Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has expanded the world of Middle Earth with new characters, but it has also endeavored to bring iconic existing characters to life, like Galadriel, Sauron, and Elrond, by looking to J.R.R. Tolkien‘s Appendices and the Silmarillion. Over 150 million viewers have watched Season 1 globally. The UK audience is among the top regions of viewers. Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Season 2 has over 55 million viewers, and according to Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, the studio expects the same growth for the second season.
We spoke to Sauron himself, Charlie Vickers, about the expansion of his character in the latest season as he moved from being just Halbrand to embodying the manipulative and beautiful Annatar while showcasing that he’s been Sauron all along. The differences between the three characters that Vickers brings to life are all about balance. When asked about playing the same character masquerading and two others, Vickers explained the importance of keeping the character’s core intact but understanding who he needs to be to the people he’s interacting with in Rings of Power Season 2.
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“For me, it was about trying to find and maintain the core of the character, but not let the shape-changing kind of device of Sauron go too crazy, I think, trying to make sure that it’s all rooted in the truth of the character, and not just doing things differently for the sake of it [is what’s important]. And that was something really fun as an actor and something that I’ve always loved [to do]. [I love] the transformative side of this craft, and that was where it all started for me in [Tolkien’s] books. I wanted to ensure it was all one character and that Halbrand had the same motivations as Annatar because they’re both Sauron [and we can’t lose that].”
Vicker’s portrayal as Sauron also has an important role within the legacy of Lord of the Rings. The primary way that audiences who have not read many stories and books read is through the Peter Jackson trilogy of films. That said, Sauron is more of an oppressive force than a fully-fledged character. He is the darkness running through Sarumon, the orcs, and all else, but he is still just an eye. Rings of Power Season 2 gives Sauron a larger narrative and a more direct connection to his manipulation of those around him, primarily as he guides Celebrimbor into madness.
For Vickers, contributing to Sauron’s legacy has been awesome. “It’s been really cool to put in our two cents into this world. Rings of Power Season 2 is my offering to the Sauron character, an iconic character with so many interpretations over the years. I’ve loved trying to present more dimensions to him because he’s just the flaming eye in popular culture—which is great. It was what Peter Jackson did for their films. It was really effective, but [Sauron] is really kind of just a massive flaming eye that’s really mean to everyone.”
Vickers laughed and continued, “So, it’s nice to delve into the other stuff that Tolkien wrote because the best bits of Sauron are all in the earlier books. Sauron does so much stuff in The Silmarillion. You really see these rich aspects of his character, which provide him with a level of complexity that many people don’t know about.
For Rings of Power Season 2, we get a front-row seat to Sauron’s deception manipulation through his relationship with Celebrimbor. Sauron isn’t about fighting or overpowering Celebrimbor; instead, he’s about crafting the response and journey he wants him to take. As Annatar, Sauron becomes a beautiful and wonderous god to Celebrimbor, preying on his desires to get the rings crafted. This manipulation marks who Sauron is in this season, and it’s where Vickers shines.
When asked about his time with Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Vicker explained, ‘It was a joy! We spent a lot of time doing these scenes [together] in the same location, [shot] all in order, [which meant that] we could be really precise with what we were doing and craft each of our journeys together. I think it shows on the screen how close Charlie [Edwards] and I have become through just working together for so long. That was the key thing, that we had a lot of fun doing it, and there was a lot of laughter, and it wasn’t a tense, dark atmosphere, which I thought sometimes these things, when you’re dealing with this subject matter, can be like that. You have to be able to step away. It was a very, very fun and fulfilling process.”
Like with everything from Tolkien’s world, Rings of Power Season 2 is set to leave its mark on fans. For Vickers, he wants viewers to just think it’s all “cool.” Vickers added, “It sounds a bit boring [of an answer], but I hope that they see a character that is similar to what they imagined for the fans that knew about this time period. [And I also hope] it opens up the character to those who don’t know more about Sauron than the giant eye. And I hope that people get inspired and find an escape in watching the show. I just want them to watch it and think, that’s awesome.”
An awesome Sauron really does capture the original meaning of the word. Sure, it can mean something impressive but also something daunting that can invoke fear. Truly, not a better word for Sauron if you ask me.
