Iconic actor John Rhys Davies (“The Lord of the Rings,” “Indiana Jones”) speaks with excitement about his newest role, as narrator of “Scrooge,” the podcast adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, “A Christmas Carol.” The podcast, which was the CMB Podcast of the Year in 2023, also stars Rhys Davies’ “Lord of the Rings” co-star Sean Astin as Scrooge, Bethany Joy Lentz (“One Tree Hill,” “Dexter”) as Elizabeth, and Ben Barnes (“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”) as the Ghost of Christmas Present, among others.

With his unmistakable voice, Rhys Davies has graced countless beloved projects, and was approached to narrate the podcast version of “A Christmas Carol,” a story he was already familiar with. The actor had previously performed the Dickens classic, including a memorable turn with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2011, where he “flew over the audience, which was rather nice.”

Reflecting on the enduring appeal of the classic story, Rhys Davies explained that it came at a pivotal moment in Dickens’ life, when the author was grappling with personal losses and financial struggles.

“He was depressed. He was suffering from depression, and I think he was also suffering from writer’s block,” Rhys Davies shared. “And when you’ve got a family and you’re dependent on what you produce, it must have been terrifying.”

In the same way, the actor reflected on the most monumental of events, the birth of Christ, and what it must have been like on that “Holy Night.”

‘To be able to get that wonder of those shepherds in the field, for instance, that astonishing revelation, and to get that sense that the air is dark and gloomy, but there is hope,” he said. “There is hope when we celebrate the birth of Christ, it can change our hearts and minds. That’s pretty marvelous and glorious.”

He added, “The whole point of Christmas, and the Christmas story itself is about the rebirth of hope and the rebirth of joy, and we all need that great stories, moral stories about the presence of evil, and the overcoming of that. The hardest thing for us all to do is to realize that we can change and we can become better people, but we would have to be honest with ourselves and realize in what ways that we need to become better people, and we can seldom do that.”

Rhys Davies drew a parallel between Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation and the character of Gimli in “The Lord of the Rings,” whom he portrayed with such depth and nuance.

“He’s the most human of those characters, right? You know, he is us with the xenophobia, the aggression, the hostility, the suspicion, the prejudices,” Rhys Davies said. “And yet, he’s got all the characteristics that we would wish we had. You know, generosity of spirit, kindness, protectiveness, heroism.”

The actor’s insight into the human condition is not limited to his acting roles. He spoke passionately about the significance of the Christmas story and its message of hope, drawing connections to the current state of the world.

“You live in the greatest society that mankind has ever known. You live in a great democracy that believes in freedom of speech, freedom of association, has banned and abhores slavery, that believes that there should be equality between people and not be and that we should not discriminate on the grounds of race or gender,” Rhys Davies said.

Yet, he acknowledged the challenges of the modern era, recounting his own experience of “existential fear” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think the world is a more dangerous place now than at any time in my life,” he admitted.

However, Rhys Davies emphasized the importance of maintaining hope and optimism, drawing inspiration from the accomplishments of those who came before us. Rhys Davies’ versatility as an actor is evident in his diverse filmography, which includes not only “The Lord of the Rings” and “A Christmas Carol,” but also the iconic “Indiana Jones” franchise.

“It’s been wonderful,” he said. “But I particularly like these Christmas shows that are not frantically cobbled together, basic versions of the same thing, the Christmas story and the birth of Christianity. These are monumental developments in the history of of civilization, in the history of mankind.”

“Scrooge,” starring John Rhys Davies, Sean Astin, Bethany Joy Lentz and Ben Barnes, is now available on podcast platforms. For more information, click here.

DEWAYNE HAMBY has covered faith-based music, movies, television, books, and the retail industry for more than 30 years. He is a film member of the Critics Choice Association and the author of the book Gratitude Adjustment. Connect with him at on Facebook, X, YouTube or InstaGram.