The Dark Lord is returning to his dark throne.
Ever since Amazon first announced that the showwould take place during J.R.R.
What about the mysterious Adar and his band of loyal orcs?
Sauron reigns in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.Prime Video
The audience learns his true identity at the same time Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) does.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take me back to when you were first cast in the show.
CHARLIE VICKERS:No!
Charlie Vickers as Halbrand in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’.Prime Video
Then, the other one was fromParadise Lost,the poem by Milton, and it was literally Satan.
[Laughs] But it wasn’t until after our hiatus.
We filmed the first two episodes, and then we went on hiatus because of COVID.
You’re playing Sauron."
By that point, because of my audition material and a few other things, I had an inkling.
But it was nice to get it properly confirmed.
Did your fellow castmates know your true identity, or was that kept secret?
No, no one knew!
I think Morfydd [Clark] knew because she was my scene partner.
They play a very important role in how the audience sees him and how the audience sees Sauron.
So Morfydd knew, but no one else knew.
I’ve been holding it in.
Obviously, by the end of the season, a lot more people knew.
Now, I think, the whole cast knows.
But it’s going to be nice that we’ll be able to share it with everyone else soon.
That’s fascinating that you filmed the first few episodes without knowing his true identity.
Do you think there’s some truth in that, or is that all a smokescreen?
I think it’s fascinating to look at.
It’s interesting because Tolkien speaks of Sauron as repentant.
He quite clearly says that he is repentant, and he is ashamed.
He says it inThe Silmarillion, and he says it in some notes inMorgoth’s Ring.
But he always puts the words “out of fear” right after “repentance.”
He kneels before Eonwe and is humbled and brought low.
So, I think Halbrand is an example of him in this repentant stage.
Whether or not you view that repentance as genuine completely colors his actions of the season.
But he is able to manipulate people.
It makes it cool to look back on and leave it to interpretation, I think.
I’m fascinated by the relationship between Galadriel and Halbrand.
What interested you about that relationship?
The dynamic is fascinating because she is inadvertently pulling him back towards this darkness.
She doesn’t realize it, but she’s giving him the keys to the kingdom.
Whether or not he’s intending for her to do that is [up for debate].
But she is saying to him, “Come and rule.
There is no peace for you here in Numenor.
“Come and rule as the king of Mordor.”
She doesn’t know it, but she’s drawing him back.
I think when he presents himself to her in the final episode, he basically makes a pitch.
He says, “Let’s do this.
you could be the queen, and I’ll be the king.”
I don’t think it’s out of romance, at all.
It’s not a proposal.
It’s based on his own personal gain.
He thinks he can rule more effectively with her at his side.
And if she says no, by no means is it the end of the world.
Whether or not she’s by his side, he’ll find a way to do that.
But at this time, it’ll be more effective with her there.
Historically, Sauron has always been depicted as an unknowable figure.
Here, this show literally humanizes him.
What interested you about exploring that side of this iconic figure?
He is the deceiver, right?
And he’s a shape-shifter.
He has many powers, but those are two of his main things.
So, in creating a human face for him, I like to think of his deception.
He’s like the world’s greatest Method actor.
He’s like Daniel Day-Lewis.
[Laughs] He has to fully immerse himself.
That was really useful for me, that he would feel and experience things as a human.
There’s that great sequence in the finale, where Galadriel and Sauron have that confrontation.
What do you remember most about filming those scenes?
I remember saying this line, which I can’t quote word for word.
I’m not very good at remembering lines.
It’s something like, “I’ve been awake since before the dawning of the first sunrise.
“That was so powerful for me.
It was just like being able to take a breath and expand.
It was a physical thing, just settling into the years and years of experience he’s had.
You embody this human Halbrand, who has a certain level of wisdom and a level of power.
I remember when we filmed it, I was like, “Oh, this is really cool.”
Then, she tries to stab me with the dagger, and he just effortlessly holds her arm.
So for him to just effortlessly hold her and then warp her mind was just so cool.
It’s a dream to be able to play something like that.
I imagine that would be a fun world to play in.
Like you said, this is somebody who’s literally older than the sunrise.
I mean, Morfydd always says that Galadriel is older than the moon, and it’s so true.
Then, you think about Sauron, and he was there before the music of the Ainur.
He’s been around a long, long time, back when he was Mairon the Fair.
It sounds like you’re someone who really dove into all of the Tolkien lore.
I loved diving into the lore.
I used a lot of it.
Despite this repentance, he wants Sauron to be thought of as very terrible.
That’s important, going down the line.
You have to remember that he is evil.
He is the epitome of evil.
But the letters really informed me in the reemergence of Sauron.
Tolkien talks about how he lingers in Middle-earth, and very slowly, he reforms.
I think that’s there in Halbrand.
You see the building blocks and how it all reemerges, and that completely aligns with what Tolkien said.
And then there are other stories inThe Silmarillion, like Beren and Luthien.
Sauron’s journey there is fascinating.
What have the past few weeks been like for you, as people have been theorizing and speculating?
What’s the wildest fan theory you’ve heard about yourself?
I don’t go on the fan theory things that much!
It’s normally sent from friends.
They’ve been like, “Oh hang on, what’s the deal with this guy?”
So, I’ve heard some theories from my friends.
There’s been a few theories about Sauron.
There’s been a lot of theories about the Witch-King.
[Laughs] I was like, “Thanks, man.
That’s really kind.”
Yeah, I don’t know if I see the resemblance there.
It’s a bit harsh!
Did any of your fellow cast members have funny reactions when they finally found out Halbrand’s identity?
We were all pointing fingers at each other.
It’s exactly what Sauron would’ve wanted: no one trusting each other.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
