Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel in The Rings of Power, explains why she hasn’t reached out to Lord of the Rings star Cate Blanchett.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Galadriel actor Morfydd Clark reveals why she hasn’t yet made contact with Cate Blanchett, who played the same role in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Based on the beloved novels by author J.R.R. Tolkien, The Rings of Power premiered on Prime Video last fall, chronicling the rise of evil during the Second Age of Middle-earth. A much younger and more action-oriented version of Galadriel plays a prominent role in the show, thousands of years before the events of Jackson’s trilogy.
As work on The Rings of Power season 2 continues, Clark discusses her role as Galadriel in a recent interview with The Wrap’s Unwrapped Podcast. Clark reveals that she still hasn’t met original Galadriel actor Blanchett yet, citing nerves over the actor’s intimidating star power. Check out Clark’s full comment or watch the full interview below:
“I kind of feel like [Cate] is kind of like a queen…I wouldn’t dare to approach. I do feel like everyone in those films are like my heroes – let alone the all the other stuff they’ve done. Just from those films, they are like certified to me as like special special people in my Morfydd universe.”
Meeting your heroes is not necessarily what it’s cracked up to be. Not because they’re not great but because then you have the social anxiety of you associated with that person.
[Cate] is like mythical, someone I can’t believe even exists… but I kind of see her as my guiding light. And then who knows what will happen. But I just think if it happens, I will be, like, incredibly awkward.”
The Rings Of Power’s Galadriel Is Very Different From LOTR
From Galadriel’s first moments in The Rings of Power, it’s clear that the show is presenting a very different version of the iconic Elf. While Clark’s Galadriel in The Rings of Power is more of a warrior, driven by a sense of rage and despair that sometimes blinds her, Blanchett’s Galadriel is more ethereal (but no less intimidating). While this is certainly a significant change, it’s important to remember that thousands of years separate the two different versions of the character.
A lot can change over the course of a thousand years, and Clark has already teased that Galadriel will evolve in The Rings of Power season 2. Instead of being motivated only by a desire for revenge, season 2 will see the character open herself up more to the world, perhaps marking the beginning of a transformation in which Blanchett’s version of the character will begin to shine through.
The Rings of Power season 2’s Galadriel changes ultimately seem like a strong direction for the character, especially since some audiences found the vengeful and angry version of the Elf in season 1 difficult to completely root for. While many questions remain about what’s to come in future seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it’s clear that Clark’s decision to not meet Blanchett isn’t about a lack of respect for the actor or her character, but one based on a pure reverence of both.
