Welsh actress Morfydd Clark steals the show as Galadriel in The Rings of Power, and she’s continuing in the dark fantasy genre on the big screen between seasons one and two. The movie is Starve Acre, which is now available in theaters and on demand. Clark stars alongside the lead in another hit fantasy show: House of the Dragon’s Matt Smith. Together, they lead a chilling and suspenseful new folk horror film set in the 1970s that screams goth and introduces an eery world that might even benefit from a sequel or two.

We recently caught up with Clark to learn more about her starring role in Starve Acre, how co-star Matt Smith once helped her prepare for her first-ever press tour back when The Rings of Power was debuting, and an upcoming Shakespearean project of hers that also stars Riz Ahmed.

Nature: ‘The Ultimate Winner’
Starve Acre (2024) 3.5/5 When their son starts acting strangely, a couple unwittingly allow dark and sinister forces into their home, awakening a long-dormant ancient evil rooted deep in the countryside.Release Date June 26, 2024 Director Daniel Kokotajlo Runtime 1h 38m Writers Daniel Kokotajlo , Andrew Michael Hurley

You’ll quickly learn that Clark’s atmospheric horror feature has a number of rewarding elements, particularly the folk vibes that create an overall chilling effect. “I’m really interested in [this] kind of folklore and the idea of nature being kind of the ultimate winner no matter what happens,” she told MovieWeb, adding:

“It’s also this idea of, like, kind of folklore and tradition, that our houses change and our clothes change, but we remain the same kind of frightened, delicate little beings that we always were… I also think it felt kind of very British in a funny way. I’m quite interested in it coming out in America… It’ll be interesting to see what Americans kind of feel about it.”

Related Exclusive: David Jonsson and Morfydd Clark Talk Murder Is Easy and the Joys of Agatha Christie The stars of Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy spoke about the immensely fun new mystery adaptation.

Morfydd Clark Bonded with Her Fantasy ‘Rival,’ Matt Smith
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Clark plays a mom in distress named Juliette, who spends most of the harrowing film grieving and struggling to cope with her newly tragic circumstances. Playing her equally distressed husband is Matt Smith, who Clark reports was quite handy in keeping things comfortable during this otherwise grim project.

“Matt is such a pro and just kind of has done so many amazing things… he’s good with people and so lovely to be around,” Clark told us. “I think he kind of could sense for me that I needed, when we weren’t on screen, to be, like, nice and cozy and safe. And so it was just kind of a really lovely, gentle environment, really… I feel really grateful to have worked with him on this because, I mean, there’s lots of stuff that’s quite dark, and it’s kind of handling really sensitive things. And it was really lovely to kind of be with someone who could bring kind of a lightness to that.”

Clark continued on the perks of teaming up with Smith:

“I was so blessed to be with Matt because I met him just before my first-ever press tour, and he gave me the whole lowdown about it, about Comic-Con, all that stuff, and just kind of made me feel a lot better…
It’s probably quite useful for our film because he was obviously like, ‘This woman is in terror about this press tour. I need to calm her down!
‘ But yeah, it was quite fun. We laugh about that quite a lot, and also kind of like, ‘We’re not in blond wigs! We’re comfortable and can scratch our heads.'”

Related Rings of Power Star Teases Galadriel’s ‘Mortal Enemy’ & Says ‘Darkness Has Risen’ Morfydd Clark teases the new season of Rings of Power and her friendship with Matt Smith of House of the Dragon.

Clark Says Riz Ahmed Is Reinventing Shakespeare with Hamlet

Between The Rings of Power and Starve Acre — projects with fantasy and folklore elements — Clark assures us that she’s not tapped out and would love to continue tackling the fantasy genre. “I’d love to do fantasy that’s kind of very kind of ’80s aesthetic because I like grew up watching The Dark Crystal and The NeverEnding Story,” she said. “I’ve been really spoiled on Rings of Power and actually on Starve Acre… with lots of practical effects. I’d love more of that because you just feel like a little kid in a magical world.”

And in looking ahead, Clark has also kept busy with a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s renowned play Hamlet. “That has really been such an honor to be in, and it was really fascinating to be working opposite Riz Ahmed, who does a lot of music and rap, because his handle of the language was just — I felt I was hearing it in ways that it was making sense to me, in ways that were very different to what I’d seen before,” said Clark. “I felt like I was in a master class every day, and I’m really excited to people to see that.”

From Brainstorm Media, Starve Acre is now available in theaters now and available to rent or buy on digital platforms like Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home, or through Apple TV below:

Watch Starve Acre