If you’ve read any of staffer greendragon’s past interviews with cast (not just for The Rings of Power, but going back to PJ’s Hobbit movies) you’ll know that craft and creation of character is something she loves to explore. So Gravelle was the ideal interviewee, gladly taking a deep dive (ha, suitable for Númenor) into what motivates and drives Pharazôn, and what might be in store for the character in Season Three. He also talks about growing up in Wales, and how that land of myth may have prepared him to be a part of Tolkien’s world.
Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
Here’s what he had to say:
greendragon: Hi, Trystan, good morning. It’s an absolute pleasure to chat with you; thanks for taking the time this morning. How are you doing?
Trystan Gravelle: I’m good, thank you! I’ve been enjoying the series. I’ve been sitting down like everybody else and just getting blown away by some of the battle scenes and the fantastic scenes between the two Charlies [Edwards and Vickers], Sauron and Celebrimbor. I’ve absolutely been loving it.
GD: How amazing is both the writing of that battle of wills, and their playing of it? Just spectacular.
TG: Oh yeah, really fantastic. You can really empathize with Charlie [Edwards] and you sympathize with him and you feel for him, but also you can see that, like everybody else, he’s fallen for it; fallen for the charms of this master manipulator. It’s fantastically done I think.
GD: It is! If I had any complaint about Season Two, it might be that I didn’t get enough of Pharazôn, one of my favourite characters – I love the Númenor scenes and plots. But we did get that amazing moment with the eagle! That was pretty spectacular. Were you pleased when you saw that finished and brought to life, when the episode came out?
TG: Oh, yes, absolutely. Yes. You know, you’re always living the dream when you’re on set, and it’s always great when you’re in these epic scenes. It’s just fantastic, the whole experience of it; to see it brought to life like that is something else.
I also like doing the intimate scenes, with Cynthia [Addai-Robinson, who plays Míriel] and Kemen [Leon Wadham]. It’s always lovely because you’ve got two different ways of being, I guess. You’re held accountable to Queen Míriel – or have been, in the past, to the Queen Regent- and with Kemen you have free rein to be yourself. I enjoy doing those scenes with those two, because there is one where there is this glass ceiling and you have to watch what you say; there are consequences to what you say and do with Cynthia. Then with Leon there are none, and it’s interesting to see. You know, they say the true measure of a person is how he treats people he doesn’t need to be polite to. I mean, that should never be the case in any scenario in life, it’s ridiculous – but you know what I mean…
Pharazôn uses the eagle for his own political ends
Father/son relationships
GD: Yes, totally. I was actually going to ask you, how do you perceive his relationship with Kemen? Because there doesn’t seem to be much fatherly love going on there. Why is he the way he is with Kemen?
TG: It’s definitely an abusive relationship, for sure. One could argue that he is utilitarian, that he maybe doesn’t feel the same way as other people. Another argument, as well, is that he is just a little bit more old-fashioned, a bit more traditional in his approach to his own son, and demands these high standards be met. Which is very hypocritical, because Pharazôn knows where he came from. He knows his roots; whereas Kemen, as we saw in episode five, doesn’t. So there’s a kind of rootlessness to Kemen, I believe.
Whereas with Pharazôn, he is very much aware of who he is and where he comes from. So the whole thing, you know, when you have the older generation going, to the younger generation, ‘Oh, you’re too soft, you’re lazy, you’re ill-disciplined.’ And maybe the older generation just had it easier than the younger generation! Times were simple, and you knew who you were. You didn’t have all this complexity to deal with.
Or it could just be that, as we saw, that sort of sociopathic behavior is just intrinsic within him. I mean, I know the truth [of the character] – but I think there’s an argument for both there.
Climb every mountain…
GD: So what is his real goal? Season Two has very much been the tale of the two Charlies, of Celebrimbor and Annatar, and that face-off and the forging of rings. And with Númenor, although obviously key things have happened, I feel very much that it’s been setting the pieces on the board for what we’re presumably going to see in Season Three. It has set us up in a very precarious and significant place, with Elendil going west, and Pharazôn and Míriel, and all of their tension.
So what do you perceive as being his real goal? Is it just power in Númenor? Is he looking beyond that? He mentioned immortality, and obviously there’s some envy of the Elves there. What’s driving him?
TG: I think he always had this glass ceiling. We saw him in the first season, and the beginning of the second, where Chancellor is as high as it could possibly get for him; and there you have to, like I was saying, watch what you say and what you do. You’re a totally different person to when the reins are off. And there’s an argument – some might say he’s more suited to be king, than Míriel was to be queen. But there’s also another argument as well, that if it was never meant for you to be king – because it was meant to go to Míriel anyway – then are you, as a person, ready yourself; have you prepared your own mind?
And I think what we saw in episode five is that now he realizes there’s no ceiling for him. He can act with impunity. There are going to be no repercussions, whatever he does. He is the most powerful person in the most powerful kingdom in Tolkien’s earth. So what does that do to you? You start looking outwards and you go, ‘Well, what else is there?’
We’re getting to the core of him now, actually; maybe he’s been lying to himself. What it is, is: ‘I don’t want to die. I found this second wind and it’s actually better than what I used to be’ – when Pharazôn was in his prime, you know, on the high seas and everything. We haven’t seen that, with him as Chancellor. We’ve seen him in the role of Chancellor. And now we’re going to get to see this guy rediscover his past glories; and it might be better than what he had [before]. He’s never been in this position before, where he’s not accountable to anybody.
GD: It sounds a bit like whatever he attains, he’s always going to be looking for what’s over the next mountain; it’s never like, ‘Oh, good, I’ve got this!’
TG: That’s a very human thing, because everything just sometimes seems to be such a chore, you know? We don’t help ourselves sometimes; we make it harder for ourselves. I think that in the human world – in Tolkien’s realm, the world of men – everything is to be overcome. Nature is to be overcome. You’re not meant to have this incredible relationship with nature like the Elves do; and – more complex and slightly brutal, I guess l, but it’s still in sympatico – what the Dwarves have; and what the Hobbits have. The world of men, they have to really work hard to overcome it. They don’t have that time; even though Númenoreans live longer than your average man, they still don’t have that time to be at peace with the ocean and watch trees grow, and have the same relationship with mountains and everything. Everything is to be overcome. There is hardship in their world; and when they overcome that, I guess it’s just in them [to look for] what’s next. The grass is always greener; there will always be something that needs doing; and it’s fast lane till crash! I think that kind of typifies us men, you know – where we go in this world and in Tolkien’s world!
What does the Palantír reveal?
The vision in the Palantír
GD: That’s really interesting, what you’re saying – that even for the Númenoreans with their longer life, it’s still a finite amount of life. And so there’s always that sense of the sands of time running – and fear as a motivator. I’m interested in the motivator of fear for Pharazôn, with what he saw in the Palantír; what has that done to him and his outlook, or his drive?
TG: I mean, it’s really plugged something and it’s really channeled something in him: fear, desperation, anger, a loss of pride, I would say. Because I think he thinks that he’s the ultimate chess player. He is Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen rolled into one, he likes to think! So the fact that somebody may have violated his mind is galling, and it’s something that he may never get over.
I think we’re going to see the repercussions from that; and everything that he does from now on is as a direct result, maybe, from that. If you’ve built yourself up to be sort of physically and psychologically impenetrable, and to have the measure of everybody, and then to get foiled – or at least there’s something may have happened which didn’t come to your attention, which you weren’t aware of; what does that make you do, how does that make you feel? I think we’re going to see somebody who is hurting from that. That really smacked hard, I think!
GD: That’s fascinating. So for you, a lot of the damage that the Palantír does for him is not necessarily what he sees in it, but the fact that he sees anything; that whoever is on the other end of that ‘call’ has the power to present things into his mind.
TG: Exactly! And also, I always say that being a King’s man is an idea, an ideology, and the Faithful is more like a religion; and all of a sudden this antiquated religion has this resource that is far beyond anything that you’ve comprehended before. But you’re down this path now; and you know it’s the right path…
And the fury that these people kept this from you – this form of sorcery, or whatever it is, has been kept from you! You’ve lived in ignorance because your uncle decided to keep you in ignorance, and so did your cousin. There’s going to be repercussions for anybody who is involved there, I think! How dare they do that? How dare they live with that knowledge and not share it?
Because you’ve got to remember, Pharazôn’s knowledge, everything that Pharazôn is, he’s worked hard for. That’s him. You could say it’s pure talent and discipline for Pharazôn, pure discipline and hard work. He’s earned that place. Whereas if Míriel has had this wisdom from looking at a crystal ball – it’s almost a cheap trick! And that’s infuriating – that you [Míriel] have just been given this privileged life, whereas I’ve had to work hard for everything to be me. I’ve had to go through everything that I’ve gone through, whereas maybe you’ve taken a shortcut. I don’t think that’s fair! And I think I’m going to let people know about that as well – things are about to change!
The Pharazôn/Annatar chess match to come
GD: Well, obviously not giving anything away for the content of future episodes, but we know – those of us who’ve read the book – that if it was the Annatar/Celebrimbor show in Season Two, it’s going to be your turn to face off with Sauron coming up. It’s very interesting, what you say about Pharazôn’s belief in his own ability to play chess; and that pride is possibly going to cost him dear when he comes up against the ultimate deceiver. But he presumably feels like, ‘No, no, I can definitely have the upper hand here!’
TG: Well, yeah, it’s funny because, you know, with the relationship between Annatar and Celebrimbor, they were going towards a goal. They were inspiring each other – even though Celebrimbor was being gaslit like you couldn’t believe, poor guy! But they had this goal that they were going towards, and they produced their best work… Whereas I think the relationship between Sauron and Pharazôn is going to be… I’m not predicting anything, but it is starting out where Pharazôn might feel sort of 1-0 down in some game.
I definitely think Pharazôn is going to be very front-footed, and try to establish dominance. I mean, that’s the way he is anyway, but especially after he’s seen what he’s seen; I think there’s definitely going to be… well, we’re not going towards some goal here.
Everything exists on Númenor – like the animals – everything exists there now for the world of men. It didn’t used to be like that; and way back when, before Pharazôn’s time, I think there was a disenchantment with everything on the island, and there was a change, wasn’t there? Even though we live longer [than ordinary men], it’s like they seem to age just a little bit quicker with their bitterness towards the Elves and stuff. I [Pharazôn] think Sauron is going to be just another a tool [he can use] to sort of, I don’t know, just unlock the meaning of life for me, I think.
GD: Or so he hopes!
TG:[laughs] Exactly!
Growing up in Wales
GD: We’ve got three fabulous Welsh lead actors in this show. There’s you, there’s Morfydd [Clark, who plays Galadriel], and there’s Owain [Arthur, who plays Durin IV]. I was reading an interview the other day with Morfydd where she was saying how great it was to be able to speak a little Welsh on set. It made me think… Obviously there are a lot of fantastic Welsh actors! But I wonder also if there’s something about mythology and this kind of high fantasy, which is sort of in the blood for the Welsh. Wales is such a land of myth, and dragon, and King Arthur and Uther Pendragon, and all of that. I wonder if that perhaps gives you guys a bent towards this kind of storytelling?
TG: I think the landscape… Definitely we are, for the most part – and definitely historically – we’re molded by our environment; as everybody is molded by their environment. I think, looking at Season Two with the Elves, when they speak Quenya, Sindarin, it does sound Welsh. It’s like, ‘Oh, that’s Welsh, but I can’t really decipher it. Oh, I kind of understood that word there.’ You know, it sounds very, very similar. It’s as if somebody is speaking Welsh, but you go, hang on a second…They’re in the next room or something!
And I think growing up in Wales… My childhood was growing up in the South Wales coalfield there. I grew up in a council estate on the edge of town with all these woods, and the beach not far. So, yeah, it was climbing trees; it could be an Elven lifestyle, if you like. It could be a Hobbit lifestyle sometimes -people going down the pub and regaling each other with tales. And rugby was a big part of the community; so it’s kind of like that very Dwarven, sort of masculine culture. Yeah, it does lend itself, definitely, to Tolkien’s world, being Welsh. I definitely saw it as an advantage for me to get into character and everything, for sure. Or – because obviously Númenor is different – at least to have a sense of it all.
I mean, seeing the films and reading the books, you know it does speak to you. You go, ‘Oh that is like my childhood: idyllic, rough and tumble and very tough at times…’ You know the boys that you grew up with, they’re all tough. Nothing comes easy; but it is idyllic at the same time.
The Rings of Power ensemble at SDCC
The wonders of San Diego Comic Con
GD: I wanted to finish by asking you, how did you enjoy San Diego Comic Con this year and Hall H? Was that your first time experiencing something on that scale?
TG: The first time I experienced it was in 2022, and that blew me away; and this time as well! I’m always blown away by it! I have such fond memories every time I go to America anyway; I have fond memories whichever city I’m in, whichever state I’m in. They’re so generous, they’re so welcoming and hospitable, and everybody just has been so friendly every time I’ve gone to America. I really have had the champagne experience of it! It’s a wonderful place; and San Diego is definitely a place I hold dear in my heart, for sure.
GD: Well I, for one, can’t wait to see how your story will unfold in Season Three. I’m a big fan of what we’ve seen in Númenor, and of all of the cast who create that world. It’s interesting that you use the chess metaphor; I feel like that chess board is just so delicately poised right now. And we’re going to plunge in there – which is perhaps unfortunate terminology to use for Númenor! – but we’re going to plunge in there for Season Three.
TG: Very apt! Yeah, it’s going to be fun to do; and fun to watch it unfold, I think.
The complete The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is now available on Prime Video. You can find the Rings and Realms Season 2 Retrospective here.
In today’s cast spotlight, we focus on 3 actors with a strong theatre background, as well as prominent roles in some genre favorites. The staff of TheOneRing.net is proud to welcome them to the Middle-earth family!
‘Look Mr Frodo! Some news at last!’ – as Samwise might have said, were he eagerly awaiting, as we are, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings TV production. An early holiday gift has dropped into our laps: here at TheOneRing.net we were delighted to be recently contacted by Amazon, who wanted to share the latest with us. And now we get to share that with you!
Amazon Studios Announces Wave 2 of Casting for Lord of the Rings TV Show
Twenty new cast members have been announced. It’s a fascinating group of amazing ability; food for thought, as we try to sleuth out who these talented folks might be portraying in Tolkien’s world. In the coming days, TORn will be bringing you a closer look at the various actors featured in this list: what do we know about them, and what kind of role might they assume? We’ll also have live streams, so you can join us as we chew over all the treasures which may be in store for us. Meanwhile, feast your eyes on Amazon’s press release, below. Can you tell that we’re excited? *sings* ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like the Second Age…’
AMAZON STUDIOS ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL CAST MEMBERS FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS TELEVISION SERIES
Hailing From Five Different Countries, Emerging and Established International Talent Join the Ensemble Cast Currently In Production in New Zealand
(CULVER CITY, Calif. – December 3, 2020) – Amazon Studios today announces twenty additional cast members joining the ensemble cast of the Amazon Original series based on the iconic The Lord of the Rings novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. The newly revealed cast members will join the previously announced global cast and crew, currently filming in New Zealand.
The new cast members include Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker and Sara Zwangobani.
Blackburn, Chapman, Crum, Cunliffe, Tait, Tarrant and Wadham all hail from New Zealand, with the remaining international ensemble cast originating from Australia, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said: “The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart. These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew. The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth.”
As previously announced, the series is led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay; they are joined by filmmaker J.A. Bayona, who is directing the first two episodes and serving as executive producer, alongside his creative partner Belén Atienza; with executive producers Lindsey Weber, Bruce Richmond, Callum Greene, Gennifer Hutchison, Jason Cahill, Justin Doble and Sharon Tal Yguado.
The new cast members join Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman as announced earlier this year.
Set in Middle-earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. A world-renowned literary work, and winner of the International Fantasy Award and Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, The Lord of the Rings was named Amazon customers’ favorite book of the millennium in 1999 and Britain’s best-loved novel of all time in BBC’s The Big Read in 2003. The Lord of the Rings has been translated into around 40 languages and has sold more than 150 million copies. Its theatrical adaptations from New Line Cinema and director Peter Jackson, earned a combined gross of nearly $6 billion worldwide and garnered 17 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture.
Biographies and headshots for the newly announced cast of the upcoming series are featured below:
Cynthia Addai-Robinson
CYNTHIA ADDAI-ROBINSON most recently was a series regular on the STARZ series Power. Cynthia previously co-starred alongside Ben Affleck, JK Simmons and Anna Kendrick on the big screen in Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant (Warner Bros) as ‘Marybeth Medina,’ one of the lead roles. Cynthia also can be seen starring alongside Ryan Phillipe in the USA series Shooter. Known for her breakout role as ‘Naevia’ in Spartacus: War of the Damned, Cynthia has since had many notable roles including: the major recurring role of ‘Dr. Vicki Glass’ in Chicago Med, ‘Amanda Waller’ in the CW hit show Arrow; the female lead of ‘Dr. Emily West’ in the History Channel miniseries Texas Rising alongside Bill Paxton and Ray Liotta. Her guest star credits include Law & Order: CI; CSI: Miami; Numb3rs, Flash Forward, and The Vampire Diaries, to name a few.
Maxim Baldry
MAXIM BALDRY starred as ‘Viktor’ in Russell T Davies’ critically acclaimed BBC and HBO drama Years and Years. Maxim’s interest in acting developed from a very young age, taking part in several stage productions and being part of the National Youth Theatre. His first breakthrough came from his role as ‘Stepan’ in Mr. Bean’s Holiday, starring opposite Rowan Atkinson, which earned him a nomination at the Young Artists Awards for Best Performance in a Feature Film. His further credits include Universal’s Last Christmas; the latest installment of BBC’s Doctor Who; a guest lead in the final series of Sky One and Cinemax’s action-adventure series Strike Back; Lake Placid: Legacy; Channel 4 cult series Skins: Pure; BBC’s Sadie J and HBO’s Rome. Aside from acting, Maxim is heavily involved in music and photography and has written an experimental musical film which is now in development.
Ian Blackburn
IAN BLACKBURN is an 18 year old actor, born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. Whilst at school, Ian performed in multiple plays including Wellington High School’s annual Shakespeare Society production of The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, and a 2020 production of The Tempest in which he played ‘Prospero’. He appeared in the 2016 short film Unbreakable Beau. He also participated in the Roxy 5 short film competition and took part in the remake of the winning film Shelter, in 2017. He also played a leading role in the 2018 short film Behold the Ghost, playing a boy who, along with his two siblings, battles with grief for his abusive father.
Kip Chapman
KIP CHAPMAN is a recipient of New Zealand’s highest Arts honor, an Arts Foundation Laureate, receiving a New Generation Award in 2013. Kip trained as an actor at UNITEC’s School of Performing and Screen Arts in Auckland, New Zealand graduating in 2002. He was a core cast member of the Emmy Award winning drama Top of the Lakedirected by Jane Campion and in the films 6 Days and Fantail. He has performed at every major theatre company in New Zealand. In 2017, he was the Creative Director of the World of Wearable Arts. He was the co-creator/writer/director of Hudson & Halls, which won Best Theatre Production at both the Auckland and Wellington Theatre Awards and Best Director in Wellington. He was the co-creator/writer/director of the interactive theatre show APOLLO 13: Mission Control, and the director of the World Premiere production of That Bloody Woman.
Anthony Crum
ANTHONY CRUM hails from Whangarei, and is an actor and standup comedian based in Auckland, New Zealand. Anthony starred as ‘Griffin’ in the short film Foam and as ‘Rat-Tail’ in the 2020 TV series The Wilds. On stage he’s tread the boards as ‘The Beauxhomme’ in Once on this Island, ‘The Bürgermeister’ in The Visit, and ‘Caliban’ in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Anthony began acting when he was 15 playing The Third Witch in a comedic rewrite of Shakespeare’s Macbeth by Robert Pollock. He went on to train at The John Bolton Theatre School in 2014 where he developed skills in Clown and Melo-drama. In 2018, Anthony graduated Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School with a Bachelor of Performing Arts and in his final year starred as ‘Isaac’ in the short film Hush which featured in the 2019 Berlin Film Festival.
Maxine Cunliffe
MAXINE CUNLIFFE is a versatile London-born actor and musician from a Sierra Leonean and Caribbean heritage who has lived in New Zealand since the early 2000s. Maxine is best known on screen for Power Rangers Megaforce (2013), and short films Divinity (2015) Reset (2016) and Fract (2016). In 2016, Maxine also appeared as a presenter in TV ONE’s Neighbourhood. Her stage appearances include playing chorus and cello in a successful all- female cast performance of Henry V, and ‘Hippolyata’ in an AUSA Outdoor Summer Theatre production of Midsummer Night’s Dream. She was also featured playing the cello in the TV series The Wilds.
Trystan Gravelle
TRYSTAN GRAVELLE’snumerous TV credits include a series regular role in AMC’s The Terror, National Treasure(BBC One) A Discovery of Witches (SKY 1), Baptiste (BBC One), Trying (Apple TV) and James Graham’s Quiz for ITV, amongst others. He recently featured alongside Jessie Buckley and Johnny Flynn in the BAFTA award winning feature film Beast. Trystan’s prolific theatre credits include King Lear (The Globe), The Changeling (The Globe), Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (The National) An Oak Tree (The National) The Norman Conquests (Chichester Festival Theatre).
Sir Lenny Henry
SIR LENNY HENRY is one of Britain’s best known comedians, as well as a writer, philanthropist and award-winning actor. Sir Lenny starred in The Comedy of Errors at The National, Fences at the Duchess Theatre, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui at The Donmar and most recently August Wilson’s King Hedley II at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2019. Sir Lenny’s Television credits include Broadchurch, The Syndicate, The Long Song and his biographic Danny and The Human Zoo. Sir Lenny’s Production Company, Douglas Road, has achieved success in partnership with Burning Bright on the recently acclaimed The Commonwealth Kid documentary. Sir Lenny is a co-founder of Comic Relief and recently released his memoir Who Am I Again? in October 2019. He has been a Trustee of the National Theatre since February 2016.
THUSITHA JAYASUNDERA’s theater credits include Donmar, Our Town (Regent’s Park Theatre), Stories, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Crime and Punishment, War Horse, The Caucasian Chalk Circle (National Theatre), The Divide (Old Vic/King’s Theatre Edinburgh), My Eyes Went Dark (Finborough/Traverse), The Vertical Hour (Park Theatre), The Nine O’Clock Slot (iceandfire), Tiger Country (Hampstead Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing(Chester Performs), Marine Parade (The Old Market Theatre, Brighton), A Day at the Racists (Finborough), Dreams of Violence (Out of Joint/Soho Theatre & Tour), Much Ado About Nothing (Actors for the London Stage), International Writers Festival Summer 2006 (Royal Court), Grimm Tales (International Tour), Twelfth Night, As I Lay Dying (Young Vic), The Comedy of Errors, Cain, Peer Gynt, Pentecost (RSC). Her TV and film credits include: Midsomer Murders, Doctor Foster, Humans, The Foreigner, Broadchurch, The C Word, Lewis, Diana, Doctors, Silent Witness, Young Dracula, The Jury, Above Suspicion, The Bill, Goodnight Sweetheart, Signal to Noise, Holby City, House Across the Street, The Tempest.
Fabian McCallum
FABIAN MCCALLUM made his international screen debut alongside Megan Mullally, Rob Lowe and Jenna Fischer in British series You, Me & The Apocalypse. Prior to that, he guest starred in German/Australian co-production In Your Dreams and in short films including Meryl Tankard’s Moth alongside Sophie Lowe. A graduate of NIDA, Fabian has also studied with the National Youth Theatre in London.
Simon Merrells
SIMON MERRELLS recently played Templar Knight ‘Tancrede’ on History’s drama series Knightfall. He began his career in theatre, performing in works from The Royal National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company. He garnered attention for his work with Steven Berkoff, namely the title role in Oedipus and as washed up boxer ‘Terry Malloy’ in On the Waterfront both for which he received a nomination for Acting Excellence from the Stage Awards. Recently, he won Best Actor for his role in Stephen King’s I Am the Doorway from the Las Vegas Movie Awards. He also worked in films such as The Wolfman with Benicio del Toro, IndeX Zero, Take Down, ‘Lorenzo di Medici’ in Florence and the Uffizi Gallery for Sky Arts 3D, and recently played a recurring role in Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens. His other television roles include guesting on Syfy’s 12 Monkeys, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, BBC’s The Musketeers, as well as recurring roles on SyFy’s Dominion, The CW’s Tomorrow People, and most notably, playing ‘Marcus Crassus’ on Starz’ Spartacus.
Geoff Morrell
GEOFF MORRELL has been nominated five times in the leading actor category at the AACTA awards for the series’ Changi, Marking Time, Fallen Angels and twice for Grassroots, for which he won in 2001. He has also been nominated for four Silver Logies. Most recently, he has appeared in Top Of The Lake: China Girl (Foxtel), Rake(ABCTV), Cloudstreet (Foxtel), Please Like Me (ABCTV), Harrow (ABCTV), The Code (ABCTV). Other credits include Blue Murder (ABCTV), Murder Call (CH 9), Blue Heelers (CH 7), 8MMM Aboriginal Radio (ABCTV), Home and Away (CH 7), The Bill (Thames TV), Monocled Mutineer (BBC), Lady Windermere’s Fan (BBC), and Farscape. Film roles include Oranges and Sunshine, The Mule, Ned Kelly, Oscar and Lucinda, 10 Empty, Rogue, No Worriesand View From Greenhaven Drive. Geoff was most recently seen in the national tour of Nakhia Lui’s award winning hit Black Is The New White for the Sydney Theatre Company.
Peter Mullan
PETER MULLAN is a veteran Scottish actor and filmmaker. He won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for My Name is Joe. The Sundance Film Festival awarded Peter a World Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performances for his role in Paddy Considine’s Tyrannosaur. His feature film work includes roles in Riff-Raff, Braveheart, Trainspotting, Miss Julie, Young Adam, Children of Men, The Red Riding Trilogy, War Horse, the Harry Potter film series and The Vanishing. Also a director, he received a Golden Lion at Venice International Film Festival for The Magdalene Sisters. His feature film Neds won Best Picture at the San Sebastian Film Festival and Best Director and Best Writer at the BAFTA Awards. He has recently appeared in Netflix’s Ozark, HBO’s Westworld, Netflix’s Cursed, ITV’s The Fixer, and BBC’s Mum, for which he was nominated for a BAFTA. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his portrayal of ‘Matt Micham’ in Gerard Lee and Jane Campion’s acclaimed miniseries Top of the Lake.
Lloyd Owen
LLOYD OWEN trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and later joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Notable performances include the title roles in The York Realist at the Royal Court/Strand Theatre, Blood & Gifts at The Lyttelton, The Bodyguard at The Adelphi, and with Dame Diana Rigg and David Suchet in the award-winning production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? He starred alongside Mathew Perry in The End of Longing at The Playhouse, and with Imelda Staunton in the critically acclaimed Good People at the Noel Coward. His extensive film credits include the recent Bollywood blockbuster Thugs of Hindostan, Miss Potter, and Wonderwell, as well as playing the leading role in Apollo 18 for Dimension Films. On television, he is best known for the UK series Monarch of the Glen, and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, the lead in Viva Laughlin for CBS as well as the NBC/Sky production You, Me and the Apocalypse. He recently completed a sold-out run of Noises Off at The Garrick theatre.
Augustus Prew
AUGUSTUS PREW can next be seen as the lead role of ‘Cameron’ in the Blumhouse Hulu Anthology series Into The Dark: Midnight Kiss and Mike Doyle’s film, Sell By. He can currently be seen on Netflix’s Special and Apple’s Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell. Augustus’ television credits include the series lead in CBS’s Pure Genius, the recurring guest star role of ‘Whip’ in FOX’s Prison Break, the title role in Mike White’s HBO pilot Mamma Dallas, and The Borgias for Showtime. Most recently, he appeared in the role of ‘Miles’ in the Netflix film Ibiza. Previously, Augustus was the lead in The Wallis production of The Pride in the principal role of ‘Oliver’. Additional credits include the independent film High-Rise opposite Tom Hiddleston and Sienna Miller, Klondike with Richard Madden, Kick-Ass 2 opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Charlie St. Cloud opposite Zac Efron.
Peter Tait
PETER TAIT has been working in the industry since the early 1980s, creating his own work as well as appearing in NZ projects and international TV and film. As evident in his own work, Peter has a penchant for offbeat comedy, however roles in Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and Desperate Remedies have given him the ability to show another side to his talents on the big screen. Peter has most recently been making his mark in NZ television, with roles in many local shows including Super City, Terry Teo, Underbelly NZ, and two seasons of The Brokenwood Mysteries and Westside. He’s also had the chance to show how multi-talented he really is, singing and playing guitar in award winning musical Once.
Alex Tarrant
ALEX TARRANT hails from Auckland, New Zealand and is of Māori, Samoan and Niuean descent. He is a 2012 graduate of New Zealand’s prestigious drama school Te Kura Toi Whakaari o Aoteraroa. Following study, he played leading roles in the WW1 miniseries When We Go To War, the BBC co-production Tatau, and 3 seasons of the Australian hit 800 Words. He then joined the core cast of the award-winning racy drama Filthy Rich, which streamed on Hulu. In 2019, Alex again joined the core cast of the much anticipated sequel to the Australian cult series Seachange. 2019 also marked his international feature film debut, with the release of The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith. His second feature, sci-fi thriller Night Riders was shot recently in Canada, and he returned to NZ screens in the comedy Mean Mums.
Leon Wadham
LEON WADHAM is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. He was a series lead in TV2’s Go Girls and has appeared in numerous New Zealand television projects including Bad Seed, Brokenwood Series 5,When We Go To War, Terry Teo and Pirates of the Airwaves. His film projects include Under The Mountain, Shopping and Pork Pie. His international screen credits include Power RangersBeast Morphers, and Roman Empire (Season 2). Leon co-wrote the play Live At Six, co-created Tom Keeper Passes for Long Cloud Youth Theatre as well as both Outsider’s Guide and Milky Bits for comedy outfit The Bakery. He was a staff writer on the TV3sitcom Sunny Skies, and he co-wrote and directed the short films School Night and Moving. Leon has also directed New Zealand television series including Golden Boy Series 1 and 2, The Male Gayz, Citizen’s Handbookand Bad News (Series 1 and 2), the latter of which Leon co-created and has received Nominations at both the 2019 and 2020 NZ TV Awards.
Benjamin Walker
BENJAMIN WALKER is an established American film, television, and award-nominated theatre actor. He was most recently nominated for a Tony Award for his standout performance of ‘Chris Keller’ in Arthur Miller’s Broadway play All My Sons. Ben just wrapped a lead role opposite Liam Neeson and Laurence Fishburne in the independent feature The Ice Road. Benjamin’s other film work includes In the Heart of the Sea, Flags Of Our Fathers, Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight, and The Choice. Ben also starred in the final season of Netflix’s Jessica Jones. His theater credits include the lead role of ‘Andrew Jackson’ in the Broadway production Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, and the role of ‘Brick’ opposite Scarlett Johansson in the Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
Sara Zwangobani
SARA ZWANGOBANI graduated from the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts with a BA in Acting. Her feature film credits include Disgrace (produced by Emile Sherman) and Merchant of Fairness. She has appeared in many popular Australian television shows such as Doctor Doctor, All Saints, Packed to the Rafters, Love My Way, Home and Away, Two Twisted, as well as The Starter Wife (3 Arts Entertainment) and Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (Coote Hayes). On stage Sara has performed in Sydney Theatre Company’s In The Next Room (Or the Vibrator Play), A Streetcar Named Desire, The Crucible, Summer of the Aliens and Antony and Cleopatra, Girl in Tan Boots for the Griffin Theatre Company, Lyrebird for the Old Fitzroy, Dirty Butterfly, Imago,and Women In Shorts at Downstairs Belvoir, The Tempest at Bondi Pavilion, and Cloud Nine at the Darlinghurst Theatre. Sara toured Australia playing ‘Mark Antony’ in the Bell Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ground-breaking production of Julius Caesar.
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