The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 trailer
Season 2 of The Rings of Power has introduced new characters to the fray, as viewers witness the rise of Sauron. One of the series' latest additions is Círdan, a senior Elf played by British actor Ben Daniels.
The Elf bears the third elven ring Narya and warns Elrond about the power of the rings over living beings and the risk of them falling into the wrong hands. In J.R.R. Tolkien's epic series, Círdan goes on to join the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, fighting as the lieutenant of Gil-Galad.
Following the battle with Elrond, he urged Isildur to throw the captured One Ring into Orodruin to destroy the ring, but Isildur refused.
Cirdan is a tremendously important figure in the long history of Middle-earth, but who is the man behind the Elf? Here is what we know about the actor, his rise to fame, his biggest roles and his personal tragedy.
Ben Daniel's early life and rise to fame
Ben Daniels was born on June 10, 1964 in Nuneaton, Warwickshire and grew up with a younger and older sister. Growing up, his mother owned a children's clothes shop and his father was an engineer at Rolls-Royce and later a grocer.
He described himself as a "shy child" growing up, but it was drama lessons that gave him a voice. He attended sixth-form college in Stratford-Upon-Avon and his love of acting grew thanks to regularly watching Royal Shakespeare Company shows.
Daniels studied drama at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art for three years. The actor's first roles were in two of The Moody Blue's music videos, namely Your Wildest Dreams I Know You're Out There Somewhere.
His earliest TV roles include playing the co-pilot of a doomed plane in Casualty, Robin in The Lost Language of Cranes, the cocky Finn Bevan in Cutting It and Nicholas Brocklehurst in the BBC series The State Within.
What roles is Ben Daniels known for?
Thanks to more than two decades of acting, Daniels is a familiar face across various roles across stage, TV and film. He is a hugely accomplished stage actor after he won the 2001 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the Arthur Miller play All My Sons.
In recent years, Daniels has played Adam Galloway in the Netflix series House of Cards, James Street in Law & Order: UK, Paul Grayson in Flesh and Bone, Antony Armstrong-Jones in The Crown, Santiago in Interview with the Vampire and Father Marcus Keane in The Exorcist TV series.
He has also appeared in numerous films including General Merrick in the Star Wars movie Rogue One, a bartender in Argylle, Fumm in Jack the Giant Slayer and Eric Fantom in Doom.
Marriage and death of "darling husband"
Ben Daniels was in a relationship with fellow actor Ian Gelder from 1993 up until his death in May 2024. The pair had met during the production of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane and lived together in East Sussex.
The British actor's career spanned decades and included roles as Kevan Lannister in Game of Thrones, Torchwood, His Dark Materials, Doctor Who, Snatch, The Bill and more.
Ian was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in December 2023, which caused Ben to stop working to take care of him. Gelder died aged 74 following complications from bile duct cancer on May 6, 2024.
Following his death, Ben paid a moving tribute to his "darling husband" on social media. He wrote: "He was my absolute rock and we’d been partners for more than 30 years. If we weren’t together we spoke to each other everyday.
"He was the kindest, most generous spirited and loving human being. He was a wonderful wonderful actor and everyone who worked with him was touched by his heart and light.
"I honestly don’t know what I’ll do without him by my side. He coped with his dreadful illness with such bravery, with no self pity.
"Ever. He was remarkable and will be so missed."
