For those who belong to the “bookworm” community, J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, The Lord of the Rings, is considered a must-read at least once. Since its adaptation into a successful Hollywood movie trilogy, the story has gained immense popularity, allowing fans to appreciate its legacy and cultural impact for future generations.
To achieve such success, a rigorous and passionate production process was essential, involving numerous elements from the film’s cast. Below are some intriguing details about the actors from The Lord of the Rings trilogy that you might not know:
1. Orlando Bloom performed most of his stunts himself and even injured his back while filming certain scenes.
2. Sean Astin gained over 13 kg for his role as Sam.
3. Viggo Mortensen always carried a sword around the set to ensure he could immerse himself in his character. He even faced police encounters for carrying a sword in public.
4. Director Peter Jackson once had to give his own prosthetics to both Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis as they finished filming. Both actors thought they were the only ones to receive such treatment.
5. Actor Christopher Lee met J.R.R. Tolkien once before his passing in 2015, making him the only cast member to have met the author of the original book series.
6. Viggo Mortensen is fluent in three languages: English, Spanish, and Danish, which allowed him to request more lines in Elvish for Aragorn.
7. Viggo Mortensen chipped his tooth while filming a battle scene. He wanted to keep the temporary superglue in place until the scene was finished, but Peter Jackson insisted he go to the dentist during lunch break, saying “get it fixed” and resumed filming in the afternoon.
8. John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli, is the tallest actor in the Fellowship, standing at 1.86 meters.
9. Ian McKellen had never read the book before being approached by Peter Jackson for the role of Gandalf. Jackson’s enthusiasm convinced him to join the film cast.
10. Ian McKellen drew upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s own voice recordings to portray Gandalf’s speech accurately.
11. Liv Tyler accidentally bumped into her own leg while filming her line “If you want that ring, come and claim it!”
12. During a shoot in Bucklebury, Elijah Wood jumped too far and fell into the river.
13. Liv Tyler had her own singing voice replaced for her role as Arwen, as her father, Steven Tyler, had a unique voice that was different from hers.
14. Orlando Bloom spent two months practicing archery techniques.
15. It took Lawrence Makoare 11 hours to complete the makeup and costume for his role as Lurtz.
According to IMDb
