LOTR Rings Of Power Actor Discusses People Of Color Coming To Middle-Earth: "We're Very Visible In This World"

Actor Lenny Henry (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Witcher: Blood Origin), who will play Harfoot Sadoc Burrows in the upcoming Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power says people of color will take "up space in the center of [the] fantasy series." Speaking with Empire Magazine, Henry talked about the power in that representation, and also shared some backstory about his character.

“If you can't see it, you can't be it,” he says. "Finally, in this show, kids are going to see people of color taking up space in the center of a fantasy series. We're very visible in this world and that's very exciting."

Henry's character Harfoot belongs to a "nomadic tribe, moving with the weather and the fertility of the crops… We have big caravans on wooden wheels and we're very good at hiding things, because humans are much bigger than us and bring trouble." Clarifying that while his tribe aren't hobbits, they are "the traditional Tolkien little guy… ​​Traditionally, the little people in this world provide comedy but also get to be incredibly brave. You're going to see us run the full gamut of emotions and actions in this adventure."

Some readers may question how a nomadic tribe is able to tend crops, as usually farmers have to hold still to cultivate them--but it's safe to assume that The Rings of Power will have a satisfying or magical explanation for why this is. Last year, Henry also spoke at length about his excitement for this role in the early days of the Shire.

The Rings of Power premieres September 2 on Prime Video. In a separate interview, showrunner JD Payne also told Empire Magazine that even though the debut is still several months away, five seasons have already been mapped out by the key creatives. Payne told Empire they know the show's final shot, and will likely get to make that a reality because "the rights that Amazon bought were for a 50-hour show… there are things in the first season that don't pay off until Season 5."

Elsewhere for the LOTR franchise, there's a forthcoming new animated film, The War of the Rohirrim, releasing in 2024. Additionally, the video game The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases on September 1.

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