The Lord of the Rings franchise expanded in 2022, thanks to the fantasy series The Rings of Power. The series, which is available to stream using a Prime Video subscription, honored what fans know about the mythical world created by J.R.R. Tolkien decades ago. However, it also expanded upon it and switched things up a bit. Arguably the biggest way it added to the lore was by introducing dwarves and elves played by actors of color. Sophia Nomvete played a member of the former group of Middle-earth denizens and, unfortunately, she experienced racist blacklash over her casting. Nomvete has since opened up about her experiences with the negativity, saying that she was the “most attacked” star of the show.
As was the case with many of her Rings of Power castmates, Sophia Nomvete’s hiring was announced in January 2020 and, as the premiere drew closer photos of her character, Princess Disa, were released by the streamer. A number of fans took to social media to express their pleasure in seeing a dwarf played by a woman of color, while others lashed out at the decision. Nomvete got candid about the blowback amid THR's Raising Our Voices luncheon. She joked that at least one of the negative comments was “polite,” while many others were just downright inflammatory:
