Charlie Vickers joins forces with Dunhill, bringing his distinct style to life at Bourdon House, Dunhill’s London flagship boutique. The actor wears Dunhill head-to-toe, blending classic tailoring with modern flair with its rich history and undeniable style, which perfectly complements the vibe of this shoot with a mix of tradition and edge. His looks are about understated luxury, with sharp cuts and rich textures that fit like a second skin. This partnership doesn’t just show off the clothes; it captures a moment where heritage meets cool, proving Dunhill is as timeless as it is current.

A HERO IN DISGUISE

Photos by EDDIE BLAGBROUGH

In J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive world of Middle-earth, one actor takes center stage: Charlie Vickers. Embodying malevolent power, Charlie portrays Sauron, the Dark Lord, in the critically acclaimed Amazon Prime series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. 
The actor, who appeared in popular global shows like Medici and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, broke through the mold in 2022 with his portrayal as Halbrand/Sauron in the hugely successful Amazon series The Rings of Power. The show, set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s richly imagined Middle-earth, allowed Charlie to delve into intricate characters and themes. His nuanced performance required him to balance Halbrand's noble facade with Sauron's dark, manipulative nature. Charlie approached this duality by aligning the characters' psychological motivations with their quest for control and power. He emphasized that while Halbrand and Sauron share the same underlying drive, the external manifestations of their personalities needed to be distinct. He achieved this distinction through changes in physicality, vocal tone, and accent, demonstrating his commitment to capturing the essence of each character. But Charlie’s work extends beyond portraying the complex villainy of Sauron as at the core of his performance is a message of hope and resilience. In fact, despite the darkness that his characters embody, Charlie's ultimate goal is to offer audiences more than just a spectacle of power and conflict—in a world that often feels weighed down by its own challenges, Charlie’s portrayal serves as a reminder that even in the bleakest moments, hope and strength can shine through.

David Gargiulo __ Tell me about yourself and how you got into acting.

Charlie Vickers __ I grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and spent most of my childhood in a town called Geelong, about an hour and a half from Melbourne, down in the southern part of Australia. I didn’t have a straightforward path into acting. My only way in was through the plays I did in high school. That’s really where it all started for me. I remember falling in love with performing on stage when I was about 12 years old. I kept doing more of it throughout high school. My drama teacher was quite influential as she believed I could become an actor and even suggested I pursue it as a career. But I never fully believed I could do it. I always had this fear of failure, of auditioning and not getting the role. Honestly, it didn’t feel realistic to make a career out of acting because it felt like such a far-off dream. So, I went to university and took an arts degree in Melbourne—nothing to do with acting. But I kept doing a bit of amateur theater on the side. It was my brother who gave me the idea of drama school. He came back from a trip to England and told me about some amazing drama schools there. He knew I was interested in acting, so I looked them up and found that one of them, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, even held auditions in Sydney. I flew up for an audition, and six weeks later, I found out I got in. After that, I moved to London, and the rest is history.

DG __ Wow—I really made you go down memory lane [laughs]

CV __ Yeah, exactly. [laughs] It’s been a long journey with many ups and downs, but it’s been amazing. I’ve been very lucky.

DG __ You've worked in the historical drama Medici and the fantasy series The Rings of Power. What are the unique challenges and rewards of acting in these different genres?

CV __ I think one of the biggest challenges in acting is constantly asking yourself the “what if” question. Medici was a real challenge because I had just finished drama school and had no experience with screen acting. My training was entirely in theater, so I had to learn how to tell a story on screen. But, it was also a great opportunity as I was working with incredible people and talented actors, and we were traveling around beautiful Italy, filming in some of the most spectacular locations. It's been a similar experience with The Rings of Power, enormously challenging but also incredibly rewarding in so many ways. The preparation for it was very demanding and rigorous. The world of The Rings of Power is so vast that I've had to dive deep into the source material to do it justice. That process, reading a lot and really digging into the world, has been wonderful. I’d say that with The Rings of Power, the challenge itself has been the reward. There’s never really a "finished product" in acting, but the process of developing the character and working through those challenges becomes incredibly fulfilling. 

DG __ Has portraying characters in different time periods and worlds taught you anything surprising about yourself or your craft?

CV __ Yeah, I think I've learned a lot, mainly because it's such a demanding role. First of all, the scale of the project is massive. When you walk onto the set on the first day, you really need a moment to adjust. It can be quite overwhelming because there are so many people on set, and you feel the weight of the Tolkien universe, for lack of a better way of putting it. I've learned how to handle that pressure. It's been an ongoing learning process to let go of other's expectations while making this show. I’ve loved the opportunity to sink my teeth into something with such vast source material. Tolkien has created these wonderful worlds that we get to play in, and I wanted to do the character justice. To understand the character as deeply as I could, I spent a lot of time going through Tolkien's works. For instance, I focused a lot on The Silmarillion, particularly the chapters related to Sauron. I even tried to read the whole thing a couple of times. It’s quite a slog; honestly it’s not the easiest read. [laughs]

DG __ Lots of descriptions! [laughs]

CV __ Oh yeah, absolutely. [laughs] But it taught me how to take the source material and pick and choose the bits that best serve the development of a character.

DG __ This is a good segue into my next question. In addition to the vast Tolkien’s world, your character is so iconic. I mean, Sauron is a massive character. Were there specific elements of his backstory that you found particularly compelling or challenging?

CV __ I think there's a huge amount to unpack. To do him justice, I felt there was so much I needed to read and learn about. If I had to pick a few standout elements, I loved reading the story of Beren and Lúthien in The Silmarillion. It offers such an in-depth look at the development of Sauron as a character. It's fascinating how Tolkien originally imagined him as Tevildo, a giant house cat ruling over a lair. Seeing how that concept evolved into the Sauron we know was really insightful. One sequence that stuck with me is his conflict with Lúthien, where he changes form and she taunts him before he flees, hinting at his fear and submission to Morgoth. That dynamic was really compelling to me. The Akallabêth and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age chapters, which cover the time period of our show, were also fascinating. I found myself obsessed with them; maybe it’s because they relate directly to the show. I focused a lot on what Tolkien emphasized about what drives Sauron. We often think of him as a villain, but for me, it’s not useful to approach him that way. As Tolkien even mentions in his letters, Sauron’s motivations are about reordering and "rehabilitating" Middle-earth. I don't know if you're familiar with them, but they’re a collection of his personal and professional letters, which provided great insight into what Tolkien envisioned for Sauron.

DG __ Wow, you were not kidding. The amount of reading and research you have done is quite impressive!

CV __ As I mentioned, I wanted to do him justice. Tolkien describes Sauron as the definition of evil, but as an actor, I need to find a real emotional throughline. Those letters helped me understand Sauron’s love for order, craft, and art. That’s why this season is so exciting—we're focusing on the crafting of the rings, which ties directly into his character's obsession.

DG __ Are you familiar with Dungeons & Dragons?

CV __ I've played it a few times with some friends. I was in Australia at the time, why?

DG __ Because when I listen to your description of Sauron, my mind goes to D&D and how he seems to fit perfectly into the "lawful evil" alignment, someone who desires order and power but uses violent and aggressive means to achieve it.

“There’s never really a ‘finished product’ in acting, but the process of developing the character and working through those challenges becomes incredibly fulfilling.”

CV __ That's a great way to put it. He has these lofty ambitions and goals that he can justify, but the means he uses are abhorrent, and that’s the villainous side of him. As a performer, his psychology is what's really intriguing and challenging. I grappled with this a lot, especially in the second season. We have to remember, I’m human, we’re all human, and we interpret things from a human perspective. But Sauron is a demigod; he doesn’t feel human emotions. So, I can only relate to him through the prism of humanity. We tried to incorporate moments where he doesn’t react in a typical human way, or sometimes there are more human reactions thus adding a bit of ambiguity. 

DG __ Talking of reactions, how was yours when you found out you would play Sauron?

CV __ Oh man, it was wild. I actually filmed the first two episodes of the show before I found out. It was funny because when we got to New Zealand, no one knew who Sauron would be. Given the time period and the lore, we all kind of figured he’d be in the show, but he wasn't in the script. So, we were all guessing amongst ourselves—like, which of these characters could be Sauron? Where's he hiding? A lot of people thought it might be Halbrand. I thought it made sense too. I went through a whole audition process with Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, and they tested our chemistry quite a bit. So, I thought maybe that's why they put so much effort into it. But, honestly, I didn’t want to believe it. Then, a few months before we began filming the third episode, the showrunners called me into their office, sat me down, and said, "We want to tell you that Halbrand is Sauron. You're playing Sauron." It was more of a relief than anything because I’d had my suspicions and had been doing some research on the side. It was a relief to finally be like, "Alright, now I can fully dive into my Sauron work."

DG __ Got it. Yeah, I would have freaked out!

CV __ Well, I think because I had my suspicions, I had enough time to process the possibility of me being Sauron. I think all my freaking out happened over those four months before I found out.

DG __ Good, you mentioned Halbrand because I wanted to dive into the concept of duality of the character. How did you approach playing two characters that are so different? Halbrand appears noble, while Sauron is dark and manipulative. How did you balance that within a single character?

CV __ The key point is that they are the same character. Halbrand and Sauron are one, but what sets them apart is Sauron’s commitment to deception; he’s the ultimate deceiver. With Halbrand, Sauron found a way to crawl into people's minds and offer them exactly what they needed at that moment. Like with Galadriel, he tapped into her need to find and confront the darkness, becoming her ally in that quest throughout the first season. In the second season, he does something similar with Celebrimbor, but under the guise of Annatar. There, he appeals to Celebrimbor's sense of hubris and desire to achieve greatness. That's Sauron’s ultimate skill, knowing how to manipulate and give people just what they need or want. When connecting the two characters, I focused on aligning their psychological motivations: the desire to reorder, rehabilitate, and 'heal' Middle-earth, and the idea of power not just over the flesh, but of the flesh itself. Externally, I wanted to distinguish them physically and vocally. Halbrand had a weightiness and roughness to him that supported his sense of nobility. For Annatar, we developed a different accent and pitch of speech, with more contained and flowing movements. Initially, I thought everything about Annatar had to be the opposite of Halbrand. But as we rehearsed, I realized they share more than you'd think and don't need to be complete opposites. That realization was quite refreshing. There are many different approaches, but ultimately, they are the same. The characters seek the same thing; it's just that they are at different stages in his journey, interacting with different people. 

DG __ Speaking of what they seek, I know Sauron believes he’s doing the right thing by bringing order, but it often seems like he's just seeking power and that the idea of order is just an excuse. What’s your take on that?

CV __ I think you're right. It’s like one is a symptom or a byproduct of the other—they go hand in hand. For Sauron, it's all about control, and control is a form of power. Often, the psychological quest for control stems from a lack of control in the past, but that’s hard to apply to a demigod. For him to control Middle-earth, he needs power, and through that power comes the order he desires—with him at the center. Power is the building block; he must have it to achieve what he wants. It's his single-minded focus on that pursuit of power that sends him down the rabbit hole of evil.

DG __ Exactly. I'd like to try drawing a parallel to our modern world. Do you think there are parallels between Sauron's character and how power is often used or misused in today's world?

CV __ That's the thing about Tolkien, right? It's why these stories have endured for generations. They’re timeless. The stories he wrote, with their notions of power and good versus evil, reflect dynamics we've seen in society since he wrote them. Tolkien, however, didn’t want his stories to be used as allegory. But, you know, it's human nature to draw comparisons. And I think that’s a very fair point; his stories aren’t just about good versus evil or power corrupting; they’re also about love and hope. There’s so much hope in his works, and we see those forces of good reflected in our society as well. What I love about Tolkien’s work is how it balances being equally dark and whimsical. For example, take all the stuff with Tom Bombadil, the story can be joyful and lighthearted while still representing the deeper darkness in the world.

DG __ I didn’t know Tolkien didn’t want his work to be used as an allegory.

CV __ I remember reading he disliked the idea. But I think it’s natural for people to find connections as ultimately these are stories about humanity. 

DG  __ So, it doesn’t matter if the stories are set in a mystical world; the themes are going to repeat over and over again in our history.

CV __ And that's precisely why these stories are so powerful.

DG __ Building on what you mentioned about love and unity, the message of hope. The Rings of Power brings together characters from different races and cultures, highlighting their tensions but also their eventual cooperation. How do you see these interactions reflecting contemporary issues of race, ethnicity, and cultural conflict?

CV __ We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved, both in front of and behind the camera. It’s a privilege to be part of such a diverse ensemble, and that diversity reflects what we stand for as a company. It’s something we want to share with the world, to show that diversity and inclusion matter. There’s been some criticism about casting decisions made on the show, some of it frankly abhorrent, and we’ve condemned them wholeheartedly. The world of Tolkien is a world for everyone, and we wanted to reflect that reality. That’s the parallel to contemporary society and culture that we hope to draw.

DG __ That is such a powerful message. I love that aspect; there's space for everyone, especially when they set their minds to something.

CV __ Absolutely. And we often see that in Tolkien’s works, like with the Harfoots or the Hobbits in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They represent how it’s not always the most powerful who change the world; it’s the hope and perseverance against adversity that truly stand out. I’ve always found that incredibly moving.

DG __ I would like to end the interview with this message of hope and resilience. What message do you hope viewers will take away from the show?

CV __ I hope people simply enjoy the show and have fun watching it. As artists, we don’t really have control over how our work is interpreted. We create the art, and once it's out there, it's up to the audience. My hope is that the show brings happiness, laughter, and inspiration. I just want people to find joy in it and connect with the characters’ journey.

Photographer Eddie Blagbrough, Stylist Chloe Beeney @ Dawn Mason Inc, Groomer Nadia Altinbas, Interviewer & Producer David Gargiulo, Talent Charlie Vickers, Public Relation Premier.