‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Ema Horvath and Sara Zwangobani Interviews

Prime Video’s much-anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power made its San Diego Comic-Con debut on July 22, 2022, bringing 21 cast members – plus series creators/showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay – to the Hall H stage. The panel was moderated by Tolkien superfan Stephen Colbert and included the debut of clips and the official trailer, as well as details on what viewers can expect when they tune in on September 2nd.

The series takes place in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events that transpired in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The epic fantasy features some familiar characters from Tolkien’s writings, along with new characters created just for the show. Among the new characters is Isildur’s sister Eärien, played by Ema Horvath. And while Hobbits weren’t around during the Second Age, their ancestors the Harfoots are represented by new characters including Marigold Brandyfoot, played by Sara Zwangobani.

In addition to the packed Hall H panel, the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power participated in red carpet interviews. Here’s what Ema Horvath and Sara Zwangobani had to say about their journeys to Middle-earth.

Ema Horvath Interview – “Eärien”

What did they tell you about your character to prepare you for the role?

Ema Horvath: “Just the scripts, really, and the relationship is pretty clear between her, Isildur, and her father. I spend most of my time hanging out with both of them and building the character that way.”

Was there something about her you really latched onto?

Ema Horvath: “She’s quite risk averse which I myself am in contrast to Maxim (Baldry) who loves taking risks. She’s kind of a thinker; she spends a lot of time thinking and drawing. I’m definitely more of a thinker than a doer so, yeah, that was my in.”

I heard this isn’t actually your first time digging into Middle-earth.

Ema Horvath: “No, it’s not. When I was 10, I played a dwarf in a musical production of The Hobbit.”

But you’re not a dwarf in this.

Ema Horvath: “I’m super-human. I’m Númenórean.”

What can you tell us about your character?

Ema Horvath: “She’s Isildur’s sister, the baby of the family. She’s an aspiring architect. She draws a lot. She is kind of overlooked by her father which leaves her kind of vulnerable to attention from other sources. And she’s quite smart, but she doesn’t really know it.”

She doesn’t really know it?

Ema Horvath: “Yeah, she’s quite insecure. And she’s on the cusp of womanhood so she’s still in that naïve sort of ‘do people really like me? Am I worthy’ stage of life, you know?”

Why is she going to be a fan favorite?

Ema Horvath: “Oh, I hope she is. I think she’s quite human in the sense of like when you feel like you haven’t been quite recognized or noticed for your efforts. I think that’s quite a human emotion. How she deals with it…we’ll see if fans like or love that or don’t like it.”

What’s it like walking into Comic-Con and seeing this finished version on a massive screen?

Ema Horvath: “I mean, it’s insane. It’s insane. I mean, we were told stories of Hall H and stuff, but it’s not until you are there you are like, ‘Whoa, okay.’ And to watch it – we were sitting backstage when they were showing clips and stuff and the reverb from backstage is so loud.”

And what was it like walking onto the set?

Ema Horvath: “Oh, it’s awesome. Well, Númenor has never been seen before. It’s like Tolkien’s Atlantis. It’s this incredible civilization and they built the whole city… Well, not the whole city but several blocks of it with little alleyways and stuff. It’s awesome. And if you know the lore there’s this little alleyway and I don’t even know if it’s on screen, but they have graffitied Númenórean writing over Elvish. So if you know the story, it’s a very beautiful detail.

And there’s like a bird poop guy making bird poop, yeah. There’s so many craftsmen on the set. It’s awesome.”

There’s actually a dedicated bird poop guy?

Ema Horvath: “I remember walking (on set) and was like, ‘What’s that guy’s job?’ They’re like, ‘Bird poop.’”

Do you think people need to know anything about Lord of the Rings to understand this?

Ema Horvath: “I don’t think so. I mean, obviously, there’s things that might be interesting, that might have a level of context that some people don’t get. But the stories and the relationships themselves I think are compelling enough on their own.”

With a show like this are you a binge-watcher or a week-to-weeker?

Ema Horvath: “I’m a binge-watcher, but I think this week-to-week which is good. Drip feed it to the world.”

Sara Zwangobani Interview – “Marigold Brandyfoot”

What was it like stepping onto these sets and did they tell you everything about your character before you started?

Sara Zwangobani: “No, because I got the call three days before I was due to arrive in New Zealand, and then I was on set two weeks later. So they tried to give me a massive crash course in my character. I mean, yes, it’s not like they were holding that back, but it was all very, very sudden. So, I did discover a lot on the job.

I will say though when I first landed in New Zealand the very first thing I got to do was go with Kate Hawley who built the world, the costumes, the design, and she took me into this room that was like this amazing…it was like a museum to all things Tolkien and to all the worlds that you will see when you see the show. And that was…I mean, I didn’t want to leave. It was incredible.

So even though it was a whirlwind for me, straightway I went, ‘Oh, this is phenomenal. I can see what this is going to be.’ And I’m a fantasy fan so it spoke to me quite directly. So even with that much notice, I just was like, ‘I’m there.’”

As a fantasy fan, why do you think the works of Tolkien have endured so well for such a long time?

Sara Zwangobani: “Well, I think there’s a lot of answers to that question and a lot of layers. Part of it is his world-building. Part of it is his passion for history and his passion of language. And the battle of good and evil. But I ultimately think it’s because it’s about friendship and loyalty and love. It’s about finding within ourselves to overcome that which is dark within us in order to be better and do better. We see that in his work over and over. And the poetry of it, I think, speaks to us all.”

What spoke to you about the character?

Sara Zwangobani: “She’s a mom. She’s a matriarch which I am not but I aspire to be one day. She’s passionate about her family. She is filled with love for her family, but also she’s surrounded by love from her family. And Harfoots – I mean, I can’t wait for you to see them, their love and laughter and light. They have been through some stuff though, so we see that in them as well. But yeah, I’m not even sure where Marigold and Sara begin and end. I’ve been with them for so long.”

But a Harfoot should not be confused with a Hobbit.

Sara Zwangobani: “No. A Harfoot should not be confused with a Hobbit. We are their ancestors. You will see sparks of the Hobbits within us, but we have lived a different experience.”

Is living a different experience what sets them apart? Are they very similar?

Sara Zwangobani: “I think it is what sets them apart, actually. I mean, of course, you will see some remnants and energies and all that kind of thing. But I think the experiences is what sets them apart. The Harfoots have been through quite a lot when we first meet them, and I think that’s really the essence in the difference. But you will definitely feel familiarity.”

What’s going to make everybody love your character? Why is she going to become a fan favorite?

Sara Zwangobani: “That’s a really good question. I think because despite the fact that she’s a bit of a hardass, she has a twinkle in her eye the whole time and I think that people will see that. I think that they will see underneath it all that she’s a bit of a softy. And I think they will see how much she loves her family and her world.”

• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Owain Arthur and Charlie Vickers Interviews
• Benjamin Walker Interview on Playing High King Gil-galad
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Nazanin Boniadi and Markella Kavenagh Interviews

Prime Video’s released the following description of season one:

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.

Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.