The character in the Series «The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power», known as the Stranger — is Gandalf, according to most fans. However, actor Daniel Wayman knows nothing about this and did not even ask the crew.
«I have never asked this question to TV people. It’s a question that people «in kitchens» might ask,” the Total Film actor replied.
Weiman confirms that the Stranger is an Istari, one of the five wizards of Middle Earth. That is, he could be Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, or one of the two nameless Blue Wizards.
«A lot of people talk to me about Saruman, and they hint that Saruman also knew the hobbits. They also talk about the Blue Wizards. Obviously, this is a really good, strong resonance, isn’t it? But for me, the joy of it is that he’s having these interactions, these new experiences, with new creatures and new lands that we’ve never seen before».
«Of course we would like to know what happens. We like to know the ending. But there’s something really joyful about just being, especially with this character who came out of nowhere. We’ve seen him «birth». We saw what he went through. It’s a little bit like a child learning to walk, learning a language, he’s fast forwarding through it at 75 times the speed».
In the second season «The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power» Weiman’s Stranger traverses the harsh deserts of Rhun with his companion, the Harfoot Nori, played by Markella Kavanagh, in search of his own identity. As their adventures continue, the Stranger has a recurring dream in which he sees a staff floating in the air – a staff that changes shape and color, turning from brown to white.
«In the new season, he suddenly finds himself on this hot road, and what he wants to learn, what he’s here for, begins to crystallize in his mind. All these different colors in his dreams where he’s confronted with different possibilities of how this journey could go on, he realizes how much he’s lacking in training in terms of the abilities that he has-very sporadically in the beginning, and more purposefully at the end of the first season»,” says Weimann.
The Stranger won’t accidentally hurt anyone if his powers get out of control again. «He doesn’t want to make the same mistake. He’s not here to gain power. He’s trying to figure out his purpose, trying to understand through interaction what his purpose is. I think he really trusts the relationship with Nora».
The Stranger also realizes the darkness that is growing in Middle-earth. «This season, he is more aware of how disastrous all of this could be for Middle-earth. His relationship to evil becomes more concrete in the second season, which means that he is more aware of what the coming of darkness means for Nora and the other creatures they meet», — says Wayman.
In general, all of the above sounds more like Gandalf’s character than Saruman’s. However, little is known about what Saruman was like before he became evil in the Third Age. The second season of «The Lord of the Rings» will begin on August 29 on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: GamesRadar
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