a Middle Eastern woman. If you look at the love interests, and even within our own communities, there's bigotry.

"Ismael and I talk about this often, about acceptance within our own cultures of what that love means, you know, is it acceptable for a Middle Eastern woman and Afro Latino man to be in love and how does society look at that? That forbidden romance has underlying meaning and resonance, I think, for a lot of couples that may not be accepted."

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power streams weekly on Amazon Prime Video.

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