the discovery of Lord of the Rings: Rings of Powerthe Welsh actress is the laureate of the “Madame Figaro Rising Star” award, which was awarded at the Cannes Film Festival on April 14.
“The most beautiful and powerful of the elves in the Middle-earth Kingdom.” This is how JRR Tolkien, a cult author Lord of the Rings, described Galadriel, which was immortalized after Cate Blanchett signed on in the famous film of the saga signed by Peter Jackson. A mysterious, wise figure, as respected as he is feared. In other words, an icon for millions of fans of the invention of the fantasy genre. And a high-pressure role for an actress who was poised to win it in the Amazon Prime Video event series, Lord of the Rings : power rings, with a record budget of 100 billion dollars. A challenge that 34-year-old British actress Morphy Clark seems to have been able to overcome with disturbing ease.
His film career was just beginning to take off in the UK, with supporting roles Dracula And Its dark materials. at the crossroads of worlds – when he won the famous audition for the series in 2019. The pressure of such a pharaonic project could scare him. just as the epic shooting in New Zealand that lasted eighteen months forced the epidemic. He did not hesitate. Perhaps because the actress felt “ready” for this unusual role.
I knew the work by heart and for a long time imagined myself developing in this magical universe.
Morfid Clarke
“I grew up in Penarth, a small town in Wales, a region and a language that inspired Tolkien. Our father read to me and my sister The Hobbit nights to sleep and we spent all afternoons watching the trilogies. I knew the work by heart and for a long time I imagined myself developing in this magical universe,” explains the young woman, who is still excited about “her dream that Tolkien finally came true” at the age of 30. It is also likely that this role was predetermined for him. it suggests his Welsh surname, which invokes the Arthurian legend and the dragon symbol of his Celtic homeland. Just like her haughty silhouette and long gray-blonde lady with a unicorn, framing a face of angular and ambiguous beauty.
“Morphid exudes a quiet power with a constant electrical energy vibrating behind it. An absolutely hypnotic combination,” says director Armando Iannucci The Personal Story of David Copperfield in 2019, where she played both the mother and the bride of the Dickensian character. Her masterful interpretation of the psychiatric nurse Saint-MaudThe horror thriller (Grand Prix 2020 at the Gérardmer Festival), has already won him the accolades of Kristen Stewart, “confused by the film” and the recognition of his peers, the prestigious Bafta award “Rising Star 2021”. British cinema.
Since September of last year, and the spread rings of power, Morphy Clarke’s star is only soaring to the firmament it deserves. The numbers are astounding. the series has already been watched by 100 million viewers worldwide. In the middle of filming season 2 rings of power In London, “four weeks of night shots,” he says with energy, Morfid Clarke shares with us his joy at receiving the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award, presented on April 14 at the opening ceremony of the CannesSéries 2023 international series. festival.
“I’m fascinated by this new wave of incredible young actresses.”
Madame Figaro. – You will receive the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award at the 2023 Cannes Series Festival. What does such an event mean to you?
Morfid Clarke. I am extremely grateful to be honored in this way for my work. It reminds me how lucky I am to be doing this job today. More than ever, women in the film and TV industry have the opportunity to showcase the full power of their talent. I am a fan of the brilliant work of Daisy Edgar-Jones, Phoebe Dinavore and Sidney Sweeney, Madame Figaro Rising Stars, who came before me. I feel obsessed with this new wave of incredible young actresses.
Red carpets and their glamour, what is your relationship with them?
As a spectator, climbing the steps of the Cannes Film Festival is always an exciting event. It highlights all that fashion represents in terms of creativity and audacity with a unique drama. But as an actress, when I have to walk the red carpet, everything is more complicated. I do this thing because I like to hide behind characters. I have a hard time being “me” in a performance. It wasn’t until recently, observing supermodel Bella Hadid and her prowess on the red carpet that I realized the special talent it required. It is a performance in itself. “Morfydd in public” is still the role that scares me the most. I prefer to play Galadriel or Maude (in: Saint-Maud, by Rose Glass, editor’s note).
Which series are you a fan of?
I have to curb my compulsive side. I grew up “drinking” all seasons late into the night, only to bitterly regret it the next day. The golden age of premium soap operas, with just one episode a week, for example Game Of Thrones, lets you wait in delicious feverish anticipation that you share with a community of fans. I felt that recently is awesome The Last of Us (Amazon). Speech by Sydney Sweeney Euphoria totally blew me away. Bad sisters (Apple TV+), I felt like a part of their brothers and sisters. And English:, with Emily Blunt (Canal+). One of the best productions I’ve seen in years. Realistic westerns with stunning beauty. There were diseases, violence, everything of the time. The day after the last episode, as I wandered the streets of London’s Soho, I felt homesick at the thought of never seeing his characters again…
“Tolkien runs in your blood”
How did your title come about?
School was a pain for me. Dyslexic, diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder, Editor’s Note) at 7, I stopped following the normal course at 16 because I was lucky enough to have a pediatrician mother and an engineer father who understood that I was not cut out. for “classical” studies. My parents used to show me a lot of movies when I was a kid. One of them deeply shocked me. The boy who stopped talkingBen Sombogaart (1986), about an immigrant child in Holland and his refusal to accept his new life. Discovering this movie by reading the subtitles very early opened me up to reading, foreign languages, auteur films, new universes. He opened up a field of possibilities. All pupils in schools in Wales take part in a St David’s Day reciting, dancing or singing competition. Although I almost never won, I developed an unlimited taste for the show. It has become an internal need. Integrating at the National Youth Theater of Wales and then the London Drama Center (where he was preceded by Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender, editor’s note) confirmed to me that I had finally found my place.
Rings of power is the most expensive TV series in history, adapted from J.R.R. From the founding saga of Tolkien’s fantasy. How did you land this coveted role?
Not knowing I was auditioning for the show, or even Galadriel specifically. Even if I knew Tolkien, and there were already rumors about such an adaptation. So I went into it blind, knowing it was an important series and that “I might be playing an elf in it.” When my casting neighbor informed me that it was Lord of the Rings, I ran to the toilet. I motivated myself in front of the mirror. “You will get there. You’ve been waiting for this moment for years. You know what to do, Tolkien runs in your blood. And the palette of gaming emotions that this fantasy universe allows, deep and unbridled, suits me so well. But even today, when I arrive on set wearing this Joan of Arc armor, seeing the crazy work of the prosthetists behind the creatures and the crazy work of the set designers hard at work recreating Middle-earth, I’m amazed that I’m physically designed for this in a dream. . Being an actor is above all else for me and it’s always teamwork.
Women in Norse sagas are often powerful and terrifying
Morfid Clarke
This series aims to be more comprehensive. Have we entered a new era?
Series producers Jay Day Payne and Patrick McKay made it particularly inclusive in terms of visible minorities, from female directors overseeing episodes to reimagining my character as a warrior and femininity avenger, which has. confused some. But I’m proud to be a part of it rings of power also for this reason. When we talk about more diversity in the series, we see more and more personal stories, character types and different points of view. This should not scare people, on the contrary. And I don’t understand the relevance of repeating what has already been done in the same way. In Welsh mythology and Norse sagas, for example, women are often powerful and terrifying. Elves like Galadriel are beautiful, but also terrifying when they unleash their immense powers. This disturbing and elusive aspect is at the heart of many roles and performances of actresses today. A fascinating trend to explore.
Does a career in Hollywood make you dream?
After eighteen months of filming in New Zealand, far from home, my answer is… no. I live between London and Wales. Recommend a movie in France instead. I first felt about your art of living uniquely in the world by working for a day Madame Bovary, In 2014 (with Mia Wasikowska). eight hours a day shooting, wine with dinner… Happiness.
Here you are on board for five seasons. Long term commitment… Do you have other projects in between the two seasons?
I already have my own story of big productions with teams of hundreds of people working on monumental sets. So I’m aiming for something “small”. I’m going to play Ophelia in a modern version of Hamlet starring Riz Ahmed (The Sisters Brothers, Jacques Audiard, Ed.) in the title role.
Source: Le Figaro
