Lenny Henry has reflected on his role in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings series The Rings of Power, saying: "I was always aiming at something like this."
The 64-year-old comedian and actor, best known for his lively, humorous roles, stars as Sadoc Burrows in the new series inspired by author JRR Tolkien's extended notes.
Reflecting on his transition from solo comedian to seasoned actor, Henry told the PA news agency: "I’d been doing comedy since I was 16 years old, and then I did Othello and then The Comedy of Errors at the National Theatre… I wanted to work with great scripts.
"You know, I think when you do Shakespeare you kind of go, you want to do good things.
"So that was my goal, to be in things, where I could be in a good thing with other people that were good.
"To me, the change happened in the last 10 to 15 years, and I was always aiming at something like this."
Speaking at the premiere for the highly anticipated show, which launches on Amazon Prime on September 2, Henry shared his love for forming "little families" with each project he is a part of.
"I think the change from being a solo comedian to being an actor with groups of people and forming these little families continually, made me realise that I wanted to be connected with other people, with other actors," he said.
The series is set thousands of years before the events of the world-renowned The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books and follows the events of the Second Age and the forging of the famous rings.
Henry added: "This is a big show, so if you’re not going to enjoy this you might as well go home, so I’m really enjoying myself."
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power begins on Amazon Prime on September 2, with new episodes available weekly.
Source: Press Association
