Mumbai: Actor Benjamin Walker, who essays the character of Gil-galad — one of the most influential characters in ‘The Lord of the Rings — has revealed how his character will be brought to life in the web series based on the classic.
The series will be streamed on Prime Video from September 2. In India, it will be available in six languages — English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
Walker said, “He’s got this kind of elvish spidey sense of the impending rebirth of evil. He always sees it a second before. So when we find him at the beginning of season one, he’s in a time of peace. But for Gil-galad that means something entirely different. That peace and liberty require constant vigilance.”
“And I think he’s playing the long chess game of the preservation of Middle-earth.He’s got this connection with the life force of Middle-earth, almost as if he can feel the tentacles of evil slithering beneath the crust of Middle-earth. And he knows it’s there. And so, it begs the question – what am I going to do about it,” he added.
Gil-galad’s end is known to all, where he fought against Sauron with the Elves and the Men, ultimately losing his life. However, in The Rings of Power which takes place in the Second Age, his character will learn, grow, lead and try to save the Middle-earth.
“We know him as a warrior. We’re going to get to see him as a warrior. But he’s a politician in the sense that we wish we had, in that he attempts to bring out the best in all of us so that when we do need to come together, we can,” Walker said.
While he’s fighting it out, there’s an internal challenge of ‘trusting people’ that Gil-galad must overcome in the series.
“He has to let his own world have a life of its own. He must let go, as a parent does. The ultimate last loving thing is to let them go out on their own and to trust that they will do the right thing. And that they will know what that thing is.”
“And I think that’s why these characters that Tolkien has created continue to evolve. Otherwise, he’s just this prescient ruler who’s got a lot of experience and can kick ass when he needs to. He’s constantly evolving,” the actor concluded.
–IANS