Rings Of Power Stars Robert Aramayo And Owain Arthur Discuss Their Characters' Daddy Issues - Exclusive
This article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of "The Rings of Power."
One of the best storylines in "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" so far has revolved around Elrond's (Robert Aramayo) trip to Khazad-dûm. The Elven princeling is sent on a mission from High King Gil-galad (Benjamin Walker) to help Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards) with a project. The Elven lord's plan revolves around building a massive forge, a task so enormous it requires the help of the nearby Dwarves of Khazad-dûm to complete it.
The situation allows Elrond to reunite with his old friend Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) — and when we say old, we mean they haven't seen each other for two decades. Things start off rocky, but eventually, the two pals become best buds again. The entire story has been fun to watch, largely thanks to stellar performances from Aramayo and Arthur.
We connected with both actors (along with Sophia Nomvete, who plays Durin's wife, Disa) a few days before the series premiered on Prime Video. We asked both men what it's been like bringing such a unique friendship to life on the silver screen, and their answers went much deeper than friendly connections and shared interests.
Durin and Elrond have complicated relationships with their papas
Elven-Dwarven friendships are a rarity in Middle-earth. The bond between Legolas and Gimli stands out for that very reason. Celebrimbor is famous for connecting with a Dwarven craftsman named Narvi in the source material, too, but apart from that, there isn't much in the way of close friendships between the two kindreds.
This makes the friendship between Elrond and Durin in "The Rings of Power" unique and special. It also prompted us to ask Robert Aramayo and Owain Arthur if their characters have had to overcome any obstacles to forge this platonic relationship. In response, Arthur said, "We've certainly overcome something together, and that's brought us together ... For myself, from Durin's point of view, too — there must be a really strong connection there for them to be friends and to go against his father's beliefs and mistrust of Elves. There's something special. There's a magnet between them that they can't escape."
Aramayo also touched on the matter of paternal influence, pointing out, "They've both got complicated relationships with their fathers." While he went on to talk about how their friendship will look, the comment about their dads is much bigger than it seems on the surface.
Elrond and Durin have unique daddy issues
There are plenty of "bad dad" moments in Middle-earth history. When it comes to Elrond and Durin, though, the issue is less "bad" and more "strange." The Half-elven lordling's father is Eärendil, a First Age hero who leaves his kids behind to save the world and ends up sailing a ship through the heavens as a star. The Dwarven prince's papa is stubborn and Elf-wary in the show, but things get even stranger when you go to the source material.
Tolkien wrote that there were seven Dwarven kings called "Durin," and each one was born into the royal line at different times. The catch? They're not just supposed to share a name. They also have the same appearance and character. Basically, Durin and his father are the embodiment of their ancient ancestor. They're also not directly father and son in Tolkien's original source materials.
While Elrond and Durin don't have bad fathers, their relationships with their dads are certainly unique and, in the case of "The Rings of Power" narrative, very strange. It's a factor that impacts their friendship, too, which led Owain Arthur to comment, "That's something great to play. In every scene, you've got an objective and an obstacle all at the same time. There's inner conflict there that creates drama. It's a gift."
New episodes of "The Rings of Power" drop on Fridays at 12 a.m. ET.