Who is Owain Arthur? Meet the Irish actor who plays Prince Durin IV in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Irish actor Owain Arthur, famous for his role in A Confession, will appear on Prime Video's upcoming series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as Prince Durin IV alongside Sophia Nomvete's Princess Disa. The eight-episode series is set to premiere on Friday, September 2, 2022, at 9.00 pm ET.

The dwarven realm of Khazad-dûm will be celebrated in the highly-anticipated series along with its magnificent royals, Prince Durin (Arthur) and Princess Disa (Nomvete). Durin and Disa will stumble across unusual alliances and unforeseen challenges. This will occur as they take action to protect their subterranean realm from an evil thriving in Middle-earth's isolated areas.

The upcoming LOTR series is expected to unfold its storyline over several seasons. With the first season already making headlines, fans of the franchise can expect an extraordinary adaptation of the age-old tales of the legendary rings.

Ahead of the series premiere, meet Owain Arthur and his The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power character, Prince Durin IV.

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Irish actor Owain Arthur has a background in theatre

Owain Arthur is best known for his role as Francis Henshall in The National Theatre's production of One Man, Two Guvnors at the Theater Royal Haymarket, after which he understudied James Corden. His theater accomplishments include The History Boys (NT), Romeo and Juliet (Royal Shakespeare Company), The Comedy of Errors (Royal Exchange), and Birdsong by Nicholas Hytner (Comedy Theater).

The Irish actor has appeared on several TV shows, including A Confession, London Kills, Hard Sun, Hinterland, Babylon, Casualty, Cei Bach, New Tricks, and The Palace. Moreover, he has starred in numerous movies, including White Island, The Patrol, Mr. Nice, Eldra, Higher Grounds, and Disney's forthcoming The One and Only Ivan.

In a 2022 Comic-Con interview, Owain Arthur reportedly commented on his role in the upcoming series, saying,

"It was one of those things that when I got cast as Durin and I got to play a dwarf, it was like, ‘Yes! I get to wear prosthetics. I get to wear a wig and carry a beard and put all these glorious costumes on.’ And the majority of the time I have to say I’ve been quite negative of it."

He added,

"I loved it, I’ve absolutely loved it, and it was an honor really to be able to put it on – as painful and tiring as it was."

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Owain Arthur plays Prince Durin IV, prince of Khazad-dûm

Durin IV was the fourth monarch to bear the name Durin. Like the previous three, many people believe he is the reincarnation of Durin I because of their uncanny similarities.

He was seen wearing the power ring bestowed upon his predecessor Durin III and will most likely reign during the War of the Last Alliance. He serves as the prince of Khazad-dûm, a thriving underground kingdom.

Reports introduced Owain Arthur's Durin IV, saying:

"Their father is Durin III, the ruler of Khazad-dûm, and one of the original holders of the Dwarven Rings of Power. These Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, or Moria as it is later known, contribute heavily to several key conflicts across JRR Tolkien's Second Age that The Rings of Power is likely to portray, including the fall of the Dark Lord Sauron at the end of the Second Age."

In an interview with CBS, when asked about his dwarven representation and thoughts on being a part of the legendary narrative, Arthur responded, stating that it has been nothing less than "an honor."

Talking about his appearance, he added,

"For me, my beard is in about 16 pieces, and throughout the various stages of the build, you kind of go, 'Oh, there he is!' [laughs] It wasn't until those last little cones, right here [on the cheekbones] -- it was like, 'There he is! Off you go to work!'"

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Tune in to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video this Friday at 9 pm ET to get the first glimpse of Owain Arthur's Prince Durin IV.