Entertainment
‘Rings of Power’ Star Eddie Marsan on Playing a Power-Hungry Dwarf and Why He Once Had 2,000 Pairs of Orlando Bloom’s Elf Ears in His Attic
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Published 11/5/2026 8:30:00 AM
Eddie Marsan on Joining The Rings of Power as Thrain
There’s political upheaval in Khazad-dûm.
Following the seismic events that shook the Dwarven underground kingdom in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” season 2 finale, which saw King Durin III sacrifice himself in order to deal with an unruly Balrog he’d accidentally awoken, Prince Durin IV was anointed his successor. But in step Thrain, Durin III’s older son — and technically the rightful heir — to challenge for the crown, sparking a major power struggle and fallout.
Played by veteran British actor Eddie Marsan, Thrain is one of the most notable new additions in the third season of show, which launches Nov. 11 on Prime Video. And while it may be Marsan’s first on-screen adventure into Middle-earth, he’s no stranger to Tolkien’s world. As it happens, “The Lord of the Rings” has been a major part of his family’s life for more than two decades — to the extent he once had several thousand pairs of Orlando Blooms prosthetic Elven ears stored in his house.
Speaking to Variety, Marsan explains his meditation routine during the lengthy make-up process and why he only joined the show to take the piss out his friend Peter Mullan.
But how did it feel joining ‘Rings of Power’ and like donning the armor of Thrain and and the dwarves deep down beneath the mountains?
It kind of felt slightly inevitable, really. My wife Janine [Schneider-Marsan] was a makeup artist on the original Lord of the Rings film. So I was shooting “Gangs of New York” and flew out to see her in New Zealand, and we spent some time together. And she kept going back for years afterwards to do the sequels and do pickups. So it was part of our early marriage for three or four years.
That’s fantastic.
She did the makeup for Orlando Bloom and Liv Tyler. And in our old house, in the loft, we had around 2,000 pairs of Orlando Bloom’s ears.
What do you do with 2000 pairs of Orlando Bloom’s ears?
I was going to bring them to “Rings and Powers” to see if they wanted them! But it was all part of our family life. And I also watched the show, because Peter Mullan is a very good friend, and I really loved the end of the second series when he sacrifices himself. I thought it was incredible. And then they came in and said, “Would you like to play Peter’s son?” And it was two things. I wanted to do it because I thought the show was brilliant, the writing was great, the direction was great. I thought the action was amazing. But also to be able to take the piss out of Peter and tell him that I’m playing his son.
Ha! How did he take to that?
He didn’t take it too kindly.
So was it a straight yes when the offer came in?
Yes. I mean, I look like a dwarf. But no, it was a straight yes. I wanted to do it. I knew that Peter had done it and Rory [Kinnear] had done it, and I admired their work in it and I was a fan of the show. Also, I love to mix things up. I love to do something that’s completely different to what I’ve done before. I have very little control over other aspects of my career, like whether you’re going to be in fashion or not, whether you’re going to be the hot new thing or not. All that comes in and out. You’ve got no control over that, but what you can control is the content — whether I always do something that’s completely different to what I’ve done before. So I came out of “Rings of Power.” Then we shot the second series of Netflix’s “Supercell.” Then Netflix asked me to be J. Edgar Hoover in “Kennedy,” which I did. So my approach to it all is to mix it up as much as possible. That’s what I enjoy.
You’re you’re playing Thrain. How would you describe him and how he fits into that sort of complex politics of the Dwarven kingdom?
Well, he’s the eldest brother of Durin the fourth, played by Owain [Arthur], and he’s the eldest son of Durin the Third, which is Peter Mullins’ character. And he was overlooked. He feels like he should have been the king. And his younger brother, was made the king. So in many ways, he’s kind of like Fredo in “The Godfather.” So at the beginning of episode three, he comes back to Khazad-dûm to kind of reclaim his crown.
Did you dig deep into Thrain’s timeline and history? He doesn’t make it to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ films, but I think there’s a there’s a deleted scene in ‘The Hobbit’ films that he’s seen in.
They gave me a a kind of backstory. I do like to have a kind of a backstory for a character that I can allow to inform my performance. So I used them quite well. They had really good specialists who you could always go to and ask.
What was the make-up situation like to get Thrain’s nose and beard on?
The whole team were amazing. They were getting at like 2 in the morning. I’m getting around 3 and sometimes you’d have to be ready on set about 7.30. So there were 4 1/2 hours of makeup. I meditate today and my meditation stretches to 40 minutes. So I’d have a 40 minutes meditation and come out my meditation with a big nose and big ears.
One of my fears of doing something with such big makeup was that the performances would have to be big. I’m not a very big performative actor. It’s not something I’m comfortable with. And then I began watching and working with Owain and Sophie [Nomvete], and I saw that their performances were so natural — not minimalistic, but free. They weren’t pushing it too hard. I realized that I could sit in and relax and just act it like anything else, and it would come through because the makeup was so good. So within the first week, I suddenly felt really comfortable.
This show’s in its third season. How was it joining something when it’s kind of already so far in?
It was great, because I already knew so many people. Kevin Eldon is an old friend of mine. And Owain and I had workshopped a theater piece years ago. I’ve been a big fan of his for years. And Paul Hickey was in it, playing one of the villains I think. I’ve been in the game so long so I turn up and know everyone. I also knew half the crew. The makeup designer — knew her when she was a young girl because she’s the niece of Peter King, who designed the makeup for Lord of the Rings, and he’s my daughter’s godfather. So that’s what I mean. It was part of our life, really. I was connected to it before I joined this series.
Given that “Lord of the Rings” has been a part of your family’s life for so long, if you’d have been able to pick any character to play, who would it have been? Would it have been a dwarf?
I think I would have liked maybe to play one of the Hobbits. I think they were great. I ended up subsequently working with a lot of those actors. But Thrain is a great character, he really is. It was a great joy to play him.
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The Japan IP Market will be back in Cannes next May for a second straight year. The Cannes Film Market and TIFFCOM, the content market of the Tokyo International Film Festival, are again teaming up on the event, and the 2027 edition will run May 14-15.
The return was revealed at TIFFCOM in Tokyo, during a conference on how Japan can forge new international partnerships after its stint as Country of Honor in Cannes. Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of industry programs at the Cannes Film Market, was among the panelists.
“The success of Japan, Country of Honor showed what can happen when a focused national presence creates lasting opportunities for the industry. The Japan IP Market is one of those outcomes: a collaboration that extends beyond a single edition and gives Japanese intellectual properties greater access to international partners,” said Guillaume Esmiol, executive director of the Cannes Film Market. “I’m delighted that we are continuing this work with TIFFCOM to create more opportunities for rights holders to connect with international producers and partners, develop new adaptations and bring their stories to global audiences.”
The Japan IP Market first ran in May 2026, one of the initiatives tied to Japan’s turn as Country of Honor at the Cannes Film Market. It put Japanese rights holders in the same room as industry professionals from abroad via pitches, one-on-one meetings and industry discussions. Kadokawa, Shochiku and Toei Company were among the companies taking part. The speaker lineup included Fujimura Tetsu, executive producer of “One Piece” and founder and CEO of Filosophia, Inc.
“The Japan IP Market is about creating the right conditions for business opportunities between Japanese rights holders and international companies,” said Zakharchenko. “By bringing them together in Cannes, we can help turn growing interest in Japanese content into concrete adaptation deals and acquisitions, while fostering new collaboration opportunities.”
Shiina Yasushi, executive adviser at UNIJAPAN and CEO of TIFFCOM, said the partnership with the Cannes market plays an important role for Japan’s audiovisual industry. He described the Cannes market as the biggest market attached to any film festival in the world. “Meeting the international professionals who gather there and creating together with them is the key to nurturing Japanese IP into global content,” he said.
Ikeda Kaori, managing director of TIFFCOM, said the first edition had shown how keen producers and partners worldwide are on Japanese IP. “Through the continued partnership linking Cannes in May with the Tokyo IP Market in October, we are pleased to offer more professionals the opportunity to meet Japanese rights holders directly and discover the rich diversity of Japanese IP,” she said.
The 2027 roster of companies and the rest of the program will be unveiled in the months ahead.
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Mexico’s beloved Guillermo del Toro descended on the 24thMorelia Film Festival like the rockstar he is, greeted by hordes of shrieking fans that impressed even the most jaded in the crowd.
In town to present the much-anticipated 3D Re-Release of “Pan’s Labyrinth,” he was everywhere all at once, holding a masterclass where tickets were as elusive as a seat at Cannes that went on for nearly three hours and a free-wheeling press conference that extended past its time limit.
It was his third time at the fest, 20 years after his multi-Oscar winning “Pan’s Labyrinth’ first played there and years later with his 2018 best picture Academy Award winner “The Shape of Water.”
Before the presser kicked off, Del Toro, an Honorary Doctorate recipient from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), received the Filmoteca UNAM Medal, an honor also bestowed on Alfonso Cuarón, in town to support his son Jonas Cuarón’s opening night film, “Campeón Gabacho,” which he produced.
Alongside Del Toro were festival director Daniela Michel, “Pan’s Labyrinth” producer Bertha Navarro, his then young lead Ivana Baquero and DP Guillermo Navarro, who took home the cinematography Oscar for his stunning work on the anti-fascist fable.
Reflecting on a question posed midway through the press conference about what has stayed the same and what has changed over the 20 years since “Pan’s Labyrinth,” del Toro responded with tears.
“The state of our species and society today goes beyond anything we could have imagined back then. But I recognize the same sadness and despair. It pains me deeply to see one, two, or three generations fail the next. We’re handing down a world in ruins, morally, socially and spiritually fractured, with the very fabric that once allowed us to tell fables and parables falling apart.”
Asked whether he knew beforehand if “Pan’s Labyrinth” would be well received, Del Toro recounted how his collaborations with both Navarros sustained him through all the challenges they faced.
“We embarked on an adventure that was financially horrifying but cinematically beautiful,” he said.
“You never know how a film will be received. We only found out when we screened it for the first time at Cannes. We got that famous standing ovation that lasted more than 22 minutes, and from that moment on, everything changed. It changed our lives.”
“I think ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ marked a before and after for me. In terms of creative freedom, possibilities and everything else, I’m where I am today because of that film. But none of it would have been possible without the faith of my immediate family, Bertha and Guillermo.”
Said DP Navarro: “Guillermo and I share the belief that cinematic language is storytelling through images that convey emotion and narrative. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is the ultimate expression of that. The camera is constantly searching, discovering and communicating.”
“It was also an incredibly difficult shoot. We had a limited budget, had to find unconventional solutions and took risks that could easily have failed. But we gambled and we won. Without a doubt, it’s my best film, and I hold that experience close to my heart. I hope new generations will continue to discover and appreciate it. And now, 20 years later, it returns. Olé!”
Producer Navarro, who also backed Del Toro’s career-launching feature debut “Cronos” and his much-lauded “The Devil’s Backbone,” said: “When he gave me the screenplay for ‘Cronos,’ I was absolutely fascinated. Talent shines, and you have to know how to recognize that light. That’s what I saw in Guillermo.”
“It’s been an incredible privilege to have made those three great films with Guillermo. I’ve produced many films throughout my life, but those three hold a much deeper significance for me. They changed my life.”
Baquero concurred: “’Pan’s Labyrinth’ undoubtedly opened doors for me, both into the genre and in my career. We’ve talked this afternoon about how much the film changed our lives, professionally and personally. For me, acting went from being a hobby – I had worked before ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ – to becoming my profession. Without that film, I might not be here today. It unquestionably marked a turning point in my career.”
Reflecting on its impact on young audiences. Del Toro noted: “There’s an urgency and a fragility and ferocity that coexist in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’ And somehow, I think it’s an urgent moment to speak, for the film to speak to a new audience.”
Local politics also crept into the conference, with a journalist asking him what he would say to the young people protesting in his hometown of Guadalajara over its current issues of contaminated water, repression and the alleged kidnapping of protesters on Oct. 11.
He responded:“This morning at my masterclass, I gave young people the floor to speak about these issues. It’s terrifying that something so fundamental should have to be fought for instead of being resolved through basic humanity and responsible leadership.”
“I said it clearly: “Their voices must be heard, and I stand with them 100%. It’s unacceptable that this remains unresolved or that anyone would try to silence them. Speaking out, protesting, and demanding a solution are fundamental rights – anytime, anywhere.”
The Morelia Film Festival began on Oct. 16 and wraps Oct. 25.
