A few weeks ago, when the trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power came out, fans picked up on something interesting: a few stray shots of a scowling, bleach-blonde figure peering out from under the cloak of a hood, eyes full of malevolence. This person pops up as characters are talking about the return of evil, which got people talking: is this the show’s take on Sauron, the big bad of The Lord of the Rings?
The Rings of Power takes place a few thousand years before the story we know, before Sauron was confined to a form terrible to gaze upon; at this point, Sauron could still assume a beautiful visage. In fact, during the Second Age of Middle-earth, he did just that, calling himself Annatar the Lord of Gifts and tricking the Elves into helping make the Rings of Power (hey, there’s the title). Fans thought the platinum blonde, Eminem-looking figure might be Sauron in his pleasing form. They concluded that this character was being played by actor Anson Boon, and it was off to the races.
However, executive producer Lindsey Weber has revealed to TIME that this character is not played by Anson Boon. This is actually actress Bridie Sisson, who appeared in Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop show. “We are enjoying all the speculation online and can tell you Bridie Sisson is an incredible actor,” Weber said. “We also thought fans might like to know that her character is traveling from far to the east—from the lands of Rhûn…” Rhûn lies in the eastern part of Middle-earth, where Sauron spent some time consolidating power among the Easterlings who live there.
So fans were wrong about the actor. I note, however, that Weber doesn’t reveal who Sisson is playing, nor does she deny that this character is Sauron. It looks like the ambiguity will continue, at least until the show’s double-episode premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 2.
Círdan the Shipwright will appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
The Rings of Power showrunner J.D. Payne was more forthcoming when talking to TIME about an important figure from J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythology who will show up in the second season, whenever that comes along. “We don’t want to give too much away, but one character we’re excited for folks to meet in Season 2 is Círdan the Shipwright,” he said. “In the time of our story, he’s the oldest of all known elves in Middle-earth—in fact he lived so long, he had a beard.”
Círdan is an important figure in Tolkien’s Legendarium, and not one who’s been much explored. He was around in the earliest of days, not long after the elves first awoke. He decided to stay in Middle-earth rather than cross the sea to Valinor, and is there to greet Gandalf when he arrives in Middle-earth during the Third Age. He plays a big role in the Second Age, so it makes sense that we’d see him.
But really, who is Bridie Sisson playing? I gotta know. Not long now.
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