Where did the cast of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ study at?

Tolkienites rejoiced when “The Rings of Power,” the spin-off to “The Lord of The Rings” premiered on Prime Video in September 2022. If you have read the books or watched Peter Jackson’s adaption of the LOTR trilogy you know what is to come. Isildur defeats Sauron and cuts the ring from his finger. But Isildur is blinded by the ring’s power and is unable to destroy it, thus the task falls upon a hobbit named Frodo. 

‘The Rings of Power” takes fans on a new and exciting journey through Middle-Earth. Taking place during the Second Age — thousands of years before the events in LOTR — the adventure starts after Sauron’s master Morgoth is defeated, leading to Sauron’s ascension and the creation of the One Ring. 

The cast is more diverse compared to the films, with a range of experiences between them. Regardless of their fame, many of these actors have spent years training to get to where they are today.

Here’s where the cast of The Rings of Power studied at:

Morfydd Clark fainted after finding out she got the role in the LOTR spinoff. Source: Dimitrious Kambouris/AFP

Morfydd Clark

One of the crucial characters in the books and trilogy is none other than the ancient elf Galadriel — a  character so old she was born before the moon and the sun even graced Middle-earth. 

Taking on this role is Swedish-born Welsh actress, Morfydd Clark. Moving to Wales when she was two years old, Clark attended a Welsh medium school. At 16, she dropped out. “After my GCSEs I just couldn’t go back,” she tells The Guardian. 

Clark learned her acting skills at the Drama Centre in London. After completing her A Levels, she won a place to study a three-year course at the school. Clark left before her final term to star in a production of the Saunders Lewis play “Blodeuwedd.” 

Established in 1963, Drama Centre London offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in art, design and performance. Drama Centre London is the alma mater to some well-known names including Michael Fassbender, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Emilia Clarke.

Robert Aramayo first found his passion for acting in a primary school production of Busy Malone. Source: Jamie McCarthy/AFP

Robert Aramayo

Playing Elrond in the Amazon Prime Video series is English actor Robert Aramayo. Having played roles such as young Eddard Stark in Game of Thrones and starring in a Netflix psychological thriller “Behind Her Eyes,” this young actor is on the road to becoming one of Hollywood’s most wanted actors. 

But where did Aramayo learn the skills he needed for these roles? 

He debuted at just seven years old in a primary school production. He then went on to join the renowned Hull Truck Theatre when he was 10 years old. 

Hull Truck Theatre is a pioneering theatre dedicated to producing high-quality drama productions. Aramayo joined their Youth Theatre Classes that are catered towards children aged seven to 18. 

While at Hull Truck Theatre, Aramayo performed in production of “A Clockwork Orange “and earned his first film role in the Italian-American production “Lost in Florence.” 

At 19, Aramayo moved to New York City after securing a place at The Juilliard School, a prestigious acting institution that has paved the way for many actors, including Viola Davis, Anthony Mackie and Jessica Chastain. 

The Juilliard School, established in 1905, has been a world leader when it comes to performing arts for over a century. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in dance, drama and music.

Maxim Baldry found fame at a young age acting alongside Rowan Atkinson. Source: Niklas Halle’n/AFP

Maxim Baldry

Growing up, Maxim Baldry looked up to Viggo Mortensen’s portrayal of Aragorn in the LOTR trilogy. As mentioned in an interview with Vogue, the British-Russian actor used to tell his father that he would one day be part of Tolkien’s world.

Fast forward to 2022 and that little boy’s dream came true when Baldry landed the role of Isildur.

Baldry spent his childhood living in many cities and therefore attended numerous schools. This includes Stoke Mandeville Combined School and Gayhurst School Trust.

He attended theatre classes at the Jackie Palmer Stage School. Founded by Jackie Palmer herself, the High Wycombe Academy has some notable names on its list of alumni. This includes British actor Eddie Redmayne and TV host and actor James Corden.  

Baldry himself first gained recognition when he starred alongside Rowan Atkinson in “Mr Bean’s Holiday.”