The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power faced a serious crisis related to racism. And Amazon had to take action.

Racism in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power had devastating consequences. The serious racist reactions against the series forced Amazon to hire a psychologist to help the actors. Premiering on Prime Video last September 2022, the series has a very diverse cast. A decision that immediately provoked racist reactions against various actors of color. Some objected to the idea that there were people of color in Middle-earth. Shortly after the premiere, Prime Video posted a tweet condemning the threats, harassment and abuse directed at the cast. “We refuse to tolerate it,” said the American company emphatically.

The hard experience lived by Ismael Cruz Córdova

During an interview with Variety, the protagonist of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Ismael Cruz Córdova, who plays the elf Arondir, stated that the reaction was so strong that the studio hired a psychologist to support the actors on set. Ismael Cruz Córdova praised the therapist and revealed that even when he didn’t need to talk to her, having her on set was a comfort.

“You need support when this happens to you because the voices are so loud and come from so many places,” said the Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power actor. “I loved having the psychologist there, even though we didn’t talk. I knew there was someone there who could support me. They weren’t attacking me as an actor and that hurt me. It had a psychological and mental health impact on me. That’s something I talk about very freely, so that people understand that what they do and say on social media really hurts people. It has an impact on us. My phone was hacked. Try to hack my bank account. My PayPal was hacked. My friends received messages. I received death threats. They mailed me things. People found out my address. I had to experience many unpleasant things.