Dark Lord & Lady of Light: Rings of Power Stars on Season 2

Morfydd Clark and Charlie Vickers, stars of Amazon's "The Rings of Power," never knew they'd be playing the iconic Galadriel and Sauron. Clark, known for her roles in indies like "Saint Maud," had no clue she was auditioning for a "Lord of the Rings" project until another actor in the waiting area gave her the news. As for Vickers, who has appeared in shows like "Medici," the true identity of his character, Halbrand, wasn't revealed to him until halfway through filming the first season.

Despite the surprise casting, Clark and Vickers were thrown into the world of Middle-earth together. They spent most of season one working side-by-side until their characters ultimately parted ways. Their experiences, both on and off set, have forged a unique bond between them.

"We were in that water for two months, it felt like," Vickers said, reflecting on their first scene together on a raft. Clark added, "We had a lot of bonding time just sitting on this raft together, because it took so much time for them to take us off it in-between scenes." Their initial time on the raft set the stage for a close working relationship, even as they pushed each other to their limits during intense stunt training.

"I remember the first time someone managed to do a forward roll correctly, it was like, 'Yes!'" Clark recalled of their early training sessions.

While the scale of "The Rings of Power" was a shock for both actors, they found solace in their shared nerdiness for Tolkien's work. "I think we were quite prepared just by being massive nerds who’d watched the films loads of times, and all the behind-the-scenes [footage]," Clark said. However, Vickers admitted that he had not read the books until after joining the production.

"I became obsessed with them when I knew I was going to actually become a part of this world," Vickers shared. "I became one of the appendices guys, and read *The Silmarillion

as well."

As filming progressed into the second season, both actors found themselves more comfortable with the massive scope of the show. "I enjoyed the second season a lot more as a performer, because I felt I had a level of familiarity with what I was doing and the world I was stepping into," Vickers said.

But even with the comfort of familiarity, the actors were still awestruck by the new additions to the cast. "It’s so cool to be working with those people," Clark said, referring to the arrival of Ciarán Hinds and Rory Kinnear, both of whom are personal favorites of hers.

Vickers echoed her sentiment, adding, "I was gassed when I found out they were involved. It’s always a real nice feeling knowing that actors like that would want to be a part of this world."

Despite the grandeur of the production, the actors found humor in their experiences on set. "I have a few friends that ended up being Orcs in this, and they came off set saying, 'That was the best day of my life,'" Clark said.

"The Orcs are some of the nicest, most patient people ever, because not everyone has the strength to get into those costumes," she added with a laugh.

As "The Rings of Power" prepares for its second season, Clark and Vickers, the Dark Lord and the Lady of Light, are ready to step back into Middle-earth, embracing the challenges and joys that come with continuing their journey.