Like many others, Charlie Vickers who plays Halbrand in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, has felt the innate push and pull between home’s cradling comfort and the world’s wonder. While Vickers describes his version of paradise much like a Harfoot would- peacefully hushed, surrounded only by a warmly lit circle of family and friends- he also tells us that he has always gone searching for adventure. His home, like Tolkien describes the Shire, “lies behind, safe and comfortable” making wandering more bearable knowing that somewhere there is a firm foothold. For Vickers, preparing in New Zealand for his role as Halbrand was one of his greatest adventures yet. As Tolkien would say, “something Tookish woke up inside him” and he set out to see the steaming craters, emerald lakes, and alpine crossings of Tongariro National Park. Vickers’ own adventure seeped into Halbrand’s spirit, allowing him to “live and breathe the essence of Tolkien’s world,” as Vickers tells us. In our interview with him, Vickers talks about his home, describes his experience water training with Morfydd Clark, shares his new approach to dealing with anxiety, and details his next adventures!
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Thanks so much for the interview! The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power starts in Valinor, Galadriel’s home, and even when she leaves it, she says she can still feel the warmth of the tree’s light on her face. I thought this was really beautiful, so I want to know if there is any feeling or setting from your own childhood that holds a similar sentiment for you?
That’s a great question. For me it would be the ocean. I grew up near the ocean and as I get older, I cherish that more and more. Whenever I go home to Australia I spend as much time as I can in the surf, often hours at a time. Surfing is a place of mediation for me. Something about the feeling of being immersed in water is so calming. It keeps me in the present – something that I find very challenging in day-to-day life.
If you could imagine your own version of eternal paradise, what would it look like?
Probably a beautiful home that I know and love, in a peaceful part of the world where you can’t really hear any noise from anything man made. It would probably be near the ocean. But then just out of earshot would be all the homes of all my friends and family! That way I could spend all my time feeling as relaxed as possible while always having access to the people I love.
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The series is split into different settings, so we see a unique characterization of each group. The Harfoots, for example, tend to favor safety and security over adventure and risk while the Elves often trade in their safety to preserve the beauties of the world. Is there a time in your career when you felt like you traded in your sense of comfort for opportunity?
Definitely. I think a constant in my short career so far has been that I’ve always looked for adventure. I actually think that translates to my life as a whole. I went from a very comfortable life in Australia and moved to the UK to go to drama school. It was a really difficult decision to move to the other side of the world, knowing I’d miss really important milestones for my friends and family. And possibly, I wouldn’t live in the same place as them for a long time. I am so glad I took that risk, and it’s something I’ve continued to do as I’ve gotten older. Taking the LOTR job in New Zealand was another example. I think it’s about going on new adventures, seeking new surprises and taking chances.
Before getting more specific to your character, I want to ask about filming in New Zealand. I read that you went hiking for 5 days in Tongariro National Park to get yourself into character. How would you describe your thoughts during this time, being so immersed in the environment?
That was one of, if not the highlight of my time in New Zealand. Tongariro National Park is a very spiritual place, and to spend that amount of time there by myself was a profound experience. Not only was it a real physical challenge, but I also was able to take a lot of time to reflect, think about my own journey and also think about Halbrand. The environment is so rich there, and the vast scope of the land sort of created these given circumstances as I was walking around. It really informed my imagination and gave me inspiration that I was able to take to set with me.
I think when it comes to stuff like this, you have to trust the subconscious process as an actor. That what you are doing, imaginatively, and physically will begin to live naturally within your body and mind. Then in turn, that inner life will be expressed through the character on screen. That was really what the hike was about for me – informing that process.
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We are introduced to your character, Halbrand, after he seemingly abandons his companions on a raft to save himself and then joins Galadriel. It seems like Halbrand and Galadriel serve as a foil for each other as she highlights things about his character and he does the same to her. In that sense, the dynamic between the two of you is just as important as your acting as individuals. Did you and Morfydd Clark have conversations about this before you even started to film?
Yes, Morfydd and I were lucky in that we were able to spend a lot of time together before we started filming. We did talk about the characters a lot, but I found it much more valuable for us to get to know each other before we started working together on film. We did a few auditions together, and then we were the first two people to arrive in New Zealand, so we spent a lot of time together as we prepared for the journey we were about to embark on. Again, I think it comes back to that subconscious side of the craft. I would hope that our interactions as individuals informed the story that you see when you watch the show.
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The two of you did swimming training together, right? Can you tell us a little more about that experience?
The swimming was a pretty crazy experience. We had to strengthen our swimming, a process which was really difficult – swim training is tough!! I loved putting it into practice though, being able to swim through that tank amidst a massive storm in the middle of the night was a real thrill. It was like being at a waterpark! We also had to learn to free dive and hold our breath. That was one of the biggest challenges of the whole filming process for me.
I struggled with it because the only way to get through it is to relax, and the activity brought me quite a bit of anxiety. I think I’d trained myself to muscle my way through anxiety whenever I feel it – sort of grit your teeth and push through it. But this completely changed my approach to anxiety and it’s kind of a metaphor for how you should approach anxiety in life. You have no choice but to relax when you’re holding your breath underwater. Every bit of tension you bring into your body is using up oxygen. It taught me to develop and really work on my relaxation – something which is key to me both personally and professionally.
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You touched on it before, but in another interview as well you talked about how you can easily get caught up in how intellectual you can make things, but once you put it in your body, everything becomes much more instinctive. Without giving anything away, when did you feel like your instincts took over and you just became Halbrand without overthinking?
It’s strange because I hear about moments when actors speak of everything just “dropping in,” or when they just become the character. I’ve never really experienced that. I find that it’s something that develops over time for me. Each day you are learning new things about the character and building upon the day before. I think it’d be wrong for me to put a label on it and go – “today I finally feel like the character, whereas yesterday I didn’t.” You’re bringing wherever you’re at in the process to the screen – whether it’s day 1 or day 100.
By the end of the shooting process, I certainly felt closer to Halbrand than I had any other character I’d played before. It was all a learning process for me and although I do have a tendency to overthink, if you can let go of those thoughts when the time comes then they can only be useful in subconsciously informing your performance.
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On the flip side, what parts of him did you find yourself being most intellectual about?
Definitely his journey and his overall arc in the season. Also, where he fits into the world. I am pretty meticulous about timeframes and the given circumstances for each scene. In a vast world like this one it meant doing a lot of research. I began by pouring through as many of Tolkien’s texts as I could to try and find a place for Halbrand in his universe. I needed him to live and breathe the essence of Tolkien’s world.
Then it’s a matter of working out the comings and goings of each scene, his needs and so on so forth. I think for me at least that highly intellectual way of working is necessary to build a strong foundation. Then once that is all in place, it enables me to let it go and be playful and free on top of it. You have to trust that all the work you’ve done is lying beneath, informing your choices and your performance. It’s a fine line because you don’t want the audience to see your work or see you trying. It just all needs to be there.
I also want to put a caveat that I don’t really know what I’m talking about, and I don’t have a specific process by any means – it all changes depending on what I’m doing. It’s just a way of working that I’ve figured out in my very short career so far.
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What can we look forward to next from you?
Earlier this year I filmed a miniseries called The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart. It’s an adaptation of Holly Ringland’s wonderful novel of the same name. The project was a profound experience, I think for everyone involved. It’s an incredible and moving story of generational trauma and female resilience. It tells the story of Alice Hart as she grows from a child into an adult. I play her father, Clem. The cast and crew are wonderful, and it was a real privilege for me to be a part of it all.
