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The cast ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris no stranger to the racist comments that are flung around them since the beginning. Now a fellow cast member, Sophia Nomvete is coming out to push back on the hate she received when she was announced as the titular role of Princess Disa in the series. The actress took a moment to address the said issue at The Hollywood Reporter’s Raising Our Voices luncheon which was held this past Wednesday.
Besides that, it is worth noting that, although there have been some racist fans of the show, the majority of the viewers are criticizing the show for diverging from Tolkien’s source material. The ongoing discussion as a whole is not about preventing black people from entering into the fantasy world, but to analyze if it is all been portrayed correctly to protect the integrity of the story.
Also Read:The Lord of the Rings: Gollum Review – A Waste of Your Precious Time (PS5)
Sophia Nomvete on the backlash she has been facing
On The Hollywood Reporter’s The State of Inclusion in Storytelling,Sophia Nomveteraised her voice against the criticism she has been facing for being essentially the first female dwarf of color inThe Lord of the Ringsuniverse. She said,
“[it] was a huge moment, both personally and professionally. And I think I kind of skipped in naively thinking that it’s gonna be great. I’m a dwarf, it’s gonna be such fun.”
She then further continued and stated her reality,
“When the announcement came out and pictures went up about just our faces of who we were playing, I was statistically the most attacked castmember of the entire show,—There were N-bombs, I had no place here. ‘You’re too fat, you’re too black. Why are you here?’ I had one that was actually very polite, who said, ‘I’m sure that you’re a wonderful actress and a really lovely person. I just, I don’t think you should be part of this, it’s not right. If you could potentially just send a letter to Amazon with your resignation, I’d be very grateful.’”
She then added a statement that has raised some controversy,
“I realized that my place in this show is not just a celebration, it is an act of defiance against a reality that is simply not true, which is that we have no place on screens or in fantasy spaces,”
The actress then went on to urge the show makers to make the story of her character even more dominant and give her an identity of her own rather than just letting her lurk in the background as an answer to all the racist remarks and threats made against her and her family.
Also Read:“I wasn’t interested”: Andy Serkis Nearly Refused $5.8B Lord of the Rings Franchise, Agreed After Peter Jackson Kept His Promise
Why are people hating on Sophia Nomvete?
As previously stated,Lord of the Ringsfans are not necessarily hating on Sophia Nomvete but the series on the total for not following the original Tolkien material. Therefore in this case, the visual representation of the characters of Princess Disa, or the show’s interpretation of Galadriel, Elrond, and Gil-galad, and its portrayal of the forging of the three Elven rings.Lord of the Ringsenthusiasts, therefore, have an issue with the notion of integrating people of color just for the sake of diversity and nothing more.
The actress further stated and presented her side which many thought to have misinterpreted the audience’s initial reaction. She said,
“I went through the seven stages of grief by reading some of the comments, and then understood the assignment. I understood the assignment, and that was to help people understand and to embrace them and love them — you would never disregard a child if they were scared. They’re scared. They’re frightened because they haven’t seen us before,—So in that moment and throughout this show, I’ve made it my mission to ease their fear, and to let them understand and to help educate them that it’s OK, that we can tell a story, that we can be here and the show will be better for it, that our industry and our world will be better for it.”
Thus, admirers of Tolkien’s works often perceive any modifications to the canon as a potential dilution of the original vision. Although there is no denying that the show has had some serious racist comments thrown at it that are in no way justifiable, diverging from the original material is what ignited the discussion among theLord of the Ringsfans in the first place.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Poweris available to stream on Prime Video.
Also Read:Lord of the Rings Star Viggo Mortensen Turned Down Iconic $8.45B Franchise Role That Eventually Went To Hugh Jackman
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Sampurna Banerjee
Articles Published :1803
Sampurna Banerjee is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, and she’s written over 1,700 articles! She covers everything from celebrity news to the latest superhero buzz, streaming shows, and fan theories. If it’s trending in pop culture, Sampurna’s probably already on it.When she’s not working, you’ll probably find her rewatching The Office (again), getting into debates about Marvel’s timeline, or diving deep into Christopher Nolan movies for the hundredth time. She’s not just writing about entertainment, she’s living it.
