The highly anticipated Amazon series Rings of Power have recently faced a slew of hateful comments from online trolls. The show has received pushback for its racially diverse cast, specifically for casting actors of colour to play dwarves, elves and hobbits in the Amazon Prime Video series. However, the original lord of the Rings cast supported the casting of the prequel series. Many of the cast members from the Oscar-winning trilogy recently stood up in support of the cast of The Rings of Power, who have faced racist attacks.
Lord of the Rings actors Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and Sean Astin, who starred as the group of hobbits who risk life and limb in their heroic quest, took to Instagram to share a message of support for the new stars, and for fans. Moreover, Wood, Monaghan, Boyd and Sean Astin shared photos of themselves in shirts and hats with the elven script that reads ‘All You Are All Welcome Here’ and features the drawn images of pointed ears in a spectrum of skin tones and colours.
Meanwhile, the series’ official Twitter account shared a message of unity, posting, “We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of colour are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore or tolerate it.” The statement continues, “JRR Tolkien created a world that, by definition, is multi-cultural.”
The official Twitter account of the Amazon show also thanked their fans for all the support, “Especially the fans of colour who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom.” The statement concluded, “We see you, your bravery, and endless creativity. Your cosplays, fancams, fan art and insights make this community a richer place and remind us of our purpose. You are valid, you are loved, and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family, thanks for having our backs.”
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