During an interview with Collider's own Perri Nemiroff for Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Markella Kavenagh talked about playing an ancestor for the hobbits of the Shire and the weight that comes with her part. During the interview, Kavenagh also explains how she subverts J.R.R. Tolkien Harfoot tradition by giving her people a reason for their curiosity.
In Tolkien’s mythology, the Harfoot people are long descents of the hobbits who inhabited the foothills of the Misty Mountains in the Vales of Anduin, where they developed a historical friendship with dwarves. The Harfoot were also the first people to travel to Arnor in the West, crossing paths with the Dúnedain, who baptized them as hobbits. Finally, the Harfoot helped colonize the Shire, where hobbits would live in peace until the Third Age of Middle-Earth.
In the upcoming series, fans of Tolkien’s universe will follow the Harfoot in their journey westward, finding out how the curiosity of the hobbits helped them survive adversity. Talking about her character, Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, Kavenagh said:
"I think she has an innate curiosity, that's for sure. And I think I really wanted to make sure that it didn't come across as something that was purely out of just selfish interest in the unknown, that she's very aware she's had to bear this responsibility. And she's had to from a really young age to care for her siblings, and her family, and the community, in a way that she's probably had to grow up a bit too quickly. And so I thought that it just made sense to ground that in in wanting to subvert Harfoot tradition, to improve the quality of life and that that's where the curiosity into the unknown comes from as well. She leads with the idea that a fear of risk can be greater than the risk itself. And she's just constantly pushing that, but sometimes it gets people into a bit of danger but it's with the best of intentions."
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power epic cast includes Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Charles Edwards, Robert Aramayo, Morfydd Clark, Maxim Baldry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres exclusively on Prime Video on September 2. Check out our full interview with the cast below: