Full spoilers will appear in Episode 8 of The Rings of Power.
The actor who plays Sauron in The Rings of Power revealed that he didn’t find out about his character’s true identity until he shot the third episode of the show.
Ever since the high-budget series Prime Video began airing on September 2, fans have been wondering when the Dark Lord will appear, and when it will appear, which actor will play the main villain of The Lord of the Rings. Now, with the release of Episode 8 of The Rings of Power, we finally have the answer.
Major spoilers follow The final of the first season of Rings of Power. Turn back now if you haven’t watched it yet.
Halbrand, who was played by Charlie Vickers from the second episode, was Sauron the whole time. As it turns out, the alleged heir to the Southlands throne has long deceived viewers – and the heroes of The Rings of Power, most notably Galadriel.
Even so, the time Halbrand spent dabbing everyone’s eyes is nothing compared to the two-and-a-half-year secret that Vickers and the rest of the cast have had to keep. In early October, Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) and Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo) only told TechRadar that they know who Sauron is. After Halbrand’s true identity is revealed, everyone involved in the production of the series can breathe a sigh of relief – especially Vickers.
So when did the Medici actor find out he was going to be playing Lord of the Rings’s most iconic antagonist? Not for a while, actually. Vickers, who was initially auditioned for the role of the half-elf Elrond, was kept in the dark until shooting on Prime Video was already underway.
Check out our Rings of Power Summaries
“I had a gut feeling for a moment,” Vickers told TechRadar exclusively prior to the release of Episode 8. “I didn’t find out that I was playing Sauron on purpose for a while – I didn’t sit down and wasn’t told until maybe a few months before filming the third episode. So that scene in Episode 2 when I was introduced to the raft, I didn’t know.
Clark, who spends most of her time playing opposite Halbrand Vickers in the first season, also did not know which character was the masquerade. This was until production began in Episode 3, when Galadriel and Halbrand arrive in Númenor after being rescued from the Tearing Seas by Elendil and his crew.
“We didn’t know until we were in Numenor,” Clark only revealed for the premiere before Episode 8. “Back then, it was pretty cool to see when the showrunners and writers were introducing these little clues.
“Actually, I missed a lot of it when I watched it again! What I didn’t realize was that you never see Halbrand asleep. One of his first lines to Galadriel is “Looks Can Cheat” which is the most obvious clue It was really fun to play a character I never expected to play, and Charlie found out that he was playing someone he didn’t expect, who we had barely seen in this one. form. It was exciting to go through this together. “
As the main villain of The Lord of the Rings, it’s not surprising that fans expect a certain level from Sauron. However, Vickers doesn’t feel pressured to revive such a daunting character in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings – though he understands that not everyone will be delighted with his role.
“I know how important this character is for many people,” he said. “I feel so honored and honored to be able to revive it. It’s very cool. But of course I know people have high expectations and I can’t really control their thoughts. a lot of consolation in the source material and reading and learning as much as possible. All I can do is put my heart and soul into it.
For more exclusive coverage of The Rings of Power, read how the second episode of the show almost inadvertently ruined its big Sauron reveal.