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- Lisa de Los Reyes
- Elijah Wood (Frodo) Despite his short stature, the ringbearer Frodo casts a long shadow, and continues to be the role Wood is most identified with. But the onetime child actor hasn’t been resting on his laurels: The very year after the release of Return of the King, Wood appeared in the Oscar-winning film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) as Patrick, who uses the memories of Jim Carrey’s Joel to try to seduce Kate Winslet’s Clementine.
- Sean Astin (Sam) The Goonies star, who in LOTR played Frodo’s loyal gardener turned unlikely hero, followed up the trilogy with a supporting role in Showtime’s postapocalyptic series Jeremiah and a big-screen turn in Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore rom-com 50 First Dates (2004).
- Ian McKellen (Gandalf) The two-time Oscar nominee (including a nod for supporting actor as the gray-bearded wizard Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring) may be in his mid-80s now, but age hasn’t slowed him down a bit.
- Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) Mortensen, who played the heroic ranger Strider turned King Aragorn in the trilogy, followed Return of the King with a not-far-removed role in Hidalgo (2004), as a cowboy in a horse race.
- Elijah Wood (Frodo) Elijah Wood had already found success as a child actor before The Fellowship of the Ring, but it was his lead role as the hobbit Frodo in the saga that launched him into stardom.
- Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee) Sean Astin was a recognized name in the film industry long before he took the role of ever-loyal Samwise Gamgee in The Fellowship of the Ring.
- Ian McKellen (Gandalf) Sir Ian McKellen has had one of the most prolific careers of any actor. Beginning as a stage performer, McKellen went on to receive international fame for his various big-screen roles.
- Orlando Bloom (Legolas) Orlando Bloom is a household name now, but he was relatively unknown before taking the part of elven archer Legolas in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Jun 6, 2024 · From Sir Ian McKellen to Cate Blanchett, here is an update on the Lord of the Rings actors and what they are up to these days.
Fortunately most of them haven't, but there is quite a discrepancy in the varied levels of success amongst the alum. Here's a look at the Lord of the Rings cast then and now. Be warned, there's a spoiler for Stranger Things 2 in Sean Astin's entry.
- Liv Tyler
- Billy Boyd
- Dominic Monaghan
- John Rhys-Davies
- Christopher Lee
- Andy Serkis
- Cate Blanchett
- Viggo Mortensen
- Sean Astin
- Orlando Bloom
One of the biggest stars-on-the-rise when she first appeared in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Liv Tyler had already made a name for herself in the movies Armageddon,That Thing You Do!, and Empire Records. Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy leaves many things out from the books, but Tyler's part as Arwen Undómiel was actually enlarged to allow for more f...
Starring as one half of the silly Hobbit duo of Merry and Pippin, Billy Boyd was largely unknown before he made a splash in Middle-earth. By the end of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, he was appearing in other big-budget movies, including Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, but he struggled to find another role that defined his career. ...
Dominic Monaghan made his feature film debut in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, and his comedic performance as Merry was perfectly balanced by Boyd's. Returning to TV after the conclusion of the trilogy, Monaghan landed a major role as Charlie Pace on the hit series Lost and appeared in 65 episodes throughout its entire r...
While it can be argued that John Rhys-Davies' Indiana Jones return is a mistake, there is no denying that his legacy is firmly tied to his appearances in the franchise as Sallah. Long before his Lord of the Ringsrole, he had made a career in genre projects like Raiders of the Lost Ark and the late '90s sci-fi TV series Sliders. Rhys-Davies offered ...
Far and away the most experienced actor in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Christopher Lee had already put in over 50 years in the business before he stepped into the role of Saruman. Lee's many times playing Dracula in the Hammer horror films came to define his career, and he brought the perfect creep factor to the evil wizard. Afterward, Lee worke...
The Lord of the Ringstrilogy was filled with star-making performances, but Andy Serkis's turn as Gollum was not only a technical marvel, but it made audiences take notice of his unique gifts as a performer. Serkis cemented his status as the master of motion capture when he starred in one of the best King Kong adaptations, reuniting with Peter Jacks...
Already an Oscar nominee for her lead performance in 1998's Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett was very well known when she portrayed the royal Elf Galadriel for the first time in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Afterward, she won her first Academy Award in 2005 for her supporting portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. Rising to t...
Viggo Mortensen had been in the business for many years before his breakout role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Ringstrilogy, and his performance was among the strongest in the franchise. Afterward, Mortensen formed an artistic partnership with director David Cronenberg and starred in several of his films, including 2005's A History of Violence. Mor...
After his years of being a child actor, The Lord of the Rings was an opportunity for Sean Astin to shed his label and reintroduce himself to audiences as an adult. The former star of The Goonies excelled in roles that allowed him to be a loyal and likable character, so Samwise was right in his wheelhouse. Not quite reaching the heights of the trilo...
With speculation abounding about whether Legolas will appear in The Rings of Power, it's clear that the impact of the Lord of the Rings franchise is still strong. Orlando Bloom was relatively new to the business when he first portrayed Legolas, the Fellowship's resident Elf, but he wasted no time in jumping from one massive franchise to another. Eq...
- Dalton Norman
- Senior Staff Writer
Jun 23, 2020 · A cinematic telling of the iconic J.R.R. Tolkien novels, the movies have become a timeless classic amongst movie fans since the first film, The Fellowship of the Ring premiered back in 2001....
Dec 1, 2021 · If you are a Stranger Things fan, you know exactly where Sean Astin has been in the last few years. But aside from that, Astin has had fun on TV: he guest-starred in 24, Alphas, The Strain, The...
