Amazon issue statement against racism aimed at ‘Rings of Power’ cast
The cast and crew behind Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power have come out in defence of several of the show’s actors who have been the target of “relentless racism, threats, harassment and abuse”.
Sharing a written message on their social media pages, the statement was made after many of the series’ diverse cast received racist backlash for their appearance in the show. Commenting that they “refuse to ignore it or tolerate it,” the Amazon team defended POC actors Ismael Cruz Cordova, Sophia Nomvete and Lenny Henry from despicable racist views from people across social media.
In the statement, the team shared: “We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it”.
Creating a diverse world of curious creatures and massive monsters, the imaginative land of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books are naturally inclusive, featuring several different races of men, as well as elves, dwarves and much more.
The cast and crew address this too, adding, “Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together… to defeat the forces of evil”. Directly addressing POC fans of the show, the statement added, “You are valid, you are loved, and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family – thanks for having our backs”.
Take a look at the full statement below, as well as a further message of support from the original actors of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd.
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