The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has remained in the headlines for one reason or another since the series saw its initial release on Sept. 1. The Prime Video series created by Amazon features an ensemble cast of characters and a small section of the audience isn't happy with the choices.
The racist backlash began to spew online as soon as casting was announced, and unfortunately, the stars of the show have started to feel the negativity. Ismael Cruz Cordova plays Arondir in The Rings of Power, a main character in the show thus far. The actor recently spoke to Deadline on the 74th Annual Primetime Emmys red carpet and shared his experience with the series. During his interview, Cordova responds to the backlash, explaining the reasoning behind taking his role in The Rings of Power.
"I mean one of them was I knew this was gonna happen. I would say — I mean I even got a few rejections to the role and I still kept going for it because I knew that there was gonna be disruption And in my career my mission has been that. Occupy these places, put myself in that, in the front lines, be the image or the thing. I have no problem doing that so I did expect this."
Ismael Cruz Cordova Is Hurt by the Hate
Although Cordova is always going to step into new roles in order to change the status quo, the actor admits the backlash toward The Rings of Power has definitely taken a toll. However, on the other hand, he tells Deadline the immense amount of love he's received reminds him it's all worth it.
"Does it hurt? Of course it does. It's an energy, it's toxic, it's poisonous, it carries no logic. But there's this undercurrent of change, and love and people are pouring their hearts into my DM's. I can't reply to all of them but they're like, "We heard that people are being mean, we heard that they're doing this. We're gonna flood your DM's with love." And they have and I want everyone to know that I read them. I try to read all of them, but, that's what matters to me. There's no longer gonna be a moment where there wasn't an elf of color. That chapter is closed baby."
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power boasts a diverse cast alongside Cordova, including Lenny Henry, Sara Zwangobani, Thusitha Jayasundera, Maxine Cunliffe, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Tyroe Muhafdin, to name a few. The casting choices have upset some people; however, the rest of the fans of Middle-earth are welcoming the show with open arms as fans delve into a period of history previously untapped in live-action Tolkien adaptations.