Andy Serkis shared his thoughts on the debate over representation in The Lord of the Rings cast. The 62-year-old actor and director said J.R.R. Tolkien’s world was heavily influenced by Norse mythology, adding that diversity should be incorporated “where relevant” rather than added just to meet industry expectations.
Andy Serkis said he understands why diversity remains a topic of discussion
In a BBC News interview, Serkis addressed the backlash about diversity in The Lord of the Rings franchise and why the announced cast for the new film, The Hunt for Gollum, currently consists of white actors.
Serkis responded by saying that the film is set in the period between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. He said, “It is very much a deep dive into the psychology and history of Gollum before he became Gollum, but also with a very burning question from Gandalf about what the potential origin of this ring that Bilbo Baggins has is.”
“Tolkien himself was influenced a lot by Norse mythology; there’s a lot of that feeling. The Shire feels very, very much like a very, a very white, you know…” he explained and added, “They’re not very concerned about what goes on beyond the borders of The Shire, but they know they don’t want people coming in.”
Serkis acknowledged the long-running criticism but said The Hunt for Gollum would not be focused on casting solely to meet diversity expectations, but rather on making choices that fit the story.
In 2022, cast member Sir Lenny Henry told The Times, “That’s to do with it being the 21st century; people want to see themselves.” And further stated, “Of course, if you go back, there’s going to be that thing that prevails because the books don’t say… although some of the characters are described as hard-skinned and darker in complexion… but that was then, this is now, and we’re telling the story now.”
The upcoming film, slated for release in December 2027, will feature several familiar faces, with Ian McKellen returning as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Andy Serkis reprising Gollum, and Lee Pace returning as Thranduil from The Hobbit films, reports Mirror. Joining the returning stars are new cast additions Anya Taylor-Joy, Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, and Leo Woodall.
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Originally reported by Meenakshi Sengupta on Mandatory
