Rings of Power actors from Isildur and Theo on spider fears and horse lies in season 2

To mark the launch of the first three episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Moviepilot met two of the series stars: Maxim Baldry (Isildur) and Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo) spoke to us about role secrets, fear of spiders and false knowledge of horses.

“I had no idea what I was doing”: Maxim Baldry and Tyroe Muhafidin in Lord of the Rings interview

Maxim Baldry, now 28, played the little boy in Mr Bean’s Holiday before The Rings of Power and delivered an impressive performance in the series Years and Years. For Tyroe Muhafidin, now 19, the Lord of the Rings series was his first major acting experience. In a conversation about season 2, the two discussed the past and future paths of their characters Isildur and Theo, saying goodbye to a co-star and who else they would like to play in Middle Earth.

Maxim, you play Isildur, a character whose Middle Earth story as a Ringbearer we know will lead to. Is that more of a relief or a burden?

Maxim Baldry: I think it’s exciting to have signposts. Tolkien wrote about his end point, but we don’t know exactly how he gets there. So I was able to build Isildur from the bottom up. The first two seasons are a journey of discovery. They give a deeper understanding of who he is as a person: his relationship with his father, the call he heard to Middle Earth. In season 2 he gains new skills to survive and matures into a man. He has to learn who he can trust. This all feeds into what he does later.

When I went to the casting for season 1, I didn’t know who I was auditioning for. I only remember the description: ‘We are looking for a moody young man, with the weight of the world on his shoulders.‘ I did my best and yet I had no idea what I was doing.

Tyroe, you play a (seemingly) new character in The Rings of Power. Did you get any information about where Theo’s path will lead him in the series?

Tyroe Muhafidin: No, they’re keeping that a secret from me. Of course I want to find out where he’s going or what’s going to happen to him…

Maxim Baldry: Oh, do you want to speculate? Who do you think you’re playing?

Tyroe Muhafidin: I…argh, we shouldn’t do this. I’m going to get in trouble. [lacht] If I knew more, it might change the way I play Theo, so it’s probably for the best. That’s the fun of playing a new character: it keeps me on my toes, because they could kick me out at any moment.

Maxim Baldry: Yes, you have to be good in every scene. Every scene is a new audition. [lacht]

Tyroe Muhafidin: The pressure is there!

The Rings of Power has always been a secretive series. How does that work for you as actors? Do you only get your parts of the script and aren’t allowed to talk to anyone about your roles?

Maxim Baldry: We have received all the scripts for season 2. Season 1 was a different experience. My script for episode 8 had blacked out pages that I didn’t get even when I asked for them. Now I understand, of course, that they hid the big reveal about Mr. Sauron himself.

Tyroe Muhafidin: We had our own bets on who Sauron would be.

Maxim Baldry: Yes, and I would have put all my money on Charlie Vickers. Did you ever suspect anyone else?

Tyroe Muhafidin: I was thinking maybe about Dan [Daniel Weyman]the stranger.

Maxim Baldry: Have you ever [also Theo] suspected of being Sauron?

Tyroe Muhafidin: When we saw the pilot [also die erste Episode] Maybe we could have shot it. But that would have been a lot of pressure. I’m glad it didn’t turn out that way.

What were the craziest security measures to protect the series?

Maxim Baldry: We had the script on an iPad that would self-destruct if you lost the internet connection. Not really, of course, but it would have deleted itself.

Tyroe Muhafidin: The passwords we have are crazy! No chance of remembering them.

Maxim Baldry: I still don’t have access to my work emails. I have no idea how to get in there. And we were very isolated on set too. No one was allowed anywhere near the studio.

Tyroe Muhafidin: He got in trouble almost every day for taking pictures with his phone!

Maxim Baldry: Yes. Photos on set were not allowed. But of course I wanted to cheekily take a few snapshots. After all, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity! I got in trouble for that. The security guards don’t like me anymore.

Isildur and his brother Anárion are later immortalized as the two great statues on the River Anduin: Will we ever meet this unknown brother?

Maxim Baldry: There are discussions about that, actually. I don’t think I’m allowed to say more about it. But yes, he will definitely be part of the story. Hopefully there will be a big reunion on Númenor. That’s Isildur’s big journey in Season 2: after all his experiences, he has to make the decision whether to stay in Middle Earth or return home. There’s a battle between his head and his heart.

In season 2 of The Rings of Power we also see Isildur fighting a large spider: Shelob. What is your attitude towards spiders in real life?

Maxim Baldry: I’m terrified of spiders! I never wanted to get involved in a spider fight. And then I opened the script for episode 3 and thought, ‘Great, arachnids! This could be fun.’

But in truth, the day of filming wasn’t scary at all. The spider was a rugby ball with sticks. That was my prop. But the set itself was really scary: this claustrophobic, damp, dark, muddy cave. With little spiders that were puppets. It was gross and I didn’t want to touch anything. Who on earth no Afraid of spiders? I don’t trust anyone who likes spiders.

Tyroe Muhafidin: Then you will [meine Heimat] Australia didn’t like it.

Maxim Baldry: Would you hold a tarantula in your hand?

Tyroe Muhafidin: Yes. They are cool.

Maxim Baldry: Oh my God! I needed you in the spider cave!

Unfortunately, Bronwyn actress Nazanin Boniadi, who played Theo’s mother, left the series after season 1…

Tyroe Muhafidin: I have a deep affection for Naz. She took me by the hand in season 1 and was my real-life mother on set. She made me feel comfortable. Her acting experience rubbed off on me.

She told me about the situation relatively early on and we had a lot of conversations about it. After that, I felt better about going on without her. Although I did have to mourn her not only in the series but also in real life. But her presence left a lasting impression and we have a lot of love and gratitude for her.

Isildur has a special relationship with his mount Berek. Did you have any experience with horses before, Maxim?

Maxim Baldry: I didn’t know how to ride a horse before. I lied on my acting page and said I could. They just said: ‘Great! Perfect!’ And then I came over and said: ‘Y-yes, I can do that.’ I had to learn it very quickly.

There’s a scene in season 1 where I eat an apple, hold it out to Berek, and then continue eating it myself. When the showrunners saw that, they shouted: ‘That’s it! That’s the bromance. He has no other friends except the horse!’ Season 2 is a beautiful reflection of that.

Who would you like to portray in The Rings of Power if you weren’t allowed to play your own characters?

Maxim Baldry: I would like to play a dwarf!

Tyroe Muhafidin: I have a hare foot!

Maxim Baldry: Really?!

Tyroe Muhafidin: Yes, they are so much fun! And the Irish accent is great. I would be like Poppy [Noris Freundin Magsame]it brings good vibes.

Maxim Baldry: I would like to be
[mit verstellter Stimme] Prince Durin. That would be great, with the whole transformation [in der Maske].