Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power, diversified the fantasy world created by J.R.R. Tolkien by casting several actors of color in key roles. As you might expect, this didn't sit well with certain people.
We've seen a lot of the negativity online, and cast members have already described some of the backlash they received after their roles were first announced, but Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir) has now revealed the disturbing extent of the abuse he was subjected to.
During an appearance on this week’s “Just for Variety” podcast, the actor told the trade that a therapist was on hand to offer support while they were filming after their experiences began to take a toll on their mental health.
“My phone got hacked,” Córdova recalls. “I had bank account attempts of being hacked. My PayPal got hacked. My friends got messages. I got death threats. I got things mailed to me. People found out my address. It was a lot of that.”
“We’re still here,” he added with a smile.
Arondir was one of the highlights of the show, so we can see a lot of people changing their tune about a "Black elf" being introduced after witnessing Córdova's impressive performance.
Season 2 of The Rings of Power is currently shooting, but delays are expected due to the ongoing WGA strike.
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