Rings of Power star slipped Welsh word into show

Morfydd Clark, a star of The Rings of Power, has added a touch of Welsh to the Lord of the Rings spin-off, slipping the Welsh word “cer,” meaning “go,” into a scene from the show. The second season of the US fantasy TV drama is set to premiere on Thursday.

Clark, who hails from Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, reprises her role as the elf Galadriel. In a notable moment from the first season, her character commands her horse with the Welsh term, showcasing Clark’s heritage. Clark isn’t alone in her Welsh connections on the show; her co-stars Owain Arthur and Trystan Gravelle also speak Welsh.

Owain Arthur, who plays Durin IV, shared his thoughts on working with fellow Welsh speakers. “If you’re a Welsh speaker, it’s hard not to speak Welsh with another Welsh speaker,” he said. “It’s a lovely experience—though we don’t use it to talk about people behind their backs, I promise.”

Arthur reflected on the comfort of speaking Welsh while filming in New Zealand, which was a long way from home. “Being on the other side of the world and having that little piece of home helped with the feeling of ‘hiraeth,’” he explained, referring to the Welsh term for homesickness.

Despite his close ties to the language, Arthur didn’t catch the Welsh word hidden in the first season. “I didn’t spot it at all,” he admitted with a laugh. “I’ll definitely have to rewatch and ask Morfydd about it.”

Arthur, known for his role in S4C’s Rownd a Rownd, revealed that he often looks for opportunities to include Welsh in his work. “I always try to slip some Welsh in,” he said. “I think a lot in Welsh, so it’s natural for me.”

The showrunners, McKay and JD Payne, noted that the second season, which was filmed across the UK, had a distinctly Welsh feel. “I visited Wales a couple of months ago, and as soon as I crossed the bridge, it felt like entering Middle-earth,” Payne commented. “The landscapes, especially in Snowdonia, made it feel like we were wandering through the mountains and forests of Middle-earth—it was truly spectacular.”

The second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be available on Prime Video starting August 29.