‘Rings of Power’ Star Eddie Marsan on Playing a Power-Hungry Dwarf and Why He Once Had 2,000 Pairs of Orlando Bloom’s Elf Ears in His Attic

In season three of *The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power*, Eddie Marsan plays Thrain, the overlooked elder son of the late King Durin III, who returns to challenge his younger brother Durin IV for the crown. The succession dispute brings a new power struggle to Khazad-dûm after Durin III’s death and the events of the second-season finale.

Marsan said he accepted the role because he enjoyed the series and wanted to take the mickey out of his friend Peter Mullan, who played his character’s father. He also has a long family connection to the films: his wife, make-up artist Janine Schneider-Marsan, worked on the original trilogy, and their loft once held about 2,000 pairs of Orlando Bloom’s prosthetic elf ears. Marsan described Thrain as a figure who feels he should have been king, comparing his position to Fredo in *The Godfather*.