The Extensive Process The Rings Of Power Cast Undergoes To Transform Into Their Characters
Fantasy media comes with the fun bonus that the performers who take part therein often get the opportunity to become characters wholly and fictionally unique. For instance, in Amazon's new streaming series based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," which will assumedly cover the origins of the One Ring, the actors become Dwarves, Elves, Harfoots (the ancestors of Hobbits), and Orcs. Each of these races visually differs from humans by their own orders of magnitude, from the pointy ears of the Elves to the hairy feet of the Harfoots and from the reduced height of the Dwarves to the gaping nostrils, wrinkled skin, and jagged teeth of the Orcs.
But just how much time and effort go into such transformations? What must these performers undergo to become fantastical? Obviously, the more pronounced the character shift, the more time it will take for the performer to embody the role.
From prosthetics to makeup to camera tricks to CGI, the transformation process can be grueling
In an interview with "Today," Owain Arthur confessed that it took the makeup team three hours every day to transform him into the Dwarven prince Durin IV, specifically calling to mind the effort that went into the wig, the beard, and the prosthetic nose. Sophia Nomvete, who plays Princess Disa, seconded Arthur's testimony, saying, "It was a process to get there but a really great process."
In an interview with IGN, executive producer Lindsay Weber spoke about the heavy makeup and prosthetic work that performers portraying Orcs underwent, explaining, "When they are up close to the camera, Orcs are really practical and almost exclusively [practical]. And the places where the visual effects team help we're in more numbers when we need larger quantities than you could amass on a film set anywhere in the world."
Meanwhile, the performers portraying Elves must have it far easier. While they also undoubtedly go through an extensive process, the biggest difference in their physiology is their pointy ears. All this to say, the process varies, but it's always a massive undertaking.