
The Rings of Power actor Maxim Baldry has admitted he would nap on set to ‘alleviate the pressure’ of his costume.
The 26-year-old actor portrays Isildur in the prequel, which is set in the Second Age and thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
In the Prime Video series, Middle Earth fans meet Isildur as he is undergoing training for the Sea Guard of Numenor at the encouragement of his father Elendil (Lloyd Owen).
However, he begins to question his calling when he starts hearing strange voices in his head much to the disappointment of Elendil and friends Valandil (Alex Tarrant) and Ontamo (Anthony Crum).
Maxim describes his character, who eventually joins Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) army as they return to Middle Earth to defeat Sauron, as a ‘misfit’ who has a tendency to be ‘self-destructive.’
Given he is in the Tolkien equivalent of the Royal Naval, Maxim said he had to wear a ‘heavy’ costume in which he struggled to walk, with falling asleep on the New Zealand set providing much-needed respite.
He explained: ‘To be honest, I’d always fall asleep as well because we wake up at about 4am in the morning. And it was really difficult to fall asleep while sitting when we were wearing armour because it was so heavy and you’re basically you’re like a tin man, you can’t walk. It doesn’t move well.

‘Some days, I would just fall asleep on the floor because it would also alleviate pressure from the chest and I would be able to breathe and just fall asleep.’
The rising star said his naps would also make him a prime subject for practical jokes, adding: ‘I think there are a lot of selfies of people taking photos of me whilst I was asleep for longer on the floor. Hilarious.’
Maxim has been acting since he was a child, first gaining recognition with a part in Mr Bean’s Holiday alongside Rowan Atkinson.
The performer then graduated to Hollyoaks a decade later and played the part of Liam Donovan for a year.
More recently, he played Viktor Goraya in dystopian drama Years and Years, written by It’s a Sin creator Russell T Davies.
Maxim has also had roles in Doctor Who, Last Christmas and Strike Back: Vendetta.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available to stream on Prime Video