The cast of The Wheel of Time has a level of diversity rarely seen in the fantasy genre, and the actors behind several major roles discussed how the show represents opportunities changing for them over the course of their careers.

A group interview with The Wheel of Time stars Zoe Robins, Josha Stradowski, Daniel Henney, Madeleine Madden and Marcus Rutherford was held by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, touching on many aspects of what it was like for them to land the roles and to work on the show. Asked how the diversity added to the richness of the fictional world of The Wheel of Time, the actors shared some thoughts about their personal experiences.

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"When I was just starting my acting journey in the States... I guess all I can say is, for Asian actors, I think the door was slightly ajar, and I feel like it's just open now, which is really beautiful to see," said Henney, who plays the Warder Lan. He also connected his character's secret royal heritage to the games he would play as a child: "Growing up in a very small, Midwestern town, my mom and I being the only Asian people in my hometown... You know, I was just like any other kid. I'd ride my black Lab, and I'd make a sword out of two tree branches and pretend I was a king, and there was a part of me that, when I became an actor, I kind of had to put that away, thinking that I could play something that amazing."

"I just never thought I'd have the opportunity to play a king," Henney concluded, and then laughed, adding, "An uncrowned king. And to speak in a sometimes questionable English accent."

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Madeleine Madden, who plays Egwene al'Vere, contributed her own story of discouragement early in her acting journey, saying, "When I was starting out, and I was a teenager, I expressed to someone in the industry that I wanted to start taking dialect sessions and coaching, and I was told, 'Oh, you would never need to do that, because you would never get a job out of Australia.'"

Madden and the others on the panel agreed that the wide-ranging representation on The Wheel of Time felt natural rather than being something that was shoehorned in. "Particularly with this show, people have been cast because they are the best portrayal of the characters that the showrunners and producers have found," Madden stated. "We're not ticking a box."

All eight episodes of Season 1 of The Wheel of Time are now available to stream on Prime Video. Season 2 does not yet have a release date.

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Source: YouTube