It’s time to get into Ismael Cruz Córdova. It’s been a tough journey to the top as a Puerto Rican-born actor, struggling to find his space and voice in a Hollywood which still has a long way to go in terms of representation of Latinos on screen, particularly in stories that reflect their experiences.

Already deep into a stage, TV and film career, wowing with his charisma and craft, he’s just stepped into the shoes of Silvan Elf Arondir for Amazon’s billion-dollar epic saga The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. With his sights set on a world beyond stereotypes, it’s finally Ismael's moment and it couldn’t feel more right.

Left Jacket **N21** & jewelry Ismael’s own
Right Full **Calvin Klein**

You’re playing Arondir, a silvan elf, which is great casting for the Tolkien universe, as Middle-Earth finally becomes more diverse. When you learned that you got the role, what was the first thing you did?

Funnily enough it was such a long process to get the role, over 6 or 7 months, doing in-person tapes from different parts of the world, including one during the final stretch when I was in the desert in South Africa, which was quite hectic. I had received two or three rejections at this point for the role, and the stakes were so high, and the journey had been so long, and I hadn’t heard back from my last audition, and I was really stressed and so anxious to hear back. So, I decided to do some self-care and got a room in a nice hotel in New York and ordered some champagne and was just going to take a nice relaxing bath, and then as I was checking into the room, I got the call that I got the role! So, the first thing I did was to scream loudly in front of the concierge, haha! and ran outside and did a little happy dance!

Were you nervous about taking on such a big role? What can we expect from your character’s story arc?

A resounding no! I was excited, grateful, anxious, but in all quite prepared from not only my professional experience, but I would say this is a role that my life has prepared me for, and the circumstances with which I’ve gone into this industry. My life has made me feel extremely ready to take on these roles and perform to the best of my abilities, so that I could not only bring this incredible character into this outstanding fantasy world and give it its full life; but also, be able to dignify and elevate this being that we know by bringing so much meaning as the first elf of colour in this massive classic work.

I grew up very poor and fought for opportunities, and through blood, sweat and tears I made my way to NYC through many obstacles, and like me, my character Arondir is a warrior, with a quiet force behind his eyes that sets him and his journey of curiosity apart, and I feel very familiar with that and his emotional soul. Expect resilience, strength, a depth of empathy but also ferocity and vulnerability from him – both emotional and physical. I hope that all those qualities that come from the character, but also the soul and meaning that I’ve put into bringing him to life, touches people as much as the character has touched and transformed me.

Left Full look **Givenchy**, crown Ismael’s own
Right Sweater **Zadig&Voltaire**, jewelry Ismael’s own

What about how you’ll look? Did you have to sit through layers of makeup and prosthetics, like getting the elf ears on?

My costume is not as flashy and elegant as the high elves, as Arondir is a soldier, but it’s still such a beautiful and elaborate costume and everything in it has meaning. The designer [Kate Hawley], is just incredible and she’s gracious enough to let you have an opinion here and there like with the movement and comfort of it. Arondir is also a short-haired elf which is a departure from the usual aesthetic in the movies, and it’s pretty distinct, and yes those pointy ears took around 2 hours to do the transformation from tired Ismael in the mornings to Arondir!

How did you prepare? Did you have to learn any new skills for the role, like learning to speak elvish?

Yes, I learned a lot of skills, and it was important to me that I was able to bring a different message in the way the character moved, thought and experienced the world as he’s a character with a lot of action, and I wanted to ground that in the mythology of the woodland elves – but then again Arondir is a different kind of elf as it’s the first time you see one like myself, of Afro descent.

So, I trained in Wushu kung fu and Taekwondo martial arts and also in Capoeira which is an Afro-Brazilian martial art which is very appropriate as it’s close to the ground and feels very of the earth and the environment with a different flow, and it’s also an Afro-diasporic martial art so that’s part of my message and part of my contribution to this world too.

I also learned archery, wirework, and did about 95% of my stunts, I was really involved in this process training every day for months and months. Arondir lives and experiences the world through his physicality for the most part, so for me that was his language. I also had a dialect coach [Leith McPherson] who I worked with daily and weekly to learn to speak Elvish, and the bigger challenge was that I had to learn a received pronounciation British accent for the role. I’m not a native English speaker but Leith has an incredible depth of knowledge with Tolkien and Shakespeare, and really guided me by the hand technically, spiritually, and emotionally through the process.

What was it like being in middle earth, filming in New Zealand, did you have any pinch me moments where you were like, this is so surreal, I’m really here?

New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in my life, and I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to travel in my work. It’s a breathtaking place that’s very humbling and it recalibrates you and makes you understand a lot about yourself, humanity, nature, and spirituality. I had a great connection with the Māori culture, my brothers and sisters who brought me into their villages and families and welcomed me, and I gained their respect and it’s been one of the most important experiences of my life. Every day was a pinch me moment in Middle Earth, the way the artists, designers and builders all created these sets and worlds that were so interesting and beautiful with such a depth of detail, so incredibly surreal.

Left Full **Prada**
Right Tank top **Calvin Klein**, jeans **Givenchy**, jewelry Ismael’s own

I read that you often show up in character to an audition, that’s dedication! What did you do for Lord of the Rings?

I didn’t even know I was auditioning for an elf for a long time, so as it progressed more and more, and I experienced the rejections for the role, I became more ferocious about getting the part and I didn’t want to take no for an answer! So while I was working on a movie called Settlers in South Africa, the AD and make up team there were huge LOTR fans and when they heard I had to make another tape, I told them what the scene was and the setting, and they did all this post-battle make up for me and let me use the costume I was wearing and lighting gave me a sky panel and I went and did the whole scene in this tent with the feeling and look and atmosphere. I kind of went full out and I think when you’re committed to something, you have to make those choices!

You’ve had such an eclectic mix of roles in your career so far. From Sesame Street, to playing a boxing champion, then an Italian renaissance violinist to Mary Queen of Scots and now an Elf. Why those choices, and what other genres would you like to try, maybe the next James Bond?

Looking for a voice is what got me into acting. I was always on a quest to find those opportunities in which me and people like myself, could enter spaces where our voices were heard, and considered and have a seat at the table, and for my words to mean something and to matter. I think the visibility aspect and occupying spaces is important and changing in perception, so I’ve worked really hard to say no to certain things and craft and build a body of work that serves a purpose and it’s taken time for that purpose to be clear so people can see and connect the dots.

This mix of roles have often not been open to other ethnicities and people of colour when I started 20 years ago. We’ve moved further on in this journey but we’re definitely not where we should be. That’s part of my crusade, to work on these roles and give a message that we can do it all and occupy these spaces and deserve to shape the image and stereotypes that everyone puts on us, and it’s important for people to rewire themselves and playing different roles helps that. I’m still looking for my superhero, I would love to play one, he’s still out there! Also maybe a romcom, but I heard there is a superstition that you shouldn’t say you want to be the next James Bond, so I won’t!

There have been many Latino’s who’ve made history at the Oscars, from José Ferrer and Rita Moreno, to Benicio del Toro and more recently Ariana DeBose. Being rightly so proud of your Afro-Puerto Rican roots, are you also ready for your big Hollywood moment?

Yes, I’m ready for this moment, everything in my life has taken me to this place and I just feel grateful, and I have given everything to this craft, and sacrificed everything, leaving home, my family, my country, my people and culture, and have just had to work and work as I’ve come from nothing, to make my way. I’ve slept in a bathtub, the train and a park bench, you know there are volumes of a book I could write about my struggle to get where I am. There’s been plenty of backlash so far about me playing an elf of colour, and when there are waves of hatred directed at any human being it can affect you, but it’s also made me feel stronger and prouder because this is the exact type of space I want to disrupt and occupy, and I want to go even further after this!

Left Jewelry Ismael’s own
Right Full look **Fendi**

So, if your life were a TV show or movie, what would be the theme song?

Oh no….wait a second, that’s hard! You got me on this one! I don’t know, but there is this one song that’s lived rent-free in my head for like 15 years, don’t ask me why, but it’s Age of Aquarius

from the musical Hairspray. I actually think it would be quite funny to have a montage of me just coming through a door to that song, for no damn reason, haha!

Mine would be “Je Ne Regrette Rien” by Edith Piaf. Speaking of regrets, any career-wise so far?

I don’t usually have regrets, but recently I’ve had this dream of making an album because I love singing and writing music, I love melodies, and music is just the friggin best thing there is, so I do regret not having made an album yet, and I’m looking forward to doing that!

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See the full feature in our FW22 Issue - out now.

Interview by Kate Lawson

Photography by Hadar Pitchon

Fashion by Michael Rosenberg

Grooming by Laila Hayani