‘Rings of Power’: Iranian Activism Is Reflected in Nazanin Boniadi’s Character

The former “Homeland” actress Nazanin Boniadi portrays the role of Bronwyn, a human healer who leads the Southlanders in a conflict with the Orcs in the fifth and sixth episodes of the program.

In Iran, where women face discrimination, segregation, and a lack of fundamental human rights due to the country’s harsh government, Boniadi explains her commitment to fighting for women’s rights, saying, “I knew this role resonated with me since I had been doing this advocacy for 14 years.”

In the first episode of the series, Bronwyn, played by Boniadi, is a human healer leading a peaceful existence in a village in the Southlands of Middle-Earth. She is in a clandestine relationship with elf soldier Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) and a single mother to Theo, a disobedient teenager (Tyroe Muhafidin). Bronwyn finds herself in charge as a band of Orcs threatens to invade her territory.

The Rings of Power actress, who was fostered in London but is Iranian by birth, even performed at Comic-Con earlier this year that was devoted to the women of Iran.

Boniadi recalls, “Onstage in Hall H, I dedicated my part to the courageous women of Iran, who are at the forefront of the struggle for freedom and democracy in my country.

“I was motivated to perform this part by these courageous ladies”, she continued.

In an interview with THR, Boniadi discusses how she landed the Bronwyn part, the lack of diversity in on-screen fantasy, and her activism in Iran.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available on Prime Video every Friday.