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Business Insider
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
THEN AND NOW: The cast of 'The Lord of the Rings'
The first installment of the beloved "Lord of the Rings" trilogy came out in 2001. Several stars like Ian McKellen and Orlando Bloom reprised their roles in the "Hobbit" films. Sean Bean and Karl Urban have gone on to play iconic TV characters. Believe it or not, it's been over two decades since the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy wrapped in 2003. The film franchise, based on the J. R. R. Tolkien novel of the same name, received critical acclaim — and also launched several actors' careers. Since leaving Middle Earth, many of the franchise's stars have gone on to play other iconic roles. Here's a look at what the star-studded cast is up to today. Elijah Wood played Frodo Baggins. Wood played a hobbit named Frodo in the "Lord of the Rings" films. After inheriting the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, Frodo bravely volunteers to take it to Mordor to be destroyed, kicking off the epic journey across Middle Earth. Wood began acting at a young age and had several major film credits before "The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), like "Flipper" (1996) and "Avalon" (1990). Wood has since acted across a variety of genres. Wood has stayed busy with movies of all genres, including the action-comedy "Spy Kids 3D: Game Over" (2003), romantic drama "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), animated musical "Happy Feet" (2006), and psychological slasher "Maniac" (2012). In 2010, Wood cofounded the production company SpectreVision, formerly known as The Woodshed, and has gone on to produce films like "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (2014), "Mandy" (2018), and "Color Out of Space" (2019). In addition to his other career as a DJ, Wood still found time to work on projects like Cartoon Network's "Over the Garden Wall," "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore" (2017), and "Come to Daddy" (2019). These days, you can catch him in the ensemble cast of Showtime's "Yellowjackets." Viggo Mortensen played Aragorn. The Danish-American actor Mortensen played Aragorn — the son of Arathorn, heir of Isildur, and eventual King of Gondor. Aragorn is a member of the Fellowship and leads the fight against Sauron's army while the One Ring is being destroyed. Before joining the "Lord of the Rings" cast, Mortensen had worked with directors like Peter Weir, Brian De Palma, Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, and Jane Campion. Fans would likely recognize him from films like "Young Guns II" (1990), "Crimson Tide" (1995), "The Portrait of a Lady" (1996), and "G.I. Jane" (1997). Mortensen has been nominated for several Academy Awards. Mortensen has since been nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards three times, for "Eastern Promises" (2007), "Captain Fantastic" (2016), and "Green Book" (2018), and has received numerous other honors. He made his feature directorial debut with the 2020 drama "Falling," which he also wrote, coproduced, and starred in opposite Lance Henriksen. Sean Bean played Boromir. Bean played Boromir, the son of Denethor and a member of the Fellowship. Boromir primarily appears in the first movie, as he dies defending Merry and Pippin against a horde of orcs after briefly allowing himself to be tempted by the One Ring. Bean was previously known for his roles in action thrillers like "Patriot Games" (1992), "GoldenEye" (1995), and "Ronin" (1998). Bean played another beloved fantasy character on "Game of Thrones." After meeting his character's demise in "The Fellowship of the Ring," Bean appeared in "Equilibrium" (2002), portrayed Odysseus in "Troy" (2004), and chased Nicolas Cage in "National Treasure" (2004). He went on to famously play Ned Stark on HBO's "Game of Thrones." More recently, he played Mr. Wilford on TNT's "Snowpiercer," John Parse in Brandon Cronenberg's 2020 sci-fi thriller "Possessor," and Ian on the BBC drama "Marriage." Dominic Monaghan played Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck. Monaghan played the troublesome hobbit Merry in the "Lord of the Rings" films. Merry is a hobbit from Frodo's village who finds himself leaving the Shire and joining Frodo's dangerous adventure. He had acted in several TV movies, but "The Fellowship of the Ring" was Monaghan's big-screen debut. Monaghan had a major role on "Lost." After concluding the film trilogy, Monaghan landed the role of Charlie Pace on ABC's "Lost" and appeared on the series until 2010. After that, he hosted and produced the BBC wildlife docuseries "Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan" from 2012 to 2016. He also starred in the video short for Eminem and Rihanna's "Love the Way You Lie," played a mutant in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009), and joined another major franchise when he appeared in "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (2019). He voiced Archibald Desnay on Amazon Prime's 2022 animated adaptation of "Critical Role," "The Legend of Vox Machina." Most recently, he voiced an Orc in the animated "Lord of the Rings" prequel "The War of the Rohirrim" (2024). Sean Astin played Samwise Gamgee. Astin portrayed the loyal hobbit Samwise, Frodo's best friend. Save for a few brief separations, Sam is always by Frodo's side and risks his life many times to save his friends. Astin had several notable credits before the fantasy franchise, famous for roles in films like "The Goonies" (1985) and "Rudy" (1993). Astin has worked on several major TV shows. Astin has since done a lot of voice-over work for animated films and video games, even providing the voice for Raphael on Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." In 2017, he joined the second season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" as Joyce's love interest, Bob Newby. He has several projects in the works, and he also recently played a recurring role on the sitcom "The Conners." Ian McKellen played Gandalf. If not for McKellen's character, the Fellowship would never have formed and likely would not have survived. McKellen mainly began his professional acting career on the stage in the early 1960s. A year before the fantasy trilogy debuted, he joined the Marvel universe as Magneto in the "X-Men" franchise. McKellen also appeared in the "Hobbit" films. McKellen continued playing Magneto during and after the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, most recently in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014). The actor is one of the few "Lord of the Rings" cast members to also appear in the "Hobbit" films, reprising his role as the powerful wizard. Some of McKellen's more recent turns include Cogsworth in the live-action "Beauty and the Beast" (2017) and Gus the Theatre Cat in "Cats" (2019). He also has several recent theater credits in the UK, including "Hamlet" and "The Cherry Orchard." John Rhys-Davies played Gimli. The Welsh actor Rhys-Davies portrayed the dwarf warrior Gimli. Gimli is the representative for the dwarfs in the Fellowship and the son of Glóin, one of Bilbo's companions during the events of "The Hobbit." Rhys-Davies, who also provided the voice of Treebeard in the films, previously played Sallah in several "Indiana Jones" films and Vasco Rodrigues on NBC's miniseries "Shogun," for which he received an Emmy nomination. Rhys-Davies has continued working on fantasy projects. After "The Lord of the Rings," he appeared in a number of notable TV movies and on shows like Comedy Central's "TripTank." There are a few other fantasy projects on his recent résumé, including ABC's "Once Upon a Time" and MTV's "The Shannara Chronicles." Rhys-Davies has also lent his voice to video games and animated projects like Guillermo del Toro's Netflix miniseries "Wizards" and the 2019 feature "Mosley." Most recently, he voiced a character in"Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (2023). Orlando Bloom played Legolas. Bloom played the master archer and wood elf Legolas. The arrow-wielding hero is also a member of the Fellowship and eventually becomes Gimli's best friend, even though dwarfs and elves historically hated each other. Bloom was relatively unknown when he was cast in the trilogy, but between the first and second films, he appeared in "Black Hawk Down" (2002). Bloom has played other action-packed roles. Bloom famously played Will Turner in four of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" installments. Alongside McKellen, he also revisited the role of Legolas in the "Hobbit" films. In addition to other hit projects like "Troy" (2004) and "The Three Musketeers" (2011), the actor starred on the Amazon series "Carnival Row" as Rycroft Philostrate. More recently, he starred in the action film "Red Right Hand" (2024). Billy Boyd played Peregrin "Pippin" Took. Boyd played Pippin, the immature best friend of Merry, and appeared in all three "Lord of the Rings" films. As a part of the Fellowship, his antics cause trouble for the group, but he always means well. Boyd had primarily worked on television before he was cast in the first film of the trilogy and continued to do so in between the franchise's sequels. Boyd continues making music and acting. Boyd appeared in "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" alongside Russell Crowe in 2003, the same year as "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." The next year, he provided the voice of Glen and Glenda for the horror film "Seed of Chucky" (2004). Boyd is also a musician and got to write and perform a song for "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014). He was seen on episodes of FX's "Snowfall," ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," and Starz's "Outlander." He also appeared in the 2021 thriller "An Intrusion." More recently, he voiced a character in the anime "Lord of the Rings" prequel, "The War of the Rohirrim." Ian Holm played Bilbo Baggins. The English actor Holm played Bilbo Baggins, the previous ring bearer. Bilbo is Frodo's guardian and cousin, and he is unnaturally old because of the effects of the One Ring. Even before the film franchise, Holm was a Tony Award-winning actor, probably best known to fantasy and sci-fi fans for playing Ash in the Ridley Scott film "Alien" (1979). Holm has starred in a variety of films. After the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Holm worked on an impressive array of films like "Garden State" (2004), "Lord of War" (2005), and "Ratatouille" (2007). In 2020, Holm died at age 88 of complications related to Parkinson's disease. Liv Tyler played Arwen Undómiel. Tyler brought Arwen, daughter of Lord Elrond, to life on the big screen. The elf saves Frodo from the Black Riders and later marries Aragorn. Before "The Fellowship of the Ring," Tyler had been in plenty of films, including "Stealing Beauty" (1996) and "Armageddon" (1998). Tyler has since been on several hit shows. Tyler joined another major franchise in 2008 as Betty Ross in Marvel's "The Incredible Hulk." In 2025, she reprised the role in "Captain America: Brave New World." Elsewhere, Tyler played Meg Abbott on HBO's "The Leftovers," Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam on ITV-Hulu's "Harlots," Eve in the sci-fi thriller "Ad Astra" (2019), and Michelle Blake on Fox's "9-1-1: Lone Star." Hugo Weaving played Lord Elrond. Elrond, played by Weaving, is the Lord of Rivendell. The elf was there when Isildur claimed the One Ring and tried to get him to destroy it, to no avail. Fans would likely recognize Weaving as Agent Smith in "The Matrix" films, a franchise that mostly ran at the same time as the "Lord of the Rings" movies. Weaving continues to act in blockbuster hits. Weaving went on to play V in "V for Vendetta" (2006), voice Megatron in Michael Bay's "Transformers" films, and portray the Red Skull in "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011). Weaving starred in the drama "Lone Wolf" and appeared on the Binge miniseries "Love Me" in 2021. Most recently, he played the villainous Frank Harness in the thriller series "Slow Horses." Cate Blanchett played Galadriel. Blanchett portrayed Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood and grandmother to Arwen. In "The Fellowship of the Ring," she gives each traveler a special gift, including the "star-glass" that later proves useful against the giant spider. Blanchett didn't get a ton of screen time in the films — only a minute and 23 seconds, according to Screen Rant. She had appeared in several movies before "The Lord of the Rings," like "Elizabeth" (1998) and "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999). Blanchett is now an Academy Award-winning actor. Immediately after "The Lord of the Rings," Blanchett appeared in "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" (2004) and "The Aviator" (2004), which earned her an Oscar win. She racked up more nominations for "Notes on a Scandal" (2006), "I'm Not There" (2007), and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (2007) before winning another Oscar for "Blue Jasmine" (2013). Blanchett was nominated yet again for her work in "Carol" (2016) and played the activist Phyllis Schlafly in the FX miniseries "Mrs. America." More recently, she starred in "Don't Look Up" (2021), "Tár" (2022), "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio" (2022), and the TV series "Disclaimer" (2024). Andy Serkis played Gollum. Serkis' portrayal of Gollum was an impressive feat of motion-capture technology. Throughout the films, Gollum, originally known as Sméagol, is painted as an antagonist and a representation of the One Ring's consequences. Before his performance in the trilogy, Serkis had been in several shows and films, like "Career Girls (1997)" and "Among Giants" (1998). Serkis has appeared in other major film franchises. Serkis reprised Gollum in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012) and did groundbreaking performance-capture work for the "Planet of the Apes" films. He then joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the flesh as Ulysses Klaue, provided the voice of Baloo in "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle" (2018), and was Snoke in the recent "Star Wars" trilogy. Recently, Serkis played Alfred Pennyworth in "The Batman" alongside Robert Pattinson and Kino Loy on the Disney+ series "Andor." Christopher Lee played Saruman. A film legend, Lee took a notable turn as the wizard Saruman the White, who was introduced as a respectable ally but turned out to be a power-hungry pawn of Sauron. Before his role in the fantasy films, he starred in many movies like "Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace" (1962) and "Count Dracula" (1977). Lee acted in several other notable films. After the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, Lee appeared in several films and shorts, like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005) and "Hugo" (2011), before reprising his role as Saruman in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." In 2015, Lee died at age 93 after being hospitalized for heart failure and respiratory problems. Miranda Otto played Éowyn. Otto played arguably one of the most important characters in the trilogy, Éowyn. Disguised as a Rider of Rohan, Éowyn, shield maiden of Rohan and daughter of Éomund, ultimately kills the Witch-king of Angmar during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Before her turn in the "Lord of the Rings" films, Otto appeared in movies like "The Well" (1998) and "The Thin Red Line" (1998). Otto has acted on several series. Shortly after the Middle Earth films, Otto appeared on-screen again in the 2005 adaptation of "War of the Worlds." She has since worked on films like "Annabelle: Creation" (2017) and miniseries like USA's "The Starter Wife," ABC's "Cashmere Mafia," and Fox's "24: Legacy." In 2018, she showed off her fantasy roots on the Netflix series "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" as aunt Zelda Spellman. Otto recently appeared on several TV miniseries, like SBS' "The Unusual Suspects." In 2024, she reprised her role of Éowyn in the "Lord of the Rings" prequel anime film, "The War of the Rohirrim." John Noble played Denethor II. Noble made playing a troublesome ruler look fun. The last viewers saw of Denethor, he was falling off a cliff on fire after he had tried burning his son alive. Before the fantasy franchise, the actor had been on TV series and in films like "The Monkey's Mask" (2001). Noble has since worked on several hit TV shows. Noble is probably best known for playing Walter Bishop on the Fox series "Fringe." Like his "Lord of the Rings" costars Blanchett and Weaving, Noble also appeared as a guest on the ABC series "Rake" before signing longer stints on shows like Fox's "Sleepy Hollow," The CW's "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," and CBS' "Elementary." He also showed up as Billy Butcher's father on an episode of Amazon Prime's "The Boys." More recently, he worked on Netflix's "Cowboy Bebop," Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Prodigy," and Apple TV+'s "Severance." Karl Urban played Éomer. Urban played Éomer, the leader of the Riders of Rohan who later becomes King of the Mark. Before the trilogy, he played Julius Caesar on Syfy's "Xena: Warrior Princess" and appeared in several films. Urban continues to make a name for himself as an action star. Urban became an action-movie star shortly after "The Return of the King" with "The Chronicles of Riddick" (2004), followed by "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) and "Doom" (2005). He later played Leonard "Bones" McCoy in "Star Trek" (2009) and continued his action-star legacy as the titular judge in "Dredd" (2012). Urban plays Billy on "The Boys" — making Noble's guest appearance a "Lord of the Rings" reunion.
Hypebeast
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
You Shall Not Pass: LEGO Icons Unveil 'The Lord of the Rings' Balrog Book Nook
Summary Get ready to 'Fly, you fools' with theLEGO IconsThe Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook. The upcoming set pays tribute to a popularThe Fellowship of the Ringscene, which sees Gandalf go head-to-head with Durin's Bane, the Balrog on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Arriving with a total of 1,201 pieces, the build features a black Balrog figure with a fiery whip and flames on its back. Its posable limbs and wings also allows it to extend for a dynamic display. Standing across the Balrog is a detachable Gandalf the Grey minifigure, complete with his staff and sword. As he sacrifices himself for the Fellowship, the figure stands atop a platform with a plaque stating his famous line: 'You shall not pass!' Check out the set above. The LEGO IconsThe Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook is available for pre-order now via theLEGO webstore, and is set to release on June 1.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Not-So-Secret Society Whose Members Run State
If you want to know who's running the State Department these days, it helps to peruse the website of a relatively new, conservative-leaning organization called the Ben Franklin Fellowship. The group's roster includes Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, top officials in bureaus such as consular affairs, and even an acting undersecretary or two. The fellows include current and former members of the foreign service, as well as other international affairs specialists. And while the Fellowship describes itself as nonpartisan, its right-of-center views are obvious: It emphasizes goals such as border security; opposes typical diversity, equity and inclusion practices; and advocates for the careful use of U.S. resources abroad. I have had a number of conversations with founders of the Fellowship, and they clearly cast it as a refuge for a group they believe is marginalized in U.S. diplomacy. 'It is a network of people who are not progressive and who have felt as though they've not had a forum like so many others in the State Department over the decades,' said Matthew Boyse, a Fellowship founder and a former foreign service officer. But many career U.S. diplomats are suspicious of the organization. They warned me that it could politicize a foreign service that is supposed to be nonpartisan and undermine policymaking by promoting MAGA-infused ideology over facts. Some worry that joining the Fellowship is an unofficial requirement to get ahead in their careers under President Donald Trump, and that its anti-DEI message will hurt women and minorities in a State Department historically dominated by white men. Some also question the qualifications of Fellowship members who have gotten plum assignments. The Fellowship 'seems like a thinly veiled MAGA loyalist roster — like, sign up and you'll be 'one of the good ones,'' said one State Department staffer, who, like others, I granted anonymity because they didn't want to get fired for talking to a reporter. I'll be frank: I wasn't that interested in writing about the Fellowship when I first heard about it months ago. My initial view was: So what if a bunch of right-leaning diplomats link up? It's hardly the only group to cater to national security types across the political spectrum — from the left-leaning Truman National Security Project to the right-leaning Hudson Institute. Freedom of association is still a thing, even for diplomats who, regardless of their personal views, are expected to implement the policies of whoever is president. But I soon concluded that the Fellowship is distinct in its heavy focus on reforming the State Department itself. It is intent on getting people with very specific views into the department, an approach that could affect U.S. foreign policy decades into the future. And I simply couldn't ignore the Fellowship after May 2. That was the day the State Department held its annual Foreign Affairs Day celebration. The event came amid anxiety at State over a reorganization plan that threatens many jobs and Trump's destruction of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Several key speakers were Ben Franklin Fellows. And things got … awkward. The speakers included Lew Olowski, State's acting human resources chief, who touted the Fellowship in his remarks. Olowski's appointment has been derided by diplomats who argue he is too junior and not qualified for the job. Then there was Phillip Linderman. He's a retired diplomat and another Fellowship founder, and he was given a major prize, the Foreign Service Directors General's Cup. At one point, Linderman told the audiencehe was accepting the award on behalf of 'overlooked' foreign service officers who had 'been intentionally passed over for promotion and assignments abroad' due to 'extreme' DEI policies. Some audience members walked out at this point. Many watching online reached out to me, aghast at Linderman's comments, which they said implied women and minorities who received promotions hadn't deserved them. Also speaking was Landau, the deputy secretary of State. He repeatedly raised the concept of respect and said he was disappointed by the earlier walkouts. But his remarks drew heckles from some audience members who asked why the Trump administration was disrespecting U.S.-allied nations and employees of USAID. Such interruptions were a shocking breach of decorum for an audience of diplomats. In subsequent interviews with the Fellowship's founders — Boyse, Linderman and Simon Hankinson — I've tried to figure out what drives the Fellowship and how much power it truly wields. The answer is, like so much of the world right now, murky. The Fellowship's founders insist they are not trying to inject partisan politics into U.S. diplomacy and that the last thing they want is to create a right-wing 'deep state' inside the government. 'We very much believe in the constitutional order, which is that the federal bureaucracy works for the president, and it doesn't have a policy interest, a legitimate policy interest, outside of what the president wants to do,' Linderman told me. But the Fellowship's leaders argue conservative views are barely represented within the foreign service, which undermines policy debates. So while suspicious diplomats worry the Fellowship will skew policy debates toward one ideology, the Fellowship's leaders say the debates are already unhealthily skewed toward another. Both Hankinson and Linderman said they'd separately thought of setting up a network of conservative diplomats years ago, but Linderman did much of the early legwork that eventually led to the Fellowship. Boyse connected the two men. At State, there have long been different kinds of employee associations. They include 'affinity groups' that link people of different faith, ethnic and other backgrounds, including military veterans. Many on the right saw such groups as vehicles for progressive ideas. The current Trump administration haseffectively disbanded many such groups on grounds that they promote gender and racial ideology. For a variety of often logistical reasons, Boyse, Hankinson and Linderman chose to create the Fellowship as an independent nonprofit outside the State Department. That choice also gives the group a bit more freedom than being under State's auspices. Linderman told me he was especially motivated to create the Fellowship, which was up and running by last year, during the Joe Biden presidency. That administration, he said, radicalized the State Department leftward, especially in its promotion of DEI policies and, in his view, a lax treatment of migration. (Linderman is affiliated with the Center for Immigration Studies, which wants to restrict immigration.) When I pressed Linderman about his comments at the award ceremony, he pointed to the Fellowship's roster, which includes women and minorities. These fellows believe in the group's principles and resent being thought of as 'DEI hires,' he said. He and the other founders stress that they don't oppose diversity in general but that it's unfair for a person's immutable characteristics to be given more weight than another's accomplishments in, say, promotions. Linderman also told me he was surprised to receive the award but was told — he wouldn't say by whom — that his work on the Fellowship affected his selection. Despite diplomats' suspicions, I couldn't find proof that the Fellowship is outright directing State Department policy or personnel decisions — at least not as an organization. U.S. diplomats in multiple time zones told me they'd not seen formal, written State communications that mentioned the group. A senior State official familiar with the situation also said he's not heard the group mentioned by top officials as a must-consult entity. But these are early days, and the Fellowship is taking actions designed to seed long-term conservative influence in the diplomatic ranks. Even if creating a conservative 'deep state' is not a formal goal of the Fellowship's founders, a future Democratic president may find a foreign service that's far less amenable to their goals. The State Department would not directly answer my questions about the Fellowship's role, including whether a person's affiliation with the group affects personnel decisions. But it sent me a statement that said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team 'value the insights, ideas, and leadership provided by members of the Ben Franklin Fellowship. We're grateful for their service to our country.' The Fellowship's founders said there have been one-on-one talks between top State officials and individuals in their group at various settings, but they described that as typical Washington networking. And fellows such as Landau and Olowski, for instance, are likely to have significant influence over hiring given their official positions at State. Hankinson, who also spent years in the foreign service, said the overlap between the group's Fellows and the State staffing chart comes down to math. The pool of current and former U.S. diplomats known to have views that match Trump's is small. 'One of our primary goals is to serve as a network to connect career diplomats and other foreign policy professionals who share the same values — including openly advocating for the U.S. national interest in foreign affairs,' Hankinson said. He added that if a Democratic administration sought Fellowship members' suggestions for hires, they'd offer them ideas, too. 'I suspect that won't happen,' he chuckled. I pointed out that Olowski is much less experienced than past diplomats who've overseen human resources at State. How is that a merit-based promotion? But Hankinson noted that Olowski had the role on an acting basis and argued that he had a solid résumé. Hankinson also said many political appointees under other administrations were underqualified for their roles. The Fellowship's concerns about putting merit over DEI are centered more on the career foreign service, not political appointees. (Olowski did not respond to my request for comment; neither did Landau.) The Fellowship has largely been funded out of its founders' pockets, but it is seeking grants and accepting donations, Hankinson said. One superficial but potentially tricky challenge it will face is differentiating itself from multiple other programs named after Franklin, who is considered America's first diplomat. (That's one reason the group uses 'Ben' instead of 'Benjamin' in its name.) The organization has multiple levels of affiliation, including fellows, members and people who are on the mailing list. Becoming a fellow or a member involves vetting to ensure the applicant agrees with the basic principles of the group, Hankinson said. At the moment, he added, 'we're seeing a lot of interest.'
Politico
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
The Not-So-Secret Society Whose Members Run State
If you want to know who's running the State Department these days, it helps to peruse the website of a relatively new, conservative-leaning organization called the Ben Franklin Fellowship. The group's roster includes Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, top officials in bureaus such as consular affairs, and even an acting undersecretary or two. The fellows include current and former members of the foreign service, as well as other international affairs specialists. And while the Fellowship describes itself as nonpartisan, its right-of-center views are obvious: It emphasizes goals such as border security; opposes typical diversity, equity and inclusion practices; and advocates for the careful use of U.S. resources abroad. I have had a number of conversations with founders of the Fellowship, and they clearly cast it as a refuge for a group they believe is marginalized in U.S. diplomacy. 'It is a network of people who are not progressive and who have felt as though they've not had a forum like so many others in the State Department over the decades,' said Matthew Boyse, a Fellowship founder and a former foreign service officer. But many career U.S. diplomats are suspicious of the organization. They warned me that it could politicize a foreign service that is supposed to be nonpartisan and undermine policymaking by promoting MAGA-infused ideology over facts. Some worry that joining the Fellowship is an unofficial requirement to get ahead in their careers under President Donald Trump, and that its anti-DEI message will hurt women and minorities in a State Department historically dominated by white men. Some also question the qualifications of Fellowship members who have gotten plum assignments. The Fellowship 'seems like a thinly veiled MAGA loyalist roster — like, sign up and you'll be 'one of the good ones,'' said one State Department staffer, who, like others, I granted anonymity because they didn't want to get fired for talking to a reporter. I'll be frank: I wasn't that interested in writing about the Fellowship when I first heard about it months ago. My initial view was: So what if a bunch of right-leaning diplomats link up? It's hardly the only group to cater to national security types across the political spectrum — from the left-leaning Truman National Security Project to the right-leaning Hudson Institute. Freedom of association is still a thing, even for diplomats who, regardless of their personal views, are expected to implement the policies of whoever is president. But I soon concluded that the Fellowship is distinct in its heavy focus on reforming the State Department itself. It is intent on getting people with very specific views into the department, an approach that could affect U.S. foreign policy decades into the future. And I simply couldn't ignore the Fellowship after May 2. That was the day the State Department held its annual Foreign Affairs Day celebration. The event came amid anxiety at State over a reorganization plan that threatens many jobs and Trump's destruction of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Several key speakers were Ben Franklin Fellows. And things got … awkward. The speakers included Lew Olowski, State's acting human resources chief, who touted the Fellowship in his remarks. Olowski's appointment has been derided by diplomats who argue he is too junior and not qualified for the job. Then there was Phillip Linderman. He's a retired diplomat and another Fellowship founder, and he was given a major prize, the Foreign Service Directors General's Cup. At one point, Linderman told the audience he was accepting the award on behalf of 'overlooked' foreign service officers who had 'been intentionally passed over for promotion and assignments abroad' due to 'extreme' DEI policies. Some audience members walked out at this point. Many watching online reached out to me, aghast at Linderman's comments, which they said implied women and minorities who received promotions hadn't deserved them. Also speaking was Landau, the deputy secretary of State. He repeatedly raised the concept of respect and said he was disappointed by the earlier walkouts. But his remarks drew heckles from some audience members who asked why the Trump administration was disrespecting U.S.-allied nations and employees of USAID. Such interruptions were a shocking breach of decorum for an audience of diplomats. In subsequent interviews with the Fellowship's founders — Boyse, Linderman and Simon Hankinson — I've tried to figure out what drives the Fellowship and how much power it truly wields. The answer is, like so much of the world right now, murky. The Fellowship's founders insist they are not trying to inject partisan politics into U.S. diplomacy and that the last thing they want is to create a right-wing 'deep state' inside the government. 'We very much believe in the constitutional order, which is that the federal bureaucracy works for the president, and it doesn't have a policy interest, a legitimate policy interest, outside of what the president wants to do,' Linderman told me. But the Fellowship's leaders argue conservative views are barely represented within the foreign service, which undermines policy debates. So while suspicious diplomats worry the Fellowship will skew policy debates toward one ideology, the Fellowship's leaders say the debates are already unhealthily skewed toward another. Both Hankinson and Linderman said they'd separately thought of setting up a network of conservative diplomats years ago, but Linderman did much of the early legwork that eventually led to the Fellowship. Boyse connected the two men. At State, there have long been different kinds of employee associations. They include 'affinity groups' that link people of different faith, ethnic and other backgrounds, including military veterans. Many on the right saw such groups as vehicles for progressive ideas. The current Trump administration has effectively disbanded many such groups on grounds that they promote gender and racial ideology. For a variety of often logistical reasons, Boyse, Hankinson and Linderman chose to create the Fellowship as an independent nonprofit outside the State Department. That choice also gives the group a bit more freedom than being under State's auspices. Linderman told me he was especially motivated to create the Fellowship, which was up and running by last year, during the Joe Biden presidency. That administration, he said, radicalized the State Department leftward, especially in its promotion of DEI policies and, in his view, a lax treatment of migration. (Linderman is affiliated with the Center for Immigration Studies, which wants to restrict immigration.) When I pressed Linderman about his comments at the award ceremony, he pointed to the Fellowship's roster, which includes women and minorities. These fellows believe in the group's principles and resent being thought of as 'DEI hires,' he said. He and the other founders stress that they don't oppose diversity in general but that it's unfair for a person's immutable characteristics to be given more weight than another's accomplishments in, say, promotions. Linderman also told me he was surprised to receive the award but was told — he wouldn't say by whom — that his work on the Fellowship affected his selection. Despite diplomats' suspicions, I couldn't find proof that the Fellowship is outright directing State Department policy or personnel decisions — at least not as an organization. U.S. diplomats in multiple time zones told me they'd not seen formal, written State communications that mentioned the group. A senior State official familiar with the situation also said he's not heard the group mentioned by top officials as a must-consult entity. But these are early days, and the Fellowship is taking actions designed to seed long-term conservative influence in the diplomatic ranks. Even if creating a conservative 'deep state' is not a formal goal of the Fellowship's founders, a future Democratic president may find a foreign service that's far less amenable to their goals. The State Department would not directly answer my questions about the Fellowship's role, including whether a person's affiliation with the group affects personnel decisions. But it sent me a statement that said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team 'value the insights, ideas, and leadership provided by members of the Ben Franklin Fellowship. We're grateful for their service to our country.' The Fellowship's founders said there have been one-on-one talks between top State officials and individuals in their group at various settings, but they described that as typical Washington networking. And fellows such as Landau and Olowski, for instance, are likely to have significant influence over hiring given their official positions at State. Hankinson, who also spent years in the foreign service, said the overlap between the group's Fellows and the State staffing chart comes down to math. The pool of current and former U.S. diplomats known to have views that match Trump's is small. 'One of our primary goals is to serve as a network to connect career diplomats and other foreign policy professionals who share the same values — including openly advocating for the U.S. national interest in foreign affairs,' Hankinson said. He added that if a Democratic administration sought Fellowship members' suggestions for hires, they'd offer them ideas, too. 'I suspect that won't happen,' he chuckled. I pointed out that Olowski is much less experienced than past diplomats who've overseen human resources at State. How is that a merit-based promotion? But Hankinson noted that Olowski had the role on an acting basis and argued that he had a solid résumé. Hankinson also said many political appointees under other administrations were underqualified for their roles. The Fellowship's concerns about putting merit over DEI are centered more on the career foreign service, not political appointees. (Olowski did not respond to my request for comment; neither did Landau.) The Fellowship has largely been funded out of its founders' pockets, but it is seeking grants and accepting donations, Hankinson said. One superficial but potentially tricky challenge it will face is differentiating itself from multiple other programs named after Franklin, who is considered America's first diplomat. (That's one reason the group uses 'Ben' instead of 'Benjamin' in its name.) The organization has multiple levels of affiliation, including fellows, members and people who are on the mailing list. Becoming a fellow or a member involves vetting to ensure the applicant agrees with the basic principles of the group, Hankinson said. At the moment, he added, 'we're seeing a lot of interest.'
Scotsman
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
The Ivors 2025: Charli XCX scoops the evening's big award
U2 make history at the 2025 Ivors overnight, as Charli XCX continues her awards tour Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Charli XCX has picked up her latest award for brat at the 2025 Ivors overnight. The singer joined the likes of Lola Young, Self Esteem, Myles Smith and more who were honoured at the ceremony in London. There were also awards for Robbie Williams, Brandon Flowers and U2 - who make history after receiving the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy. Charli XCX continues her awards run after picking up a major gong at the 2025 Ivors, held at Grosvenor House in London last night (May 22, 2025). The hyperpop superstar was named Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music for her ground-breaking work on the 2025 album, brat, which was lauded for 'redefining pop and becoming a cultural phenomenon.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Charli XCX, winner of the Songwriter of the Year award, poses in the winners room at the Ivor Novello Awards 2025 at Grosvenor House on May 22, 2025 in London, England. | Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images In true self-deprecating fashion, Charli XCX used her acceptance speech to highlight how her songwriting differed from, for example, Bob Dylan, but affirmed that 'one thing I certainly do is commit to the bit.' History was also made at the Ivors as U2 received the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy. The fellowship recognizes U2's fearless innovation, emotional depth, and their singular, influential partnership that has united generations through their songwriting. In earning one of the highest songwriting honours in the United Kingdom, they became the first-ever Irish songwriters to be inducted into the Academy's Fellowship in its 81-year history. Robbie Williams was presented with the PRS for Music Icon Award, marking his fifth Ivor Novello Award. This honour recognized a songwriting career that has spanned decades, touched millions, and defined a generation with hits like Angels and Let Me Entertain You. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Brandon Flowers received the Special International Award. As the frontman of The Killers and a solo artist, Flowers was recognized for crafting anthems that blend poetic melancholy with widescreen pop ambition, achieving an unbroken run of UK number one albums. The award was notably presented by fellow Ivors Academy Fellow, Bruce Springsteen. Self Esteem was also honoured with the Visionary Award with Amazon Music. This award celebrated her fearless, genre-defying songwriting that has reshaped modern pop, exemplified by her emotionally raw, unapologetically feminist, and musically adventurous work like Prioritise Pleasure. 2025 Ivors awards - full list of winners Songwriter of the Year with Amazon Music - Charli XCX - Charli XCX Visionary Award with Amazon Music - Self Esteem - Self Esteem Special International - Brandon Flowers - Brandon Flowers PRS for Music Icon Award - Robbie Williams - Robbie Williams Outstanding Song Collection - Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes, and Matt Tong for Bloc Party - Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack, Gordon Moakes, and Matt Tong for Bloc Party Academy Fellowship - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. for U2 - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. for U2 Rising Star Award with Amazon Music - Lola Young - Lola Young PRS for Music Most Performed Work - Stargazing written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink, and Myles Smith - Stargazing written by Peter Fenn, Jesse Fink, and Myles Smith Best Television Soundtrack - True Detective: Night Country composed by Vince Pope - True Detective: Night Country composed by Vince Pope Best Original Video Game Score - Farewell North composed by John Konsolakis - Farewell North composed by John Konsolakis Best Original Film Score - The Substance composed by Raffertie - The Substance composed by Raffertie Best Song Musically and Lyrically - Mine written and performed by Orla Gartland - Mine written and performed by Orla Gartland Best Contemporary Song - Circumnavigating Georgia written and performed by Sans Soucis - Circumnavigating Georgia written and performed by Sans Soucis Best Album - Who Am I written and performed by Berwyn
