Welsh actress Morfydd Clark is set to become a household name thanks to her role as elven queen Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime.
Set in JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Morfydd’s gutsy warrior-like portrayal of Galadriel is a total change from Cate Blanchett’s ethereal performance in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films, and one which is tipped to make her a worldwide star.
Although this is by far her biggest role to date, 33-year-old Morfydd has been acting since she was a teenager. She’s starred in a wide range of television, film and stage productions and already has two BAFTA nominations under her belt. But what else is there to know about this self-confessed home bird? Let us fill you in…
Morfydd Clark is fluent in English and Welsh
Morfydd Clark was born in Sweden on 17th March 1989, making her a Pisces. Raised by her Northern Irish Glaswegian father and Welsh mother, Morfydd’s family moved to Penarth in Wales when she was two. Educated in a Welsh-language school from the age of seven, the actress is fluent in both English and Welsh, and her party trick is reciting the Welsh alphabet to non-speakers of the language.
Being bilingual definitely has had its benefits for Morfydd when it comes to her work. As Tolkien's Elvish was based on Welsh, she was able to help her Rings of Power co-stars with the pronunciation of the dialect.
She’s already played her dream role
Morfydd had her first taste of acting at 13 when she played Mrs Dai Bred Two in Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood. After leaving school at 16, she won a place at the National Youth Theatre of Wales, then went on to continue her training at the Drama Centre London. During her final term there, Morfydd took on the principal role in Saunders Lewis’ play Blodeuwedd at the Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru.
Describing the part as her ‘dream role’ in an interview with Bazaar UK she revealed: “It’s a story from the Math fab Mathonwy, which is a collection of Welsh legends and folktales. It’s about this woman who was created for a man who couldn’t marry a woman from the realm of men, and she’s made out of flowers and is wild — just like the seasons. I would love to play her again, in a different setting.”
She has built up an impressive acting CV
Gifted Morfydd has made a name for herself in the acting world with standout performances on both stage and screen. Her theatre credits include two of Shakespeare’s most iconic tragedies — Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre and Cordelia in King Lear at The Old Vic, and she’s also trodden the boards in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Donmar Warehouse.
Film-wise, she played Frederica Vernon in Whit Stillman’s Love & Friendship and has had roles in His Dark Materials, Eternal Beauty and The Personal History of David Copperfield.
She’s been nominated for a BAFTA, twice
Morfydd’s breakthrough role came in 2019 when she starred in the psychological thriller Saint Maud. Playing the eponymous Maud, an unhinged hospice nurse who becomes obsessed with a former dancer in her care. Morfydd’s co-star was Pride and Prejudice legend Jennifer Ehle, who she admitted was one of her childhood acting heroes and a ‘total privilege’ to work alongside.
Saint Maud received huge acclaim from industry critics and Morfydd’s chilling performance earned her two BAFTA nominations — one for Best Actress in 2020, and the 2021 Rising Star Award.
She fainted after being cast in The Rings of Power
Morfydd can vividly remember where she was when she learnt she’d been cast as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – sat in a hotel room, having her hair and makeup done. The life-changing call came moments before she appeared at the 2019 Toronto Film Festival for the premiere The Personal History of David Copperfield.
Morfydd was so overwhelmed she ended up fainting on stage. “I just hit the deck and passed out,” she revealed during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “I was looking at my sister in the audience and I suddenly couldn’t see her anymore, but I managed to get off stage. It’s recorded, so you just see me wandering off slightly glassy-eyed, and then I was caught by a security guard, which was really nice.”
She feels blessed to be playing Galadriel
As a proud member of the fantasy fandom, Morfydd was in her element during the filming of The Rings of Power, which took place in New Zealand. In an interview with Empire she said: “It was like being on a school trip. I got to do swimming, riding, climbing…”
The honor of following in acting legend Cate Blanchett’s footsteps was not lost on Morfydd, who admitted she was also in awe of the incredible production, which is reported to have cost a record-breaking $1 billion. “I was not aware of how limited my imagination is until I stepped onto the set,” she confessed.
She enjoys a singsong her sister
It’s been a whirlwind few years for in-demand Morfydd, but when she does get the chance to chill she likes nothing better than returning to rural Wales. “I love a staycation, just being in my house and my friends coming to me,” she confessed to Time Out Dubai.
“I like climbing and I draw. And I sing a lot with my sister — not to anyone, just us two. She’s amazing at the piano and we just sing along together to whatever song we’re into at the time.”
She's an animal lover
Penarth-raised Morfydd is incredibly proud of her Welsh roots. Her parents and sister still live there, and her auntie and uncle run the same farm her grandad was born on, near Corwen. Morfydd loves getting stuck into farming life, which includes helping out during lambing season. "It's so fun," she told Wales Online. "We go up to help with the lambing, and when all your family is working doing the same thing it's quite amazing."
Morfydd is also a dog mum to a very cute white little pooch, who appears in posts on her Instagram account.
Morfydd Clark’s fact file
Frequently asked questions about the actress…
How old is Morfydd Clark?
Morfydd Clark is 33, she was born on 17th March 1989.
Is Morfydd Clark married?
Morfydd Clark is not married.
Does Morfydd Clark have any children?
Morfydd Clark does not have any children.
Where was Morfydd Clark born?
Morfydd was born in Sweden.
How tall is Morfydd Clark?
Morfydd is 5 foot 3.
Instagram: @morfydd_clark
We work hard to ensure that all information is correct. Facts that change over time, such as age, will be correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of the last article update.
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