The Rings of Power’s Tom Bombadil star says there’ll be ‘a little bit’ of singing in the hit Prime Video show’s second season, and that makes me happy
Exclusive: ‘I tried to focus on the privilege, rather than the pressure’
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Tom Bombadil actor Rory Kinnear has confirmed that the belovedLord of the Ringscharacter will sing inThe Rings of Powerseason 2.
Speaking to TechRadar before the high fantasy show returns onPrime Video, the formerJames Bondstar revealed that, despite what season 2’s numerous trailers suggest, he won’t talk like a normal character all of the time. Indeed, considering the enigmatic individual is famous for ‘sing-talking’ – essentially, he speaks in rhymes in J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary literary works – it would’ve been an oversight to omit this particular character trait. Thankfully,The Rings of Powerwill fully embrace that aspect of this enigmatic individual.
“There’s a little bit of singing going on,” Kinnear admitted when I asked him whether he’ll belt out any of Tom Bombadil’s famous songs, “which he uses his Cornish lilt for. I chose that accent because, before I’d been asked to play him, I’d been working in Cornwall [in the UK’s south-west] and I’d gone swimming along the coast. The cliffs sort of smash into the sea there and you see each layer of the cliffs that’s built up over time. You could feel and see its age, so when I was asked to come up with a voice, which was the only guideline I was given, for the oldest known being in Middle-earth, I suggested Cornish, which everyone thought was great.”
‘There’s an open-endedness to the character’
Despite the fact that he’s an iconic character in the source material, Tom Bombadil hasn’t featured in an adaptation of Tolkien’s literature. Indeed, this is the first time that thefan-favorite character has appeared in aLord of the Ringsproject, live-action or otherwise. So, how did Kinnear deal with the weight of expectation of bringing one ofThe Lord of the Rings' most beloved and mysterious individuals to life?
“I definitely tried to focus on the privilege rather than the pressure,” Kinnear responded. “There’s an open-endedness and enigmatic quality to this positive force of a character in the books. But, when you dig down into playing someone who’s been alive since the dawn of time, who’s steeped in history, who can exist in the past and present, and who’s both connected to the natural and human world, you have to think ‘okay, where does this sit within me?’, or ‘what can I bring to this?’, or ‘how does this make me feel?’. But, you also have a blank slate because you don’t know how he spoke or what accent he uses. So, while you have a blueprint for how he looks – his blue jacket being part of that – you have to hone in his complexities and nuance as best as you can, and try to bring that to life.”
Who’s ready for some exclusive interviews from #TheRingsofPower season 2 premiere? You are? Grand, here’s clip number one, which sees @maximbaldry tell me which of the titular rings he’d like to own in real life (spoiler - his answer won’t surprise you!) pic.twitter.com/iXRntX5WBhAugust 23, 2024
The mystique surrounding Tom Bombadil as an entity notwithstanding, there’s little information on the wider role he’s played throughout Middle-earth’s history. Indeed, much of his history was left undefined by Tolkien, with the legendary author leaving things open to interpretation for his global legion of fans – including Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the hitAmazonseries' showrunners. With little in the way of corroborated evidence about his whereabouts during the Second Age, then, the duo had the creative license to bring ‘Old Tom’ into the season 2 fold. WithThe Rings of Power’s second season leaning more heavily intoThe Lord of The Rings' lore, though, they were keen to ensure their take on the character was as authentic as possible.
We want to preserve those mysteries
“Tom Bombadil is a sort of balance to the encroaching darkness in season 2,” Payne said. “An important part of Middle-earth is there’s always some hope and whimsy that’s happening, and Tom is very much that kind of character. He sings songs, speaks in rhymes, is always trying to trick you and you’re not sure if he’s messing with you, so he brings a nice tonal balance to this season.”
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
“We also didn’t want to touch any of what Tolkien’s written about him,” McKay added. “We want to preserve those mysteries and, hopefully, readers who’ve been waiting to see him [in a live-action capacity] feel that this depiction really honors that spirit in the books.”
As for the role he’ll play in The Stranger’s story in one of thebest Prime Video shows' next chapter, Payne teased: “The Stranger is at a perfect point in his journey to cross paths with a mentor figure and Tom fits that perfectly. So, we brought him in in a very different context to what I think fans are expecting, because he’s inhabiting a completely different part of the map to where he is in the Third Age. He’s been around for thousands of years, if not more, so why not let him wander?”
Why not indeed. You won’t read about ‘Old Tom’ in myreview ofThe Rings of Powerseason 2’s first three episodesbecause – spoiler – he doesn’t show up in those entries. But, rest assured, he’s on his way and I can’t wait to see how he’s presented on the screen.
You might also like
As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
4 spy shows on Prime Video with over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Prime Video’s smart new X-Ray feature is finally a good reason to add AI to streaming
Belkin’s Travel Bag for Vision Pro has pockets and is way cheaper than Apple’s own case
