Sophia Nomvete says her character in the upcoming Lord Of The Rings series is “the face of a necessary redress of balance” within the entertainment industry.
The British actress said the Amazon series would help create “accessibility for generations to come” as for younger viewers, the show would be their first exposure to JRR Tolkien’s universe.
Her character Disa is the first female depiction of a dwarf ever shown within the franchise, and one of several people of colour within the cast.
“We are redressing the balance within the film and television, television industry and of course, this franchise and I hope, lots of franchises moving forward,” she told the PA news agency.
“These are the best people for the roles but what they’ve done is open up the doors for people of all backgrounds to come forward and have the opportunity to rise.
“To be part of creating accessibility for generations to come. For new generations this is their version of Tolkien, this is what my daughter will see of Tolkien’s works.
Discover the legend that forged the rings. Like this tweet to get reminders when a new episode airs. September 2 on Prime Video. #TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/XWiDMZTpMN
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) July 22, 2022
“It’s their time and it’s so important and I hope many people will see this fantasy and be able to relate to it.”
She continued: “This is a reflection of the world we live in, there are many and we are different and we will embrace and discover, and peel back, and learn, and educate, and be educated.
“And we can only do that when we embrace and love our differences.
“To be the poster child and to fly the flag, being a mother, being a woman, being a person of colour, being a curvaceous woman deemed as a thing of beauty is something we don’t always see.
“So that image of Disa… that is all of those things personified in a face, and it happens to be my face.”
Thank you Hall H for the incredible welcome! #SDCC #TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/uZkny0gzI1
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) July 22, 2022
Nomvete previously revealed that she had her audition for the series two days before giving birth, and the seams in the shoulders of her outfit were adjusted so she could remove the costume easily to breast feed.
Her cast members also praised the diversity within the cast which was present in Tolkien’s original source material.
Puerto Rican actor Ismael Cruz Cordova, who plays Arondir, said: “The awareness of that has grown… the cinematic world that Peter Jackson created has immense value but we’ve shifted lenses since then.
“The conversation is different right now, but going back to the source material, the world is diverse, not only in race but also in thought.
“It is a diverse mix, and now we’re just adding people from diverse backgrounds.”
Cynthia Addai-Robinson, who plays Miriel, added: “This cast is truly global…everyone sort of has their frame of reference in terms of their culture, their heritage, what it means to them, their language.
“Part of the story we’re trying to tell is you have people of different races coming together to defeat a common enemy.
“You’re trying to look at this through a modern lens and the world is global and people now expect to see this kind of world globally represented.
“Even when I’m seeing different posters popping up. The title of the show is in how many different languages? It’s a beautiful thing.”
– The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is set to air on Amazon on September 2.