Elijah Wood – Frodo

‘This is the first time I’ve played a fifty-year-old!’ noted Elijah Wood with a laugh. He is after all only just twenty! Wood plays Frodo Baggins who inherits a magic ring with the alarming consequence that he has to set out on a terror-filled journey towards the shadow-filled land of Mordor. ‘According to the book,’ continues Wood, ’Frodo is fifty when he sets out on his quest, although fifty is still relatively young in the life-span of a hobbit. And this particular hobbit is fascinating.’
Frodo is the nephew of Bilbo Baggins, and Wood sees a similarity between those two characters: ‘Frodo is different, he is slightly set apart from the other hobbits. Like his uncle, he is very curious about the outside world. Frodo has read Bilbo’s memoirs and heard the older hobbit telling him stories of his adventures, and part of him likes the idea of having an adventure of his own.’ When, however, that adventure comes to Frodo, it turns out to be a lot more dangerous than he, or his uncle, might have anticipated. His task is to carry the One Ring into Mordor, avoiding the watchful gaze of the Dark Lord, Sauron, and there cast the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom.
‘The Lord of the Rings Trilogy’ is the latest venture for an actor who has already achieved much in his tender years. Following early success as a child model, Wood’s family moved to Los Angeles. It was there that an agent saw Wood and asked if he would like to an actor. ‘Why not?’ answers Wood and he was soon launched on his film career with minor roles in ‘Back to the Future II’, ‘Internal Affairs’ and ‘Avalon’.
His first starring role, at the age of ten was in ‘Paradise’ playing Willard, a young boy who re-awakens by a family tragedy. Later films include ‘Forever Young’, ‘The Good Son’, ‘North’, ‘Flipper’, ‘The Ice Storm’, ‘Deep Impact’, ‘Chain of Fools’ and ‘The Faculty’. In 1994 Wood was named Young Star of the Year by NATO/ShowEast following his performance in ‘The War’.
Wood has also portrayed two famous literacy characters, one American and one English: starring the title role of Mark Twain’s ’The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ and playing the Artful Dodger, opposite Richard Dreyfuss as Fagin, in a television version of Charles Dickens’ ‘Oliver Twist’.
In playing Frodo, Wood is cast alongside fellow American Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee. As Wood observes, the special bond that grows and develops between Frodo and Sam Gamgee in the three volumes of the book is also at the heart of the film trilogy: ‘It is a deep relationship and difficult to describe. In one way it is a master/servant relationship because Sam comes from a different class and wants to serve Frodo and be there for him because he’s very, very loyal. But, more than anything, they are best friends.’
Despite all efforts of wizards and warriors, it is this one friendship that eventually enables Frodo to carry out his quest: ‘Quite simply, it is love.’ Says Elijah Wood. ‘It is that unconditional love that says regardless of what you do or where you go, I will always be there for you.’

Full Name: Frodo Baggins
Date of Birth: T.A. 22 September 2968
Parents: Drogo Baggins, Primula Brandybuck
Race: Hobbit
Weapon: Sting

"Frodo is the cousin of Bilbo Baggins who adopts him when Bilbo is 99 years old. As Bilbo's heir Frodo received the One Ring and accepted the quest of the Ring during the Council of Elrond. He then became the Ring Bearer. He was one of the four Hobbits that were part of the Fellowship of the Ring. At the breaking of the Fellowship it was Frodo who decided to continue the quest alone and enter the land of Mordor. He was caught by Sam, however, and together they journeyed to Mount Doom. At the Cracks of Doom Frodo could no longer resist the power of the One Ring and decided to claim the rings for himself. He was attacked by Gollum who bit of Frodo's middle finger with the rings still in it. Gollum fell into the Cracks of Doom destroying the ring and ending the quest. Frodo and Sam were then rescued by Gwaihir, the Lord of the Eagles and Gandalf who took them to safety. At the end Frodo leaves Middle-Earth together with Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel."

Frodo Baggins is a young hobbit, an orphan cousin of Bilbo’s, whom Bilbo had adopted as his heir. When Bilbo leaves the Shire for the last time, Frodo inherits all of Bilbo’s possessions, including his home at Bag End, and a magical ring that Bilbo had found on one of his adventures. But the ring is more than it seems to be, and Frodo finds himself drawn away from the fields and streams of the Shire into one of the most terrible and fearful adventures he could ever have imagined.


As soon as he learns, from Gandalf, that his ring is none other than The One Ring for which Sauron is searching, Frodo must flee from the Shire. Yet he is almost too late. Already the Ringwraiths are on his trail, looking for him with the two words “Baggins” and “Shire.” Helped by his hobbit friends, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, he reaches the town of Bree, where Gandalf had promised to meet him. But Gandalf is not there and the power of the Ring is becoming stronger…


Twice Frodo puts on the Ring, once by accident and the second time to escape from the Ringwraiths. But whenever he does so, the real world becomes blurred and indistinct while evil becomes visible and easier to hear. Thus he sees the Ringwraiths in their real forms, like distorted skeletons. The Ring brings him no relief—on the contrary, it brings him closer to evil and gains power over him. Only a hobbit’s natural strength could resist it for so long.


However, when the leader of the Ringwraiths stabs him with a Morgul blade, Frodo nearly succumbs. The poisoned blade can only be healed by the wisdom of the elves, and his strength is fading. Not even Strider, a human ranger, can do anything. But fortunately, the elf Arwen meets the party and Frodo is saved from death by her power and that of her father, Elrond.


In the safe haven of Rivendell, Frodo finds Gandalf and Bilbo and recovers his strength. Evil seems far away. Here, he thought, his quest was ended. The Ring was safe, and he had done his duty. But the Ring is not safe anywhere. Only when it is destroyed can Middle Earth live in peace, and it can be destroyed only in Mordor, Sauron’s stronghold. Someone must carry it through enemy lands, someone who will bear the burden of its evil and is yet strong enough to resist it. Elves, dwarves, and men, begin to quarrel among themselves as to who will take it, and Frodo can see already that the Ring’s power is working on them.


Frodo knows that he alone can take the Ring; the task was meant for him. And even though he longs for peace and the everyday life of the Shire, he offers himself to carry the burden, to bring peace to Middle Earth. Helped by eight companions, he sets out from Rivendell on the real journey, to Mordor. But the Ring’s power must not be underestimated. Already it begins to corrupt Boromir, and Frodo realizes that he must go on alone. He cannot put anyone else in peril, and risk division in the Fellowship itself.


His wisdom is that of common sense; he knows that it is foolish to put temptation in the paths of his companions. He must go to Mordor alone…And yet, there is one who will not be left behind: his faithful friend, Sam. Not for desire of the Ring, but for friendship. And Frodo realizes, wisely, that such friendship cannot be corrupted and will help him finish the quest. For, although he fights occasionally, and Bilbo gives him the sword Sting, Frodo’s real battle is not physical but psychological. Against the Ringwraiths, for instance, swords are of no use. He must fight with his will to counteract the will of the Ring that is trying to return to Sauron. How can he fight it alone? It is Sam’s friendship, and his goodness, which will uphold Frodo as he draws ever nearer to the gates of Mordor and the fires of Mount Doom.


Lingering Thoughts:

Frodo is one of the best examples of the true heroism which any ordinary man or woman can and should reach in their own lives. True, we are not all called to carry magical rings into Mordor, but we are called to sacrifice our own interests and desires for the good of others. What would have happened to Middle Earth if Frodo had given in to his desires? He would have gone back to the Shire, and left the Ring to destroy everyone, as it nearly destroyed Boromir, or to be found by Sauron.


When Frodo relinquishes his own desires and accepts the burden of evil, he becomes the savior of Middle Earth. Little and insignificant as he is, he shows a real strength because he accepts the Ring, not for himself, but for others. He does not take it to use it, as Boromir or Galadriel or even Gandalf might have done, but to destroy it forever. In this way, Frodo is one of the several Christ-like figures in the Lord of the Rings. He bears the burden of evil and sin, taking it from others in order to destroy it and free them from its power.


Frodo is small and seemingly insignificant and yet the task is given to him. Why Frodo? Why a lone hobbit whose only desires are for happiness and friendship in the Shire? Why not someone more stately, more powerful, more capable? Because not all important tasks are given to those of vast importance. Size and race does not matter to the Ring; the task was given to a hobbit because he was the most apt to complete the quest.


Things to Watch for:

Notice how Frodo is always helping people out from the very beginning. Even if it’s just giving Sam a push towards Rosie Cotton! He is naturally a happy fellow with a great deal of affection towards everyone around him, as we can see in his first meeting with Gandalf and his sorrow at Bilbo’s parting. This is the hobbit who must leave the Shire that he loves, lose all of his friends but one, and journey into Mordor bearing and resisting the evil of the Ring.


As the story continues, watch how the Ring continually whispers to him, and how hard he must fight to resist it. When Boromir holds it, he snatches it away—is it just because he fears its influence on Boromir, or because it has already gained power over him and he cannot bear to have it out of his grasp? And yet, not even this power that the Ring exerts over him can keep him from thinking of others: grieving for Gandalf, realizing that Boromir is not himself when he attacks him, and saving Sam from drowning. This capacity for friendship is his one great defense against evil.


As we can see in his last line (and the last line of the movie): “Sam, I’m glad you’re with me.”


Memorable Quotes:

[to Gandalf] "Then we will put it away and never speak of it again! No one will ever know! No one knows it's here, do they, Gandalf?"

[to Gandalf] "I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had ever happened."

[to Sam] "I'm going on alone."