The OG cast of 'Lord of the Rings' are slamming the racial hatred being directed at the new show's actors.
The original Lord of the Rings cast isn't going to tolerate intolerance. Many of the core castmembers from the Oscar-winning trilogy are standing up in support for the cast of The Rings of Power, who have faced a slew of hateful comments from online trolls.
Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd and Sean Astin -- who starred in the original trilogy as the core group of hobbits who risk life and limb in their heroic quest -- took to Instagram to share a message of support for the new stars, and for BIPOC fans.
The show has received some pushback for its racially diverse cast, specifically for casting actors of color to play dwarves, elves and hobbits in the Amazon Prime Video series.
In a show of solidarity, Wood, Monaghan, Boyd and Astin shared photos of themselves in shirts and hats with elven script that reads "All You Are All Welcome Here" and features the drawn images of pointed ears in a spectrum of skin tones and colors.
Meanwhile, the series' official Twitter account shared a message of unity as well, posting, "We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against the relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore or tolerate it."
JRR Tolkien created a world that, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together, in fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil," the statement continued. "Rings of Power reflects that. Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay."
The show also thanked their fans for all the support, "Especially the fans of colour who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom."
"We see you, your bravery, and endless creativity. Your cosplays, fancams, fan art and insights make this community a richer place and remind us of our purpose," the statement concluded. "You are valid, you are loved, and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family -- thanks for having our backs."
New episodes of The Rings of Power debut Fridays on Amazon Prime Video.
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