Cast and Character Biographies
A Prince of the Elven Kingdom of Mirkwood, Legolas joined the Fellowship of the Ring as a representative of his people. Legolas possesses the keen eyesight and sharp ears characteristic of his race.
Orlando Bloom:
Orlando Bloom, who made his major feature film debut in The Fellowship of the Ring, graduated from Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. During his time at Guildhall, Bloom performed in the productions "Little Me," "A Month in the City," "Peer Gynt," "Mephisto," "Twelfth Night," "Trojan Women," "The Seagull," "Three Sisters," "Recruiting Officer," "Antigone," "Uncle Vanya," "A Night Out" and "Mystery Plays."
Bloom was born in Canterbury, Kent. At 16, he moved to London where he joined the National Youth Theatre for two seasons and then gained a scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy. On completion of his scholarship, Bloom played the lead in "A Walk in the Vienna Woods." Bloom's screen debut was in the feature film Wilde. He was then accepted to Guildhall and chose to put his screen career on hold for the opportunity to further his education. After graduating from Guildhall, Bloom performed in the television series "Midsomer Murders."
For his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, he and the rest of the principal cast were nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture by the Screen Actors Guild. He has appeared in Black Hawk Down, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Ned Kelly. He will appear soon in Troy, and Pirates of the Caribbean 2.
He is a most unlikely hero. A Hobbit, small and
quiet. He posseses a true and noble spirit, and becomes the bearer of the One Ring when it was left to him by his famous Uncle Bilbo. The task falls to him to do what no one else can, destroy the ring by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom. The burden of this will be heavy on Frodo, pulling at him constantly as he travels the perilous path to Mordor from whence the One Ring came.
Elijah:
Elijah Wood has been widely regarded as one of the most gifted actors of his generation. After coming to attention in Paradise, he went on to star in Radio Flyer, Forever Young, Huck Finn, The Good Son, North, The War and Flipper. He also appeared in Internal Affairs, Avalon and Back to the Future Part 2. For his performance as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Wood was nominated for an MTV Award and shared an ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild.
Wood's feature credits include Black and White, The Faculty, The Ice Storm, Deep Impact and Chain of Fools. He also lent his voice to the animated film The Adventures of Tom Thumb, Thumbelina and Happy Feet (possibly coming out in 2006). He also starred in Ash Wednesday opposite Ed Burns. He was seen in Try Seventeen, opposite Mandy Moore and Franka Potente, which went straight to video and DVD. He will be seen next in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'.
The loyal friend and gardener of Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee is a stout hearted Hobbit. Though simple in outlook, he is dependable and brave. When Gandalf chooses him to accompany Frodo on his quest, Sam makes a simple promise not to lose his master and friend. To that task he holds true, following Frodo as his companion even into the desolate, ashen wastelands of Mordor and almost certain death.
Sean Astin:
Sean Astin made his feature film debut in The Goonies.Then a starring role in the critically acclaimed Rudy. Other film credits include Bulworth, Courage Under Fire, Memphis Belle, Encino Man, Like Father Like Son, Where the Day Takes You, Staying Together, War of the Roses and Safe Passage. Astin received Best Actor honors for his performance in Low Life at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. Astin has also been seen in Deterrence, Kimberly, The Last Producer and Boy Meets Girl. He made his professional debut with his mother, Patty Duke, in the television After School Special "Please Don't Hit Me Mom." For his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Astin and the rest of the principal cast were nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture by the Screen Actors Guild.
A promising director, Astin received an Academy Award nomination for his short film Kangaroo Court, which he also co-produced with his wife, Christine. A Directors Guild of America member, Astin also directed an episode of the HBO anthology series "Perversions of Science", an episode of "Angel", and "Jeremiah" (HBO TV series in which he also played the character Mister Smith.)
Astin has earned a degree in History/American Literature and Culture from UCLA.
A descendant of the Dunadain, Aragorn is fated to one day claim the empty throne of Gondor. Aragorn is a mighty warrior. He fights with passion and bravery, but also with wisdom, which earns him respect and admiration. In The Return of the King, he faces several challenges that will determine the fate of Middle-earth.
Viggo Mortensen:
He debuted as a young Amish Farmer in Witness. His work is recognized in over thirty movies, including such diverse projects as Portrait of a Lady, Indian Runner, Carlito's Way, G.I. Jane and A Walk on the Moon.
Born in New York to a Danish father and an American mother, he spent the early part of his childhood in Manhattan. His family traveled a great deal and he spent several years living in Venezuela, Argentina, and Denmark. He began acting in New York. He appeared in several plays and movies, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where his performance in "Bent" earned him a Drama-logue Critic's Award. Mortensen is also an accomplished poet, photographer, and painter. He is currently working on his third book of poetry, and has a new CD 'pandemoniumfromamerica.
He is currently starring in Hidalgo for Disney.
A Hobbit from the Shire, Merry joins Frodo on his quest to destroy the One Ring as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He and Pippin separate from the Fellowship and find themselves in Fangorn Forest, where they meet Treebeard. With Treebeard and the Ents, they wage war on Isengard and the evil Saruman.
Dominic Monaghan:
Dominic Monaghan, who was introduced to international film audiences in The Fellowship of the Ring, is best known for the British television drama "Hetty Wainthrop Investigates." His other television credits include "This is Personal -The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper," and a leading role in "Monsignoir Renard," a new series starring John Thaw. Monaghan's film debut was in Boomber with Rutger Hauer and Martin Shaw. On the stage, Monaghan has performed in the U.K. productions of "The Resurrectionists," "Whale" and "Annie and Fanny from Bolton to Rome."
He and the rest of the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring were nominated for the Screen Actor's Guild ensemble award.
A Hobbit from the Shire, Pippin joins Frodo on his quest to destroy the One Ring as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. He and Merry separate from the Fellowship and find themselves in Fangorn Forest, where they meet Treebeard. With Treebeard and the Ents, they wage war on Isengard and the evil Saruman.
Billy Boyd:
Billy Boyd, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, began his acting career in the Scottish television series "Taggart." He went on to "Coming Soon" and "Chapter and Verse." He made his feature film debut in An Urban Ghost Story, followed by Julie and the Cadillacs and a film short entitled Soldiers Leap. He and the rest of the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring were nominated for the Screen Actor's Guild ensemble award. He was next seen in Peter Weir's Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Prior to Master and Commander, Boyd filmed a groundbreaking science fiction one-man short film, Sniper 470, which world premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival 2002. It is one of only two films to be chosen from the Newfoundland series to be blown to 35 mm.
On the stage, Boyd has performed in various UK productions including "The Speculator," "An Experienced Woman Gives Advice," "Therese Racquin," "Britannia Rules," "Kill The Old, Torture Their Young," "The Chic Nerds," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Merchant of Venice," "Trainspotting" (Tour), "Merlin the Magnificent" and "The Slab Boys." He also starred in the Traverse production of "The Ballad of Crazy Paola".
Billy is also a skilled singer and musician who plays the bass, drums and guitar.
The eldest and favored son of Denethor, the current Steward of Gondor, represented the race of men in The Fellowship of the Ring. But the Ring's lure was too much for Boromir, who tried to take it from Frodo. He was redeemed when he was killed by Uruk-hai trying to protect Merry and Pippin, showing great courage and heroism.
Sean Bean:
Sean Bean has dazzled audiences in such films as Essex Boys, Ronin, Airbourne, Anna Karenina, Goldeneye, When Saturday Comes, Scarlett, Black Beauty, Shopping, Patriot Games, Caravaggio, Lorna Doone, The Field, Stormy Monday and Windprints, among others. He will be seen in the sci-fi thriller Equilibrium and in Don’t Say a Word with Michael Douglas. He is currently shooting Tom and Thomas.
For television, Bean has starred in numerous BBC productions including: "The Sharp Series," "Bravo Two Zero," "Lady Chatterley," "Clarissa," "Prince," "Tell Me That You Love Me" and many more telefilms.
Bean has appeared in several stage productions for the Royal Shakespeare Company including, "Romeo and Juliet," "Fair Maid of the West," "A Midsummer Night’s Dream."
When Frodo is appointed his quest, Gimli the Dwarf represents his people as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. Gimli is a mighty warrior, quick to draw his broad axes in battle. Not given to subtlety, he wears his passions plainly for all to see. Yet for all his impulsiveness, Gimli is none the less loyal and noble in spirit. Once committed, his resolve to the success of the quest is unshakable.
John Rhys-Davies:
John Rhys-Davies began acting in Shakespeare plays at the age of thirteen at Truro School in Cornwall, England. By the time he had graduated from the then new University of East Anglia, he founded the University Dramatic Society and starred at the acclaimed Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. He taught for a year before spending two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating in 1969.
Rhys-Davies made his feature film debut in Don Siegel's The Black Windmill, starring Michael Caine, where he was blown up before the title sequence. His eighty plus film credits include Victor/Victoria, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Living Daylights and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. For his role in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, he and the rest of the principal cast were nominated for Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture by the Screen Actors Guild. He will next be seen in Highbinders, opposite Jackie Chan and Claire Forlani.
For television, he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as Rodrigues in "Shogun," starred as Professor Arturo in "Sliders," and is remembered for performances in "I, Claudius" and "The Naked Civil Servant." He would like to spend more time piloting planes, playing with old cars and writing.
After the battle with the Balrog of Moria, Gandalf shed his grey mantle and took up the title of Gandalf the White. The power that had lain beneath his old grey visage now shines undiluted. After their triumph at Helm’s Deep, Gandalf continues the war against evil and makes his way to Minas Tirith for the final battle.
Sir Ian McKellen:
Sir Ian McKellen has been thrilling audiences for 40 years on both stage and screen. He has won more than 40 major international acting awards. For his performance as Gandalf the Grey in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring McKellen won a Screen Actors™ Guild Award as best supporting actor and was nominated for an Oscar. He has starred on Broadway in Dance of Death and filmed X-Men 2 as, once again, Magneto, the Master of Magnetism. For the telefilm Rasputin, McKellen was nominated for an Emmy and won the Golden Globe Award.
Other recent films include Gods and Monsters (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor), Apt Pupil and Richard III (co-screenplay writer and executive producer). He has acted in and produced classical and new plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre in London and on tour. His solo shows, Acting Shakespeare and A Knight Out, have been acclaimed throughout the world.
The youngest son of Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor, Faramir is brother to Boromir who perished defending Merry and Pippin. Unlike his brother, Faramir is not beloved by his father, and has spent many years as a ranger, scouting and defending the wild borderlands of Gondor in order to earn his affection.
David Wenham:
David Wenham is critically acclaimed in Australia for his diverse performances in film, theater and television. A five-time nominee for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) Awards, Wenham won the honor in 1997 for his role in the television drama series Simone De Beauvoir's Babies.
He is best known (and best-loved) in Australia as Diver Dan, the laconic fisherman in ABC TV's comedy-drama series Seachange, a role which earned Wenham one of his AFI nominations. He was again nominated for his menacing portrayal of criminal Brett Sprague in the feature film The Boys - a part he first played on stage in the Griffin Street Theatre Company production. Wenham, who also received a Film Critics' Circle of Australia Best Lead Actor nomination for The Boys, was associate producer on the film. He most recently starred in The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course.
Wenham makes his debut in The Lord of the Rings trilogy in The Two Towers.
Beautiful and strong, the Lady Éowyn of Rohan is the niece of King Théoden. Despite her noble blood, Éowyn is not one to shy from combat. Adept with sword and shield, the Lady is quite capable of defending herself. When the men of Rohan leave to do battle in defense of their realm, Éowyn longs to be allowed to take arms and join them, though her gender and office forbid it.
Miranda Otto:
Miranda Otto has recently completed work on both sides of the Atlantic. She was seen starring in Julie Walking Home (filmed in Canada and Poland) The film premiered at the 2002 Venice and Toronto Film Festivals. Otto will also star in the forthcoming The Three Legged Fox, (filmed in Italy), as well as Doctor Sleep (filmed in the UK), a thriller.
She recently completed the Australian romantic comedy Danny and the Deckchair. She was seen on screen in Charlie Kaufman's Human Nature. The dark comedy was released in April 2002.
Otto received rave reviews for her portrayal of Nora Helmer in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of "A Doll's House."
A graduate of the Australian theatrical school NIDA, which also boasts such alumnae as Mel Gibson, Judy Davis and Cate Blanchett, Otto has been honored with Australian Film Institute award nominations for her work in In The Winter Dark, The Well, Daydream Believer, and The Last Days of Chez Nous. She also earned an Australian Film Critics Circle Award nomination for her performance in Last Days of Chez Nous, as well as for Love Serenade.
Otto's other credits include Robert Zemekis's What Lies Beneath, with Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer; Terence Malick's The Thin Red Line; Kin; Dead Letter Office; Doing Time for Patsy Cline; True Love and Chaos, and Jack Bull, opposite John Cusack, for HBO.
Driven mad and twisted by his loss of the One Ring decades ago, he is compelled to haunt Middle-earth, searching everywhere for his “precious”. When the Fellowship is broken, Gollum tries to steal the Ring from Frodo and Sam in The Two Towers, but ends up being their unlikely guide into Mordor. He is leading them into a trap so he can reclaim the One Ring for himself.
Andy Serkis:
Andy Serkis most recently appeared in Topsy Turvy, and in Career Girls. He will soon be seen in Shiner. Other film credits include leading roles in Mojo, Among Giants, Loop, Sweety Barrett, The Jolly Boys, Last Stand, as well as major roles in Stella Does Tricks, Five Seconds To Spare, The Near Room, and the forthcoming Pandemonium.
His extensive television works include a performance in a recent adaptation of "Oliver Twist," and lead roles in "The Jump" and the series "Finner" along with guest appearances in "Shooting The Past" and "Touching Evil."
Serkis has played a huge range of parts in theatres in London and across the UK. Recent critically acclaimed roles include Potts in the original cast of "Mojo", "King Lear," and "Hush" all for the Royal Court Theatre, "Hurlyburly", "Decadence", and "Cabaret".
