“There’s a lot going on”: Season 2 of “The Rings of Power” will feature some of Tom Bombadil’s famous sing-talk interludes, the actor reveals

Tom Bombadil actor Rory Kinnear has confirmed that the beloved Lord of the rings Character will sing in The Rings of Power Season 2.

Speaking to TechRadar ahead of the high fantasy show’s return to Prime Video, the former James Bond Star revealed that, contrary to what the numerous trailers for season two suggest, he will not speak like a normal character all the time. Given that the enigmatic individual is known for his “sing-talking” – essentially speaking in rhyme in JRR Tolkien's legendary literary works – it would have been an oversight to leave out this particular character trait. Fortunately, The Rings of Power will fully capture this aspect of this enigmatic person.

“There's a bit of singing,” Kinnear admitted when I asked him if he'd belt out one of Tom Bombadil's famous songs, “for which he uses his Cornish accent. I chose that accent because, before I was asked to do it, I'd worked in Cornwall. [in the UK’s south-west] and I'd been swimming on the coast. The cliffs kind of drop off into the sea there and you see every layer of the cliffs that's built up over time. You could feel and see their age, so when I was asked to come up with a voice for the oldest known being in Middle Earth – which was the only guideline I was given – I suggested 'Cornish', which everyone thought was great.”

“The character has an open ending”

Tom Bombadil and The Stranger bathe in sunlight shining through a cabin window in Season 2 of The Rings of Power

In season 2, Tom Bombadil and The Stranger cross paths (Image credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video)

Despite being a cult figure in the original, Tom Bombadil has not appeared in any adaptation of Tolkien's literature. In fact, this is the first time that the fan-favorite character has appeared in a Lord of the rings project, live action or otherwise. So how did Kinnear deal with the burden of expectation of being one of the The Lord of the Rings' most popular and mysterious individuals in life?

“I definitely tried to focus on the privilege rather than the pressure,” Kinnear replied. “There's something open and enigmatic about that positive power of a character in the books. But when you commit to playing someone who's lived since the dawn of time, who's rooted in history, who can exist in the past and present, and who's connected to both the natural and human worlds, you have to ask yourself, 'Okay, where does that sit in me?' or 'What can I contribute to that?' or 'How do I feel about that?'. But you also have a blank slate because you don't know how he spoke or what accent he used. So even though you have a blueprint for his look – his blue jacket is part of it – you have to work out his complexity and nuances as best you can and try to bring them to life.”

Who's ready for some exclusive interviews from the season 2 premiere of #TheRingsofPower? It's you? Great, here's clip number one where @maximbaldry tells me which of the titular rings he would like to own in real life (spoiler – his answer will come as no surprise!) pic.twitter.com/iXRntX5WBh23 August 2024

Despite the mystique surrounding Tom Bombadil as a being, there is little information about the wider role he played in the history of Middle Earth. In fact, Tolkien left much of his story undefined, with the legendary author open to interpretation by his worldwide fan base – including Patrick McKay and JD Payne, the showrunners of the hit Amazon series. With little confirmed evidence about his whereabouts during the Second Age, the duo had creative freedom to bring “Old Tom” into the second season. The Rings of PowerThe second season of The Lord of the RingsWhile they stuck to the lore, they were keen to ensure that their interpretation of the character was as authentic as possible.

We want to keep these secrets
Co-Showrunner Patrick McKay

“Tom Bombadil is a kind of counterbalance to the encroaching darkness of season 2,” said Payne. “An important part of Middle Earth is that there's always some hope and whimsy, and Tom is just that kind of character. He sings songs, speaks in rhyme, always tries to trick you, and you're not sure if he's messing with you, so he brings a nice tonal balance to this season.”

“We also didn't want to touch anything that Tolkien wrote about him,” added McKay. “We want to keep those secrets and hopefully delight the readers who have been waiting to see him. [in a live-action capacity] I believe this portrayal really does justice to the spirit of the books.”

As for the role he'll play in the Stranger's story in the next chapter of one of Prime Video's best shows, Payne gave a teaser: “The Stranger is at a perfect point in his journey where he crosses paths with a mentor figure, and Tom fits that perfectly. So we've put him in a very different context than I think fans expect, because he inhabits a completely different part of the map to where he is in the Third Age. He's been there for thousands of years, if not longer, so why not let him wander around?”

Why not. You won't read anything about 'Old Tom' in my review The Rings of Power the first three episodes of season two because – spoiler – he doesn't appear in those entries. But rest assured, he's on the way and I can't wait to see how he's presented on screen.

“There’s a lot going on”: Season 2 of “The Rings of Power” will feature some of Tom Bombadil’s famous sing-talk interludes, the actor reveals

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