Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen Atour, Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, Ben Daniels, Nicholas Woodeson, and Sam Hazeldine have been cast in the series, which serves as a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy series. Hazeldine replaces Joseph Mawle, who played the Ork leader Adar in the first season of the series; a reason for the casting change was not given. The other new cast members’ roles are currently being kept under wraps, but all of them join the show in a recurring capacity. Akuwudike has appeared in the TV series “Hanna,” “Ridley Road,” and “War of the Worlds,” along with the films “1917” and “Brexit.” Atour was a cast member in Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Witcher,” and was a series regular on the streamer’s “Young Wallander” series. Kenworthy makes her television debut on “The Rings of Power” after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Towle graduated from Guildhall School of Drama last year, and appeared in Netflix’s “Persuasion” as well as the stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “The Ocean at the End of the Lane.”
Daniels is best known for his theater work, having won an Olivier Award in 2001 for a production of “All My Sons” — he also received an Olivier nomination for “The Normal Heart” and a Tony nomination for “Les Liaisons Dangereuses.” Daniels’ screen credits include “Jupiter’s Legacy,” “The Crown,” “The Exorcist,” “House of Cards,” “Law & Order: UK,” “Benediction,” “Captive State,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” and “The Exception.” Woodeson’s television credits include “Silent Witness,” “Baptiste,” “The Honourable Woman,” “Poirot,” and “Rome,” while his film credits include “The Hustle,” “Paddington 2,” “The Danish Girl,” “Skyfall,” and “Conspiracy.” Another graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Woodeson most recently starred on stage in “The Two Popes,” “The Pope,” “The Mirror and The Light,” “The Visit,” “The Room,” and “Death of a Salesman.” Hazeldine’s credits include the Netflix series “The Sandman” and “The Playlist,” as well as “Peaky Blinders,” “Slow Horses,” “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” “Mechanic: Resurrection,” and “The Last Duel.” He will star in the Apple TV+ miniseries “Masters of the Air,” as well as the film “A Beautiful Imperfection.”
Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay executive produce Season 2 of “The Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power” with Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, and Gennifer Hutchison. Charlotte Brandstrom co-executive produces, Kate Hazell and Helen Shang produce, and Andrew Lee, Matthew Penry-Davey, and Clare Buxton co-produce. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
