Charlie Vickers turns his football team’s poor form into villain fuel

Charlie Vickers has found an unlikely way to get into the mindset of one of fantasy television’s most fearsome villains: thinking about his beloved football team having a bad day. The Geelong actor says the team’s disappointing performance helped him draw on the frustration and intensity needed to play Sauron in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The role puts Vickers at the centre of a lavish series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s world, described in the report as the most expensive television show ever made. Rather than relying only on the scale of the production or the character’s dark reputation, Vickers says a familiar sporting letdown offered a personal route into the part. The contrast is striking: the actor’s affection for his team became useful while portraying a figure whose ambitions threaten Middle-earth. A poor result may be a routine disappointment for supporters, but for Vickers it provided an emotional reference point as he shaped the “mega-villain” on screen. The report does not identify the particular match or explain exactly how the team’s performance informed specific scenes. It does, however, offer a glimpse into the actor’s process, showing how an everyday frustration can help build a character on a fantastical scale. Vickers’ approach also gives fans a small behind-the-scenes detail about the series. The story’s dark magic and towering production values may be far removed from Australian football, but the actor says the feeling of watching a team struggle offered something recognisable to bring into his portrayal of Sauron.