podcast, the actor tells me that an on-set therapist was on hand to offer help after the show received racist backlash against its inclusive and diverse casting. “You need support when this happens because the voices are so loud and they’re coming at you from so many places,” Córdova says.when we spoke, says the therapist’s presence alone was beneficial. “I loved seeing her there, even if we didn’t speak,” he said. “I knew there was someone there seeing me completely.
The therapist was brought on board when production resumed shooting after pausing during the pandemic. Córdova’s character Arondir is the first person of color to play an elf onscreen in the “LOTR” universe. “It hurt,” Córdova says of the backlash. “It had a psychological and mental health impact. That’s something that I’m very, very open about so that people understand that what they do and say online really hurts people, really has an impact on us.
It wasn’t just attacks on social media. “My phone got hacked,” Córdova recalls. “I had bank account attempts of being hacked. My PayPal got hacked. My friends got messages. I got death threats. I got things mailed to me. People found out my address. It was a lot of that.”Córdova has also been open about how badly he wanted to be on the show — so much so that when he wasn’t originally cast, he convinced producers to reconsider. “I grew up with that rejection all around me.
After starring in the “LOTR” universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe may also be in Córdova’s future. He says Marvel Studios have reached out to him about different projects: “I have very good relationship with the Marvel casting directors.”