Ever since the trailer of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was released, the question that has taken over the internet is – Who are the hairy-looking Harfoots and are they related to the Hobbits? Prime Video for the first time is all set to bring these species to life, and showrunners feel Middle-Earth wouldn’t be the same without them.
The evolutionary predecessors of hobbits, Harfoots, have created a mystery around their existence and journey in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Dressed in a similar fashion as the Hobbits, talking in their own language, not much is known about these important creatures of the series. Now, actors Sara Zwangobani and Dylan Smith, from the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power delve into how they’re different from the Hobbits.
Australian actress, Sara Zwangobani, known for her role in The Starter Wife, plays Marigold Brandyfoot in the much-awaited series. Revealing how the Hobbits and Harfoots are related but different, she explained, “They are the ancestors of the hobbits. The difference between them is the way of their living. Harfoots don’t have a home base like the hobbits did in later years. They are migratory, they’re nomads, they take their homes with them, they travel the lands and they try to stay hidden from the wide world due to elements in their past.”
Actor Dylan Smith, who grabbed eyeballs in One Hour Photo and the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, plays the role of Largo Brandyfoot. He shared how many from the cast would often tag the Harfoots as the heart of the story, and are excited to witness the world of these integral beings. “I think they are in so far as they’re probably the only world that doesn’t have agency, over the story, whatever political negotiations, whatever sort of decisions that are made regarding the rise of the evil, all they do is suffer. We just receive, receive, receive,” he said.
“I was thinking of the Harfoots as having a little flame and if that flame goes out the whole Middle-earth is in trouble. So our reason for hiding, for moving is to keep that little flame alive and unlike the hobbits of the shire we’re very conscious of what we’re fighting for every day because there are no luxuries and we’re constantly under duress and suffering,” Smith added.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set thousands of years ahead of Tolkein’s original trilogy and brings to life an untapped world. Created by J.D Payne, the series will also feature Megan Richards and Markella Kavenagh as two loveable Harfoots along with many others. Fresh episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will release every week on Prime Video starting September 2, 2022, in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
